The National Radio Astronomy Observatory seeks a Head of Software Engineering to lead the teams building and operating the software powering world-class radio telescopes. In this role, you will define technical strategy and architecture for observatory control systems, data pipelines, and scientific platforms used by astronomers worldwide. You will manage and mentor a diverse engineering organization, champion modern DevOps and quality practices, and collaborate closely with scientists, data experts, and operations. This position offers the opportunity to shape mission-critical systems in a collaborative, research-driven, and innovation-focused environment supporting groundbreaking discoveries in astronomy and astrophysics.
Responsibilities
- Lead the software engineering organization supporting NRAO's radio astronomy systems and platforms
- Define technical strategy, architecture, and standards for observatory software and data systems
- Oversee full software development lifecycle, ensuring high reliability, scalability, and security
- Manage, mentor, and grow a diverse team of engineers and technical leads
- Partner with scientists, data engineers, and operations to translate research needs into robust software solutions
- Drive adoption of modern Dev
- Ops, CI/CD, and testing practices
- Set and manage project priorities, timelines, and resource allocation across multiple initiatives
- Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders to align software roadmap with institutional mission
- Ensure compliance with cybersecurity, data governance, and relevant regulatory standards
- Champion engineering best practices, documentation, and continuous improvement
Required Skills
- Software architecture and system design
- Distributed systems and high-performance computing
- Python, C/C++, and Java or similar languages
- Cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes)
- Dev
- Ops, CI/CD pipelines, and automated testing
- Data engineering, large-scale data processing, and storage
- Cybersecurity and secure software development practices
- Agile project and program management at scale
- People leadership, mentoring, and performance management
- Stakeholder communication and cross-functional collaboration