About the Role
The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) is seeking a mid-level Software Engineer with strong front-end web development skills to join its Archive Team within the Science User Applications Group. You will contribute to the development and maintenance of the NRAO Science Archive, a key user-facing application used by astronomers worldwide to access and work with radio astronomy data.
Your initial focus will be modernizing the application's interface, developing new front-end features, and improving performance, accessibility, and test coverage. You will work closely with software engineers and scientific users to understand their needs and deliver tools that support current telescope operations and the next generation Very Large Array (ngVLA).
The position is based in Albuquerque or Socorro, New Mexico; Charlottesville, Virginia; or Green Bank, West Virginia. A remote work arrangement may be considered for well-qualified candidates.
Key Responsibilities
- Modernize and streamline the NRAO Science Archive user interface to improve the overall user experience.
- Build front-end features and components that help scientists find and work with radio astronomy data.
- Improve application performance, accessibility, and front-end test coverage.
- Collaborate with backend developers to design and consume APIs and improve overall system performance.
- Design and deliver key application components in collaboration with team members and scientific users.
- Maintain and upgrade existing software and develop new tools that support the Observatory's evolving observing methods.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related field; highly relevant experience may be considered in place of a bachelor's degree.
- At least one year of experience developing software applications.
- Professional experience building front-end web applications using Angular and TypeScript.
- Strong knowledge of HTML, CSS/Sass, and JavaScript.
- Experience with Bootstrap or similar front-end frameworks.
- Experience with build and bundling tools such as webpack.
- Experience designing and consuming RESTful APIs.
- Knowledge of version control, front-end testing methodologies, including unit and end-to-end testing, and CI/CD.
- Experience debugging and profiling web applications, including browser performance.
- Understanding of object-oriented design and the ability to develop maintainable, well-structured software.
- Ability to learn and apply new programming languages and frameworks.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills.
- Ability and willingness to work collaboratively in a Scrum team environment.
- Authorization to work in the United States.
Preferred Qualifications
- At least three years of professional web application development experience, with a significant focus on front-end development.
- Advanced degree, although it is not required.
- Experience with Python or Java and sufficient backend development knowledge to work effectively across the stack.
- Familiarity with relational databases and object-relational mapping tools such as SQLAlchemy.
- Familiarity with messaging systems such as RabbitMQ.
- Experience with containerization technologies such as Docker, Docker Compose, Docker Swarm, or Kubernetes.
- Knowledge of accessibility standards and responsive design.
- Familiarity with basic astronomical principles and data reduction.
Compensation and Benefits
Starting Salary: $96,588–$120,000 per year. Starting pay may depend on education, experience, skills, competencies, other qualifications, internal equity, and labor market conditions.
Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI) offers a comprehensive benefits package, with most benefits beginning on the first day of employment, subject to eligibility requirements.
Paid time off, including 13 holidays and annual vacation accrual of up to 24 days.
Medical, dental, and vision coverage effective on the first day of employment.
Retirement benefit equal to 10% of a qualified participant's base pay, with no required employee contribution.
Work Arrangement and Location
- Position Type: Salary.
- Work Locations: Albuquerque, NM; Socorro, NM; Charlottesville, VA; or Green Bank, WV.
- Remote Work: May be considered for well-qualified candidates.
- Work Environment: Research and development setting involving science, engineering, software development, and education.
About the Organization
- The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) is a research and development organization supporting the study of the universe through advanced radio telescope facilities used by the international scientific community. Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI), a nonprofit organization, manages and operates the NRAO under a cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation.
The Observatory develops and maintains software that supports the astronomy community in proposing, planning, scheduling, and analyzing telescope observations.
Work Authorization and Additional Requirements
Observatory employees must be authorized to work in the United States. The Observatory is currently unable to sponsor new H-1B visas for this position.
Equal Opportunity
Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI) is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates requiring reasonable accommodation during any part of the application or hiring process may submit a request by emailing resumes@nrao.edu.
How to Apply
Submit your application through the employer's application process. Applicants should be prepared to upload a cover letter describing their interest in the position, along with a current resume.
The Observatory reserves the right to close the posting before its listed expiration date based on the volume and quality of the applicant pool.