Software Engineer (551-500)

USRA is an independent, nonprofit research corporation where the combined efforts of in-house talent and university-based expertise merge to advance space science and technology. USRA works across disciplines including biomedicine, planetary science, astrophysics, and engineering and integrates those competencies into applications ranging from fundamental research to facility management and operations. USRA engages the creativity and authoritative expertise of the research community to develop and deliver sophisticated, forward-looking solutions to Federal agencies and other customers - on schedule and within budget.

Universities Space Research Association (USRA) is inviting applications for a SOFTWARE ENGINEER to join the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) program. SOFIA is a 747-SP aircraft with a 2.5-meter telescope, flying at altitudes up to 45,000 feet and designed to make sensitive observations of astronomical objects at optical, infrared, and submillimeter wavelengths. SOFIA is a joint project between NASA and the German Aerospace Center, DLR. USRA operates the SOFIA Science Center at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Mountain View, CA.

The successful candidate will be responsible for the development, implementation, and maintenance of the scientific data processing pipelines and associated software tools. The responsibilities include: development, support, testing, maintenance, upgrading, and deployment of the pipeline software and pipeline algorithms. The pipeline engineer will also support manual reduction of data, quality assurance assessments of the pipeline products, and archiving of the data products. The pipeline engineer will work under the direction of the DPS software development lead, who assigns tasks in coordination with the Assoc. Director of Science Data Systems.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Build, deploy, and verify the pipelines in production and test environments
• Integrate and test pipelines within the DCS architecture
• Design and implement new algorithms, bug fixes, and improvements/upgrades
• Assist in observatory operations and support

Additional Responsibilities:

• Support the pipeline and instrument scientists during verification and validation activities
• Support any design, implementation, and testing activities for upgrades to the DCS pipeline architecture
• Ensure the protection of NASA and USRA intellectual property with respect to commercial and International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) concerns through disclosures, patent applications, and adherence to NASA’s scientific and technical information dissemination guidelines.
• Support efforts by USRA Management to ensure that USRA conducts its business operations in an effective, cost-competitive, and professional manner
• Work effectively with co-workers, customers, and supervisors in a professional and courteous manner
• Complete required trainings as scheduled

Required Skills 

• Bachelor’s degree in software engineering, computer science, physics/astronomy, or a related science/engineering field.
• At least 4 years of experience in science applications or related area.
• Experience with Python and/or IDL required. Experience with UNIX shell scripting, Java, SQL, and/or Javascript is a plus.
• Background in astronomy or physics is a plus.

Applicants should apply to the posting at https://usracareers.silkroad.com/ and include a letter of interest, resume, or curriculum vita.  Review of candidates will begin promptly.  Additional information on USRA can be found at www.usra.edu.

USRA is an Equal Opportunity Employer Minorities/Females/Protected Veterans/Disabled/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity