Systems Engineer II-III
About The Position
The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) seeks a software-oriented systems engineer for the Next Generation Very Large Array (ngVLA) Computing and Software System (CSS). The CSS includes the software and hardware used to control the telescope, manage data flow, run processing pipelines, and provide user-facing services. The successful candidate will bring systems engineering discipline to CSS design and development, working with system architects, software developers, and subject matter experts to capture and manage evolving software requirements, architecture, interfaces, and designs. The role ensures software deliverables trace to project requirements and meet project quality standards, applying project-level systems engineering and software development plans in ways that fit modern software development practices. The position is based at the NRAO facility in Charlottesville, Virginia, in a research and development environment alongside professionals in science, engineering, software development, and education. Observatory employees must be authorized to work in the United States; the Observatory presently cannot sponsor H-1B visas for this position.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in computer science, software engineering, systems engineering, physical science, electrical engineering, or a related field, or equivalent work experience.
- At least five years of experience in systems engineering on integrated project teams.
- Experience working closely with Agile software teams, such as Scrum or Kanban.
- Solid understanding of how large software systems are designed, built, tested, and deployed.
- Experience applying core systems engineering practices to software systems, including requirements capture and traceability, interface definition, and verification and validation.
- Experience working across a project lifecycle, from design through integration, testing, and transition to operations.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including working with geographically distributed teams.
- Proactive and independent work ethic.
- Must be authorized to work in the United States; H-1B visa sponsorship is not available for this position.
Nice To Haves
- Systems engineering experience in scientific R&D environments.
- Exposure to scientific, telescope, or control software, distributed systems, data processing pipelines, or signal processing.
- Familiarity with MBSE or software modeling methods and tools.
Responsibilities
- Lead systems engineering for the CSS, adapting systems engineering practices to Agile software development.
- Maintain requirements traceability between CSS software and ngVLA project-level requirements, and keep CSS processes aligned with the project.
- Develop and maintain CSS software requirements and interface definitions, including APIs, data models, and interface control documents.
- Work with projects and hardware teams to develop verification and validation plans focused on external interfaces.
- Support verification approaches using automated testing, continuous integration, and incremental delivery.
- Use model-based systems engineering (MBSE) and software modeling, such as SysML or UML, to document workflows, system models, and interface specifications.
- Prepare for and support CSS design reviews, including the required systems engineering documentation.
- Participate in configuration, change, and document management, connecting project-level processes with software tools such as version control and issue tracking.
Benefits
- Paid time off, including 13 holidays, annual accrual of up to 24 vacation days and 15 sick days, and additional time off for doctor or dentist visits.
- Eight weeks of paid parental leave.
- Medical, dental, and vision plans effective on the first day of employment.
- Retirement benefit equal to 10 percent of a qualified participant’s base pay, with no required employee contribution.
- Optional supplemental tax-deferred plan for employee retirement contributions.
- Comprehensive total rewards package supporting employee well-being and career growth, subject to eligibility requirements.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
