Software Engineer II-III

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) is a prestigious research and development organization that plays a vital role in the study of the universe. Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI) is a nonprofit organization that manages and operates the NRAO under a cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation. The Observatory is a hub for technological and scientific collaboration, operating state-of-the-art radio telescope facilities for use by the international scientific community.

The Observatory has been instrumental in the study of black holes, galaxies, and the early universe.

NRAO is seeking an experienced Software Engineer to join the Online Software Group. The online system is the real-time heart of our observing software. It is responsible for configuring, controlling, and monitoring the real-time systems of our telescopes, including the Very Large Array (VLA) in New Mexico, the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) spread across the US and its territories, and the Green Bank Telescope (GBT) in West Virginia.

This software is responsible for taking scientific-domain configuration parameters and decomposing them into the hardware settings and motion commands required by our antennas, and into the corresponding configurations for the associated digital signal processing instruments (e.g. VEGAS for the GBT, and correlators for the VLA and the VLBA). When an observation runs, this software is what makes it happen.

This position will be based in Albuquerque, NM, Socorro, NM, Charlottesville, VA or Green Bank, WV. For well-qualified candidates, a remote work arrangement may be considered.

• Designing, implementing, testing, and maintaining components of the online software that configure and control the VLA, VLBA, and GBT in real time.
• Develop and extend the translation layer that decomposes scientific-domain observing parameters into the engineering parameters the hardware understands: IF-chain configurations, antenna motion commands, and digital signal processing configurations for instruments like VEGAS, WIDAR, and DiFX.
• Model the observing domain in software -- frequency setups, subband and baseband layouts, polarization products, timing and integration structure -- and implement the rules, constraints, and legality checks that determine which configurations are achievable on which instrument.
• Work from interface control documents and hardware specifications, in close collaboration with the engineers and scientists who own the underlying subsystems, to ensure the commands the online system emits are correct and complete.
• Diagnose and resolve issues that span the layers between a scientist's observing specification and the command stream sent to the telescope, often in collaboration with telescope operators, engineers, and scientific staff.
• Support the evolution of the online system to meet new observing paradigms and instrumentation, including work that informs and feeds into the next generation Very Large Array (ngVLA).
• Write and maintain critical documentation, including requirements, software design documents, interface control documents, and user documentation.
• Participate in code review, testing, and release processes for software that runs mission-critical, 24/7 scientific facilities.

The successful candidate will join a team of professionals engaged in research and development in the fields of science, engineering, software development, and education. Work is typically performed in a research or development environment. Must be able to operate a personal computer. Occasional travel (domestic and international) may be required.

• A Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, scientific or related field; highly relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a Bachelor's degree.
• While not required, you may have an advanced degree in a related field.

• One or more years of experience developing software applications. Candidates with progressively more experience will be considered for a higher-level position ranking.
• Relevant experience with radio astronomy operating software and procedures is preferred.
  
  Knowledge of radio astronomy theories and practice would be valuable.
  
  Demonstrated experience providing technical leadership of complex data acquisition, scheduling, and operational support systems is preferred.

• Proficiency with Java; familiarity with C/C++ and Python is valuable
• A…