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Astronomy Software Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Astronomer

Software Engineer - Infra & Systems

New York, NY · On-site

$144K - $160K/yr

Astronomer empowers data teams to bring mission-critical software, analytics, and AI to life and is ... About This Role Software Engineers in our Infrastructure and Systems teams help build and operate ...

Astronomer

Senior Software Engineer, Build

New York, NY · On-site

$200K - $230K/yr

Astronomer empowers data teams to bring mission-critical software, analytics, and AI to life and is ... As a Software Engineer on this team, you'll help design and build this foundation and the ...

Astronomer

Senior Software Engineer, Platform

New York, NY · On-site

$168K - $230K/yr

Astronomer empowers data teams to bring mission-critical software, analytics, and AI to life and is ... We're looking for a Senior Software Engineer to join our Platform Engineering team. You get to go ...

New York University

Software Engineer

New York, NY

... astrophysics, biology, neuroscience and quantum computing. The selected candidates will work ... The Software Engineer will report to Shirley Ho, Senior Research Scientist and is a full-time fixed ...

New

New York University

Software Engineer

New York, NY · On-site

$100K - $250K/yr

... astrophysics, biology, neuroscience and quantum computing. The selected candidates will work ... The Software Engineer will report to Shirley Ho, Senior Research Scientist and is a full-time fixed ...

aui

Software Engineer III

Socorro, NM · On-site +1

$79K - $120K/yr

Position Summary The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) is a prestigious research and ... The NRAO is seeking a full-time software engineer to design, develop and maintain code for their ...

New

aui

Software Engineer III

Albuquerque, NM · On-site +1

$79K - $120K/yr

Position Summary The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) is a prestigious research and ... The NRAO is seeking a full-time software engineer to design, develop and maintain code for their ...

New

FastTek

Software Engineer

Dearborn, MI

Software Engineer #1059251 Position Description: The Connected Vehicle Data Enablement (CVDE ... Astronomer, or similar tools. * Experience with CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, and modern ...

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Astronomy Software Engineer information

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$67K

$129.7K

$224K

How much do astronomy software engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 19, 2026, the average yearly pay for astronomy software engineer in the United States is $129,678.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $109,000.00 and $141,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is an Astronomy Software Engineer job?

An Astronomy Software Engineer develops and maintains software used in astronomical research, telescope operations, and data analysis. They work with astronomers to design algorithms, process large datasets, and optimize telescope control systems. Common tasks include developing simulation tools, automating data pipelines, and improving imaging software. This role requires expertise in programming, scientific computing, and an understanding of astrophysical concepts.

What are common day-to-day responsibilities for an Astronomy Software Engineer?

An Astronomy Software Engineer typically spends their day designing, developing, and debugging software to analyze astronomical data or control telescopes and instruments. They may collaborate with astrophysicists, data scientists, and other engineers to implement algorithms, integrate new features, or troubleshoot issues in existing systems. Reviewing scientific requirements, writing technical documentation, and supporting data pipelines or archives are also common tasks. This role requires balancing independent problem-solving with teamwork to ensure software meets rigorous scientific and operational standards.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Astronomy Software Engineer position, and why are they important?

To succeed as an Astronomy Software Engineer, a solid background in computer science, mathematics, and astronomy—typically with a relevant degree—is essential. Experience with programming languages like Python, C++, or Java, familiarity with astronomical data formats (such as FITS), and use of tools like MATLAB or IRAF are often required. Strong analytical thinking, attention to detail, and effective communication skills are valuable soft skills in this field. These abilities are crucial for accurately developing, maintaining, and optimizing software that supports advanced research and scientific discoveries in astronomy.

More about Astronomy Software Engineer jobs
What cities are hiring for Astronomy Software Engineer jobs? Cities with the most Astronomy Software Engineer job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Astronomy Software Engineer jobs? The most popular types of Astronomy Software Engineer jobs are:
What states have the most Astronomy Software Engineer jobs? States with the most job openings for Astronomy Software Engineer jobs include:
What job categories do people searching Astronomy Software Engineer jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Astronomy Software Engineer jobs are:
Astronomy Software Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Astronomy Software Engineer job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 14% Locum Tenens, 8% As Needed, 36% Full Time, 40% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 64% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 35% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $129,678 per year, or $62.3 per hour.

