Software Engineer II-III or Associate Scientist (92)

Position Description:

Position Summary
The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) is a prestigious research facility that plays a vital role in the study of the universe. The Observatory is an exciting and dynamic organization that is pushing the boundaries of our understanding of the universe. Whether you are a scientist, student, or simply someone who is fascinated by the cosmos, the NRAO offers a wealth of opportunities to learn, explore, and discover.

The Data Processing Software Group at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) is seeking to recruit a Software Engineer or Associate Scientist to engage in software engineering and development related to radio astronomy data reduction and analysis. You will design, develop, and maintain the code base for radio interferometer data reduction and analysis for the Common Astronomy Software Applications (CASA) package and its next-generation counterpart Radio Astronomy Data Processing System(RADPS). Using knowledge and experience in astrophysics and radio interferometry techniques, perform all aspects of the software engineering lifecycle.

The preferred location for the position will be based at one of the NRAO Sites – Charlottesville, VA; Socorro, NM; Albuquerque, NM, or Green Bank, WV. Remote or hybrid options will only be considered for well qualified applicants. If appointed on the Scientist track (with a PhD), the successful candidate will also have 25% of their time for self-directed research. Appointments as Software Engineer II-III will not have self-directed research time.

What You Will be Doing:
The Data Processing Software Group is responsible for the CASA package that supports the data post-processing needs of NRAO’s current generation of radio astronomical telescopes, ALMA, VLA, and the VLBA. CASA can process both interferometric and single dish data, and implements numerical algorithms for data inspection and manipulation, calibration, image formation, reconstruction and analysis. RADPS is the next-generation counterpart to CASA that is currently in the early stages of prototyping and development. RADPS is intended to meet the data-intensive needs of future telescopes such as the Next Generation VLA (ngVLA) and ALMA’s Wideband Sensitivity Upgrade (WSU). Both CASA and RADPS are being developed and maintained by an international consortium of scientists and developers.

Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:
• Developing new data reduction algorithm implementations as needed by new scientific objectives.
• Operating in a distributed international team environment with other software developers and scientific staff;
• Taking ownership of a subset of functionality and providing technical direction, decision-making, and subject-matter expertise in that area, while continuing to consult with team members and stakeholders
• Participate in research and prototyping efforts with modern software frameworks and methodologies.

Work Environment
Work is typically performed in an office setting within a research or development environment. Domestic and international travel may be required.

Who You Are:


• You have a Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, scientific, or a related discipline; PhD in related field for consideration for scientist appointment.
• You may have an advanced engineering, mathematics, or science degree and a background that includes astronomy.
• For consideration for the software engineer, three years of experience developing algorithms and scientific software in the domain of radio astronomy or related fields.
• For consideration for a scientific appointment, three years of relevant experience to include demonstrated experience in radio astronomical data processing and related scientific software development.
• Preferred experience; working knowledge of software technologies used to support scientific operations in radio astronomy or related fields, including proficiency in Python, C++, Git, basic Linux administration, the use of the NumPy, SciPy and AstroPy scientific software libraries, and OpenMP

Competency Summary
• An understanding of formal software engineering principles including design, documentation, ticketing systems, version control and testing frameworks
• Experience with large development projects in Python and/or C++ and associated software life cycles.
• Experience in design and development using modern high performance computing platforms and frameworks such as Dask, Xarray, Numba/Numpy, CuPy or C++ for GPU acceleration, Docker/Kubernetes, Prefect, Jupyter, Bokeh, etc.
• Familiarity with basic astronomical principles and data reduction
• Demonstrated ability to learn new scientific concepts and apply them to engineering implementation, ideally in radio astronomy and interferometry
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