Research Development Advocate

Overview

AVN Corporation is a strategic innovation partner providing deep, uncommon expertise and infrastructure to solve the most challenging problems of science and technology. With expertise in chemical, energy, environmental, and advanced software technologies, AVN Corporation enables its partners to move ideas from conception to market with speed and efficiency. AVN Corporation is a dynamic and growing company that promotes creativity and flexibility in the workplace and encourages a culture of diversity and respect for fellow colleagues.

We are looking for someone who has a passion for software development and who works effectively in a collaborative environment. This position offers a competitive compensation and benefits package and flexible work hours. The position is fully remote but collaborates with team members primarily during Eastern Standard Time.

The Research Development Advocate position contributes to the daily operations and support of AVN-developed enterprise platforms and collaborates with research customers to define application requirements and document system architecture for cloud deployment. This role involves writing, testing, and deploying clean and efficient code, collaborating with senior developers to understand project requirements, and actively participating in the entire software development lifecycle. This position will also develop clear example scripts, tutorials, and documentation to help researchers get started and master AVN-developed/deployed capabilities.

Work in advanced software technologies, a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment, developing truly innovative software solutions for federal and commercial customers. This position develops cutting-edge solutions in the following focus areas:

• Designing and maintaining APIs to translate business requirements into working solutions
• Cloud-Native Design, Kubernetes-Orchestrated Microservices, Containerization (Docker), and Infrastructure as Code (Helm, Terraform)
• Automation of Deployment Pipelines and CI/CD Workflows in GCP and Hybrid Environments
• Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Natural Language Processing (NLP)
• Big Data and Data at Scale
• High Performance and Distributed Computing Architectures
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Please note that pursuant to a government contract, this specific position requires U.S. citizenship status.

• Operations Support and Development Advocate:
  • Manage day-to-day operational support for specific AVN-developed enterprise platforms, including responding to user requests to ensure a reliable experience for the community.
  • Serve as the primary technical point of contact and advocate for researchers, understanding their scientific goals and translating them into technical solutions.
  • Partner with researchers to help them containerize their scientific models and applications (using technologies like Docker) for eventual deployment and hosting within AVN-managed cloud environments.
  • Provide direct, hands-on technical assistance by debugging user-written scripts (e.g., Python) that interact with the AVN-developed platform REST APIs.
  • Meet with researchers to provide guidance, answer platform-related questions, and help them architect their applications for successful integration with AVN-developed software solutions.
• Front-End Development:
  • Solid understanding of HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript.
  • Familiarity with at least one modern front-end framework/library (e.g., React, Angular, Vue.js).
  • Understanding of responsive design principles for various devices.
  • Basic knowledge of UI/UX principles and best practices.
• Back-End Development:
  • Advanced knowledge in at least one server-side programming language (e.g., Node.js with Express.js, Python with Django/Flask, Java, PHP).
  • Strong understanding of RESTful API design and consumption.
  • Proficiency in server-side concepts, including routing, authentication, and authorization.
• Database Management:
  • Familiarity with relational databases (e.g., SQL, Postgre
    
    SQL, MySQL) and/or No
    
    SQL databases (e.g., Mongo
    
    DB).
  • Ability to write basic queries to store and retrieve data.
  • Intermediate knowledge of database schema design, relational models, and concepts.
• Development Tools & Methodologies:
  • Proficiency with version control systems, especially Git and platforms like Git Hub/Git Lab/Bitbucket.
  • Understanding of the software development lifecycle (SDLC).
  • Familiarity with Agile development methodologies (e.g., Scrum).
  • Basic debugging and troubleshooting skills.

• Learning and Professional Development:
  • Actively participate in learning opportunities, including internal training, workshops, and self-study, to expand knowledge of new technologies, frameworks, and best practices.
  • Stay current with industry trends and advancements in web development.
• Documentation and Knowledge Sharing:
  • Assist in creating and maintaining clear, concise technical documentation for code, APIs, and system processes.
  • Contribute to internal knowledge bases and share…