Software Engineer (MESA), Center for Computational Astrophysics

Flatiron Institute

Manhattan, NY • On-site

Full-time

Re-posted 3 days ago

Job description

Description
The Center for Computational Astrophysics (CCA) at the Flatiron Institute, a division of the Simons Foundation, is seeking a full-time research software engineer to develop, maintain, and contribute to the community-oriented software instrument tool MESA (Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics), and contribute to projects that align with the research directions of the CCA. More information about the CCA can be found on the CCA website. We expect the position to adapt over time to the needs of the broader astronomical community and CCA research community.
Research in astronomy and astrophysics depends critically on open source and other scientific software projects that are largely community driven (i.e. not developed or maintained by specific institutions). The primary role of this position (approximately 60% of effort) is to help support the community-oriented software instrument tool MESA.
The other major role of this position is to support and contribute to projects that align with the current research directions of the CCA, and provide leadership in supporting the larger software community within CCA.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The CCA seeks a full-time research software engineer to support the MESA (Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics) software instrument tool, and to help build, improve, and support software efforts within the center.
MESA is a suite of open-source libraries extensively used in computational stellar astrophysics. It uses adaptive mesh refinement and sophisticated timestep controls, and supports shared memory parallelism based on OpenMP. Its wide-ranging capabilities allow the simulation of diverse stellar evolution scenarios, from low-mass to massive stars, including advanced evolutionary stages and binary interactions. See https://docs.mesastar.org/en/latest/ for more information about MESA.
Within the MESA Project, the successful candidate will be responsible for:
  1. Technical Management and Enhancement: Adapting MESA to new technologies and evolving requirements such as compiler updates, library evolutions, operating systems progression, and hardware advances (e.g. GPU-porting).
  2. Code Maintenance and Enhancement: Providing daily care and enhancement of the MESA source code, in collaboration with the MESA-developers team and the MESA user community.
  3. Testing: Participating in the daily MESA testing framework in partnership with the MESA-developer team.
  4. Product Release: Overseeing and collaborating on the public releases of the source code to the MESA community.
  5. Community Support: Responding agilely to the software needs of the MESA user community.
  6. Team Partnership: Becoming a key partner of the mesa-developer team, with a focus on horizontal collaboration rather than hierarchical reporting.

Within the CCA, the successful candidate will be expected to:
  1. Help support various software development efforts of CCA scientists.
  2. Mentor and train junior scientists, including the Flatiron Software Research Fellows
  3. Organize community efforts around software education within CCA and potentially Flatiron

There will also be opportunities for on-going skill development in software development and scientific computing, including mentoring by senior research scientists, discussions and tutorials with the CCA software community and the SCC (Scientific Computing Core), and support for attending external tutorials and conferences. The research software engineer will be part of a growing community of Flatiron scientists and software engineers working on astronomical software, including Flatiron Software Research Fellows (postdocs), CCA-affiliated SCC scientists, and other research software engineers in CCA. Members of this community will be encouraged to collaborate as well as to create and seek opportunities for skill development.
The research software engineer will report to a research scientist (equivalent of faculty) at CCA and will join a growing team of research software engineers across the Flatiron Institute. The position will be based in person at the Simons Foundation office in New York City.
Visit the Simons Foundation career page at simonsfoundation.org/careers to learn more.
Qualifications
Education
  • M.S. or Ph.D. in astronomy, physics, computer science, mathematics, statistics, or a related technical discipline

Essential Qualifications
At least 3 years of experience with software development in a research context, including:
  • Experience developing software in a research environment (including academic contexts like graduate school and postdoctoral appointments, or research-oriented industry).
  • Proficiency with software development in at least one compiled language (e.g., Fortran 95, C, C++ etc.)
  • Proficiency with collaborative version control systems (especially Git & GitHub).
  • Experience with parallel programming (e.g. OpenMP, MPI).
  • Experience working with collaborative software engineering practices, including coding standards and code review.
  • Experience writing documentation and an interest in supporting user communities.
  • Experience with project management and developing multiple concurrent projects.
  • Technical and scientific curiosity with a collaborative attitude.

Desired Qualifications
  • Experience with the MESA software instrument.
  • Experience with commonly-used high-level languages (Python, Julia, MATLAB, etc.).
  • Experience with HPC, GPU, and/or code profiling and optimization.
  • Experience with ML/AI tools (PyTorch, JAX, TensorFlow)
  • Working knowledge of applied mathematical concepts and numerical methods.
  • Working knowledge of astronomy and physics core concepts.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
  • The full-time starting annual compensation range for this position is:
    • (3-6 years of experience) $150K-$185K
    • (6-8+ years of experience) $190K-$215K
  • In addition to competitive salaries, the Simons Foundation provides employees with an outstanding benefits package.

Application Instructions
Required Application Materials
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Cover Letter

Deadline to Apply
  • Applications received by April 10, 2026 will receive full consideration. Late applications may be considered at the discretion of the selection committee.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
Our Commitment to Expanding Pathways to Science & Opportunities for All:
Many of the greatest ideas and discoveries come from a diverse mix of minds, backgrounds, and experiences. The Simons Foundation is committed to advancing basic science and mathematics to benefit humankind and expand our collective understanding of our world. As part of our mission, we support partners, programs, and initiatives that seek to broaden the scientific community and open pathways to science and mathematics careers.
The Simons Foundation provides equal opportunities to all applicants without regard to race, religion, color, age, sex, pregnancy, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic disposition, neurodiversity, disability, veteran status, or any other protected category under federal, state, and local law

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