Software Engineer II-IV

Company: National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Location: Socorro
Posted on: February 17, 2026

Job Description:

Job Description National Radio Astronomy Observatory Title: Software Engineer II-IV Location: 1011 Lopezville Rd, Socorro, NM 87801, USA Requisition Number: 154 Job Family: Software Engineer Pay Type: Salary Required Education: CPP Position Description: Position Summary The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) is an exciting and prestigious research facility that plays a vital role in the study of the universe. The Observatory operates a variety of radio telescopes that span the globe, including the famous Very Large Array (VLA) in New Mexico, the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia, the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA), and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile. These telescopes are among the most advanced in the world, allowing astronomers to explore the universe in unprecedented detail. The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) announces an opportunity for a full-time Software Engineer with system administration experience to work on the VLBA software development team. The software engineer will be responsible for building out a new software correlator computer cluster, writing scripts and programs that maintain and monitor the cluster and developing software for other VLBA telescope systems. Software will be written in a combination bash, Python, C/C++ and Java. The software engineer will need to be fluent in RHEL system administration. The software engineer will be responsible for writing and maintaining critical documentation including requirements, software design and user documentation. The software engineer must be a US citizen. The software engineer will be a member of the New Mexico Systems (NMS) Group which is part of the Data Management and Software (DMS) Department. This position is based at the NRAO Science Operations Center (DSOC) is located in Socorro, NM, on the campus of New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (www.nmt.edu). A full-time telework arrangement may be considered for highly qualified candidates that reside within a commutable distance of the DSOC in Socorro. Periodic travel to the DSOC will be required. What You Will be Doing: Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to: - Designing, developing, and testing OS and software components of correlator computer cluster - Writing installation, configuration and maintenance documentation for correlator computer cluster - Designing, developing, testing and maintaining software for VLBA telescope systems - Writing and maintaining critical software documentation including requirements, design and user documentation. Work Environment 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. Must be able to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing. Who You Are: - You have a Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, or related field. - While not required, you may have an advanced degree in a related field. Scientific degree or background in astronomy is also desirable. - A minimum of one year of professional software development experience is required in a science or engineering field with some demonstrated experience in Linux system administration. - While not required, you may have three or more years of experience years of software development experience in a science or engineering field with advance RHEL administration experience. Salary and position level will be determined based on the candidate’s qualifications. Competency Summary Your expertise and competencies will include: - Excellent knowledge of software engineering concepts, practices and procedures - Familiarity with high-performance computing cluster (architecture, hardware and software) - Experience with Linux system administration, especially RHEL, clustering and storage systems, cyber security administration - Experience with Python, bash, C/C++ and Java - Familiarity with software parallelization methods and libraries (IPP, openMPI) - Familiarity with large capacity, high-performance data storage cluster (Luster, BeeGFS, RAID) - Familiarity with datacenter infrastructure, server/rack/cable installation - Familiarity with network design, VLANs, switch configuration (Arista, Cisco) - Familiarity with highly resilient information systems and fault tolerance - Familiarity with server and application performance monitoring, and systems log aggregation - Familiarity with system administration automation (Ansible) - Familiarity with applying Security Technical Implementation Guidelines (STIGs) and Risk Management Framework (RMF) - Strong interpersonal and communications skills - Excellent oral and written communication skills - Demonstrated ability to learn new areas and apply learning - Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving abilities - Data flow engineering experience is desired Eligibility You must be a U.S. citizen, possess a valid driver’s license, and be eligible to obtain a Common Access Card (CAC) and pass a basic background check. Observatory employees must be authorized to work in the United States. Total Rewards: Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI) offers a comprehensive total rewards package for this position, subject to eligibility requirements. We are committed to serving our employees and their families with an extensive and competitive compensation and benefits package that supports our employees’ overall well-being and career growth. Compensation AUI strives to attract and retain dedicated, highly qualified, competent, and motivated employees by offering competitive compensation and recognition for performance. Factors which may affect starting pay within this range may include; education, experience, skills, competencies, other qualifications of the successful candidate, as well as internal equity and labor market conditions. Benefits: AUI’s benefits package addresses the needs of employees and their families with most benefits beginning on the first day of employment. AUI provides excellent paid time off (13 holidays, annual accrual of up to 24 vacation days and 15 sick days, additional time off for doctor/dentist visits, and 8 weeks of paid parental leave). Medical, dental and vision plans are effective on the first day of employment. AUI’s retirement benefit contributes an amount equal to 10 percent of a qualified participant’s base pay with no required employee contribution; we also offer an optional supplemental, tax-deferred plan for employee retirement contributions. Application Instructions: Select the “Apply Now” button. Please be prepared to upload your current CV/Resume and a cover letter describing interest and suitability for the position Equal Opportunity Employer Statement: AUI is an equal opportunity employer. To view our complete statement, please visit https://public.nrao.edu/careers/. If you require reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, you may submit your request by sending an email to resumes@nrao.edu. PM20 PI03d61ad64e13-25405-39531376

Keywords: National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Albuquerque , Software Engineer II-IV, IT / Software / Systems , Socorro, New Mexico