Software Engineer III

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) seeks a Software Engineer III to develop and maintain scientific and data-intensive software supporting world-class radio telescopes. In this role, you will design, implement, and optimize applications and services that power astronomical observations, data processing pipelines, and control systems in a complex, distributed environment. Collaborating with scientists, engineers, and IT professionals, you will translate research and operational needs into robust, scalable solutions.

NRAO offers a collaborative, mission-driven culture, cutting-edge technologies, and exceptional opportunities for professional growth in astronomy, telecommunications, and scientific computing.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain software systems supporting radio telescope operations and data processing
• Collaborate with astronomers, engineers, and IT staff to translate scientific and operational requirements into technical solutions
• Implement and optimize data pipelines, services, and tools for large-scale, data-intensive workflows
• Ensure software quality through code reviews, automated testing, and documentation
• Contribute to system architecture decisions for distributed and high-performance computing environments
• Troubleshoot, debug, and enhance existing applications in production environments
• Participate in Agile or iterative development processes and version control workflows
• Support deployment, monitoring, and maintenance of applications in Linux-based environments

Required Skills

• Java or C++Python
• Distributed systems design
• Linux/Unix development
• Relational and No
• SQL databases
• RESTful API design
• Git and collaborative version control workflows
• CI/CD pipelines (e.g., Jenkins, Git
• Lab CI)
• Cloud or HPC environments
• Software testing and automation