Remote Optical Engineer Intern Jobs in Alabama (NOW HIRING)

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Position Description

We are seeking a highly motivated and skilled Software Engineer to support the Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) project at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center within the Science and Technology Office.

The SPoRT project is a NASA leader in translating NASA Earth Science research to real-time decision making through a proven Research-to-Operations (R2O) Paradigm. Tasked with developing and delivering unique satellite observations and research capabilities to stakeholders across the federal government, state and local governments, academia, and the private sector, SPoRT products are used for societal benefit.

The successful candidate will create cutting-edge infrastructure solutions for meteorological research projects in collaboration with senior software developers and researchers. They will serve as the bridge between scientific discovery and operational deployment, designing systems that allow critical weather data to flow from NASA satellites to end-users. This role is pivotal in modernizing and maintaining the SPoRT project's capabilities.

Responsibilities

The Software Engineer will be responsible for the automation, deployment, and maintenance of the SPoRT project's software infrastructure. Responsibilities include:

• Infrastructure Automation: Design and implement "Infrastructure as Code" (IaC) solutions (using tools such as Ansible, Terraform, or CloudFormation) to manage on-premises and cloud-based computing resources, ensuring consistency and reproducibility across environments.

• CI/CD Pipeline Management: Develop and maintain automated build, test, and deployment pipelines (e.g., GitLab CI, Jenkins, GitHub Actions) to streamline the delivery of scientific software and ensure rigorous code quality standards.

• Cloud Operations & Architecture: Architect and manage scalable resources within NASA's Science Cloud environment (AWS/Azure), utilizing services like EC2, S3, Lambda, and container orchestration to support high-throughput data processing.

• Containerization: Containerize scientific applications and data processing workflows using Docker and Singularity, enabling the portability of research code between local workstations and high-performance cloud clusters.

• Web Application Support: Deploy and maintain web-based applications that convey scientific results to the public and stakeholders, ensuring high availability and responsiveness.

• Operational Reliability & Monitoring: Implement robust monitoring and alerting systems (e.g., Splunk, Nagios, Prometheus) to ensure the continuous operation of real-time data feeds and identify performance bottlenecks.

• Security Compliance (DevSecOps): Collaborate with security teams to integrate automated security scanning (e.g., SonarQube, Nessus) into the development lifecycle, ensuring strict adherence to NASA IT security standards and FISMA compliance.

• Documentation: Write comprehensive documentation for software developed, system architecture, and operational procedures to support knowledge transfer and system maintainability.

• Communication: Assist with leading discussions with both customers and end-users. These meetings include discussions on technical status updates, project management and planning, engaging with end-users, and collaborative efforts with other NASA teams and projects.

Qualifications

Education:

• Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, Meteorology, Atmospheric Science, Remote Sensing or a related technical field from an ABET-accredited university.

• Bachelor's degree with 5+ years' experience (including intern/co-op experience). Master's degree with a minimum of 3 years' experience

Required Technical Experience:

• Unix/Linux Administration: Strong command of the Linux command line, shell scripting (Bash), and system configuration is essential for managing the research environment.

• Python Proficiency: Extensive experience with Python for scripting, automation, and data processing; familiarity with the scientific python stack (Pandas, NumPy, Dask).

• Version Control: Deep understanding of Git/GitHub workflows, including branching strategies, merge requests, and collaborative code reviews.

• Dynamic Collaboration: Ability to work in a collaborative, dynamic environment, interacting effectively with scientists and engineers.

Additional Desired Skills:

• Cloud Platforms: Hands-on experience with Amazon Web Services (AWS) or Microsoft Azure, particularly in a scientific or data-intensive context.

• Infrastructure as Code: Proficiency with Ansible, Terraform, or Puppet for automated provisioning.

• Database Management: Experience with MongoDB, PostgreSQL, or cloud-native databases.

• Web Programming: Skilled in HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, jQuery, Bootstrap, AJAX, and responsive design for dashboard creation.

• Security Principles: Knowledge of web security principles and DevSecOps best practices.

• Scientific Domain Knowledge: Experience with Atmospheric Science, Physical Science data, or Machine Learning workflows is a distinct advantage.

Essential Functions

Work Environment:

• Work is fully on site at the National Space and Science Technology Center at MSFC.

• Requires ability to provide clear, concise, accurate and timely communication, both verbally and in writing (100%).

• Requires ability to interact professionally with co-workers, management, and client (100%).

• Requires travel in the domestic USA (<5%).

Physical Requirements:

• Requires sitting for extended periods of time in meetings with peers, management, and with our client at NASA facilities to discuss technical issues (10%).

• Also, requires sitting for extended periods of time at a desk to write reports and perform engineering tasks (80%).

• Requires ability to use stairs or elevators for access between floors and multiple buildings at NASA and Amentum facilities (10%).

Equipment and Machines:

• Requires ability to operate a personal computer, a telephone, fax machine, copier, calculator, and other general office equipment (100%).

Attendance:

• Normal workday is from 7:30 a.m. through 4:30 p.m., Monday thru Friday.

• Minimal overtime may be required (<5%) to meet schedule milestones and to support technical demands of the job.

• Regular attendance is a necessity and adequate arrangements for delegating duties during absences are required.

Other Essential Functions:

• The ability to work independently with minimal supervision, and to make rational decisions, and to exercise good judgment is essential (100%).

• Grooming and dress must be appropriate for the position and must not impose a safety risk/hazard to the employee or others.

• Proof of U.S. Citizenship is required.

Compensation Details:

The compensation range or hourly rate listed for this position is provided as a good-faith estimate of what the company intends to offer for this role at the time this posting was issued. Actual compensation may vary based on factors such as job responsibilities, education, experience, skills, internal equity, market data, applicable collective bargaining agreements, and relevant laws.

Benefits Overview:

Our health and welfare benefits are designed to support you and your priorities. Offerings include:

• Health, dental, and vision insurance

• Paid time off and holidays

• Retirement benefits (including 401(k) matching)

• Educational reimbursement

• Parental leave

• Employee stock purchase plan

• Tax-saving options

• Disability and life insurance

• Pet insurance

Note: Benefits may vary based on employment type, location, and applicable agreements. Positions governed by a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), the McNamara-O'Hara Service Contract Act (SCA), or other employment contracts may include different provisions/benefits.

Original Posting:

Amentum anticipates this job requisition will remain open for at least three days, with a closing date no earlier than three days after the original posting. This timeline may change based on business needs.

Amentum is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our hiring practices provide equal opportunity for employment without regard to race, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding), age, ancestry, United States military or veteran status, color, religion, creed, marital or domestic partner status, medical condition, genetic information, national origin, citizenship status, low-income status, or mental or physical disability so long as the essential functions of the job can be performed with or without reasonable accommodation, or any other protected category under federal, state, or local law. Learn more about your rights under Federal laws and supplemental language atLabor Laws Posters.