Remote Astronomy Software Engineer Jobs in Virginia

Position Description:

Position Summary

At NRAO, we are recruiting a full-time Software Engineering Group Lead to provide technical leadership, planning, and management for software products and shared software infrastructure that support radio astronomy data acquisition, data movement, processing, and analysis. The group, known as the Common Domain Software Group, will be responsible for developing and maintaining reusable software capabilities, common services, integration patterns, and infrastructure components that can be applied across multiple NRAO systems and projects.

The Software Engineering Group Lead will guide short- and long-term planning, coordinate development activities, and help establish engineering practices that improve interoperability, reliability, maintainability, and operational effectiveness. The role includes leading work related to shared software models, system integration, messaging and communication mechanisms, data transport, workflow support, data repositories, service interfaces, deployment approaches, and other software infrastructure needed to support distributed scientific computing environments.

The Common Domain Software Group is also responsible for frontline support of existing telescope operations and for the timely and appropriate resolution of real time issues that impede scientific operations at all NRAO sites. In support of operational responsibilities, this group will work to enhance diagnostic and monitoring tools and report on key performance indicators (KPIs) to maintain operational performance. The combination of operations and common software under a single Common Domain Software Group Lead allows for the development of foundational software that is efficient and reliable in operations.

This position requires close collaboration with scientists, software engineers, systems engineers, operations staff, and project stakeholders to ensure that common software infrastructure is aligned with current operational needs and future observatory capabilities. The group will help identify opportunities to standardize reusable components, reduce duplication, improve system consistency, and support the evolution of NRAO software systems over time.

This position can be based at any of our NRAO locations, including Albuquerque, NM, Socorro, NM, Charlottesville, VA, or Green Bank, WV. For well-qualified candidates, a remote work arrangement may be considered.

What you will be doing:

As the Common Domain Software Engineer Group Lead, you will be responsible for the overall personnel and technical management of software teams responsible for 1) standardized data repositories, 2) system communications, 3) data transport, and 4) frontline 24x7 operational support and integration. You will also be responsible for regular reporting on management status and compliance with deadlines to senior management at NRAO and other participating organizations, and you may be asked to present that status to other stakeholders or advisory bodies in formal or informal reviews.

Personnel management involves building and maintaining a culture of trust, mutual collaboration, accountability, and excellence within the Common Domain Software group and with its stakeholders. This includes:

• Seeking to increase the technical diversity and expertise of the group through robust recruiting and onboarding practices.
• Professional development for existing staff and succession planning.
• Ensuring a professional working environment and efficient work processes are maintained through direct line management of staff.
• Reviewing timesheets and periodic performance reviews, including interacting with the Human Resources and Business departments of the Observatory when necessary.
• Proactive compliance with NRAO and government safety policies and procedures in own work area is expected.
• With guidance from the Observatory Human Resource Department, coordinating and advising on personnel matters, ensuring compliance with applicable policies such as affirmative action.
• Advising staff on planning, technical, and operational matters, instructs and orienting new employees as necessary.
• Interpreting, implementing, developing and/or recommending changes to rules, regulations, policies and procedures set forth by the Observatory.

Programmatic management involves oversight of all aspects of the lifecycle of software for which the group is responsible, including:

• Gathering of requirements, planning development, assigning tasks, tracking progress, coordinating integration, testing, acceptance, and release while fulfilling high standards of quality.
• Managing stakeholder relationships, establishing priorities based on stakeholder needs, and maintaining effective communications.
• Ensuring the delivery of high-quality software products by the team that meets stakeholder expectations and schedules.

Technical management involves interacting directly with all group members:

• Developing the software infrastructure.
• Guiding the integration of software components.
• Maintaining a consistent view and quality of implementation across all of the software.
• Approving technical direction within the team.
• Interacting with a team of expert developers and improving on present practices whenever and wherever appropriate.

Work Environment

Work is typically performed in a research and development office environment. Occasional travel (domestic and international) may be required

Who You Are:

Education

• A Bachelor’s degree in computer science, physics, astronomy, or related field. Advanced degree preferred.

Experience

• You have at least seven years of experience in software development, with at least three or more years of experience managing a software team of three or more people. Equivalent relevant experience will be considered. You must have prior experience in computing data transport and systems communications design and concepts.

Skills and Competencies

• Strong interpersonal and group communications skills, oral and written.
• Familiarity with a wide variety of technologies, such as Java, C, C++, Python, testing frameworks, threading, parallelization.
• Ability to translate science requirements into software requirements.
• Understanding of software architecture and the implications it has for development.
• Must possess strong leadership and delegation capabilities. Ability to maintain and develop productive collaborations across organizations, anticipate and mitigate political and technical issues.
• Ability to establish firm, professional, and respectful interactions with staff and stakeholders.
• Demonstrated strong initiative in refining and clarifying requirements, defining and implementing QA processes, plan definition and monitoring, defining technical direction, and facilitating alignment.
• Ability to learn new areas and apply learning.
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving abilities.
• Familiarity with project management concepts and techniques.

Competency Summary

As a Software Engineer Group Lead, you are expected to have demonstrated experience leading software development groups, preferably within the domain of astronomy. To be successful, you shall also have experience in leading a distributed team of developers and be familiar with management, planning, and reporting aspects. You should be prepared to deal with already ongoing activities, while also having the ability to formulate a long-term direction. You should have experience balancing the maintenance, improvement, and enhancement of operational software. Planning skills and appropriate management of a team of expert developers and scientists are essential. Competency and experience dealing with the development process from requirements gathering, to development, testing and the formalism needed to achieve an orderly process is also expected. You must be able to build strong and productive relationships with stakeholders who have complex and sometimes conflicting requirements, such as scientists, development partners, and operations organizations. Strong decision-making, consensus building, and communication skills are essential.