Overview:

The Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) is the nonprofit, applied research division of the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). Founded in 1934 as the Engineering Experiment Station, GTRI has grown to more than 2,900 employees, supporting eight laboratories in over 20 locations around the country and performing more than $940 million of problem-solving research annually for government and industry. GTRI's renowned researchers combine science, engineering, economics, policy, and technical expertise to solve complex problems for the U.S. federal government, state, and industry.   

Georgia Tech's Mission and Values

Georgia Tech's mission is to develop leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. The Institute has nine key values that are foundational to everything we do: 

1. Students are our top priority.
2. We strive for excellence.
3. We thrive on diversity.
4. We celebrate collaboration.
5. We champion innovation.
6. We safeguard freedom of inquiry and expression.
7. We nurture the wellbeing of our community.
8. We act ethically.
9. We are responsible stewards.

Over the next decade, Georgia Tech will become an example of inclusive innovation, a leading technological research university of unmatched scale, relentlessly committed to serving the public good; breaking new ground in addressing the biggest local, national, and global challenges and opportunities of our time; making technology broadly accessible; and developing exceptional, principled leaders from all backgrounds ready to produce novel ideas and create solutions with real human impact.

Project/Unit Description

GTRI’s Signals and Systems Division (SASD) in the Advanced Concepts Laboratory (ACL) seeks qualified candidates for the position of a Software Engineer within the Software Engineering Branch (SEB). This Research Faculty position involves using computer science and software engineering to develop modeling and simulation environments and analysis techniques to solve challenging real-world problems related to national defense.

SASD consists of a staff of research professionals engaged in a portfolio of research related to next-generation aerospace technology analysis and innovation, including RF/EO/IR sensor physics, signal processing algorithms and techniques, EM maneuver warfare, effects-based modeling and simulation, verification and validation, advanced threat analysis, and operations research/developmental planning. ACL develops tailored solutions for a broad range of national security challenges through disciplined application of physics- and effects-based modeling to realizable systems, augmented with prototype development and testing. ACL’s research thrusts extend across domains, and include bio-, chemical-, RF-, and optical-sensor physics; materials science and engineering; electromagnetic theory, computation, structures, and measurements; electronic warfare techniques and applications; operational scenario modeling and simulation; traditional and asymmetric threat analysis; and ground maneuver warfare.

The Software Engineer will collaborate with a cross-disciplinary team composed of other software engineers, modeling and simulation engineers, operations analysts, and model-based systems engineers to build complex modeling and simulation environments used for analysis. They will leverage their knowledge of high-performance computing, DevSecOps, CI/CD pipelines, agile development, and configuration management to contribute to software baselines in support of this analysis. The successful candidate will be able to translate technical requirements into polished software development artifacts to meet team goals and timelines, working with sponsors, engineers, and GTRI management.

Job Purpose

The Software Engineer designs, develops, and tests software applications and products. Additionally, the Software Engineer manages software development teams, provides technical leadership, and establishes software development lifecycle practices and processes. The Software Engineer is proficient in programming languages such as Java, JavaScript, C, C++, C#, Ruby, Python, Scala, and Groovy. In this role, the Software Engineer requires extensive knowledge of programming languages, software development, computer operating systems, Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD), DevOps, Application Programming Interface (API) development, container development, and distributed systems. The Software Engineer also applies engineering principles to software creation, manages production releases of software, performs code reviews, merges feature development branches, and analyzes and triages issues. The necessary skill areas for the Software Engineer include programming and coding, fundamentals of computer science, software design and architecture development, algorithms and data structures, information analysis, software debugging and testing, and working on development teams. The Software Engineer also works with sponsors to curate requirements, define sprint work items, set priorities for work backlogs, and organize development teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Perform software development, debugging, modification, enhancement, and documentation
• Design, test, and develop computer software in order to meet program requirements
• Develop and maintain kernel and user-level software and scripts
• Contribute to research reports, presentations, white papers, and competitive proposals
• Create and analyze network protocols

Additional Responsibilities

• Integrate with study planning, mission modeling, and data analysis functional teams
• Support deployment of DevOps pipelines for automated build, check, and test of software and or firmware items
• Document software requirements and design implementations
• Develop skills and training as part of the greater GTRI workforce using professional development funding
• Contribute to the breaking of new ground on software research using Independent Research and Development (IRAD)

Required Minimum Qualifications

• BS in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related discipline.
• Experience with C++ and Python
• Experience with both Windows and Linux operating systems
• Experience utilizing DevOps tools such as the Atlassian tool suite or gitlab
• Interpersonal skills, including verbal and written communication skills. Must be able to convey highly technical material in a clear, concise manner to a nontechnical audience.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Top Secret/SCI Security Clearance

Preferred Qualifications

• Active DoD Secret or Top Secret/SCI Clearance
• MS or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related discipline
  • Candidates currently enrolled in an accredited degree program relevant to this position will be considered.
  • The candidate must have a graduation date of no later than May 2025.
• Experience leading teams of software developers
• Experience with requirements management tools
• Experience working with radar or other electronic warfare systems
• Experience with mission-level modeling environments such as the Advanced Framework for Simulation, Integration and Modeling

Travel Requirements

<10% travel

Education and Length of Experience

This position vacancy is an open-rank announcement. The final job offer will be dependent on candidate qualifications in alignment with Research Faculty Extension Professional ranks as outlined in section 3.2.1 of the Georgia Tech Faculty Handbook

• 2 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related discipline
• 0 years of related experience with a Masters’ degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related discipline
• 0 years of related experience with a Ph.D. in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related discipline

U.S. Citizenship Requirements

Due to our research contracts with the U.S. federal government, candidates for this position must be U.S. Citizens.

Clearance Type Required

Candidates must be able to obtain and maintain an active security clearance.

Benefits at GTRI

Comprehensive information on currently offered GTRI benefits, including Health & Welfare, Retirement Plans, Tuition Reimbursement, Time Off, and Professional Development, can be found through this link: https://benefits.hr.gatech.edu/.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. The University is committed to maintaining a fair and respectful environment for all. To that end, and in accordance with federal and state law, Board of Regents policy, and University policy, Georgia Tech provides equal opportunity to all faculty, staff, students, and all other members of the Georgia Tech community, including applicants for admission and/or employment, contractors, volunteers, and participants in institutional programs, activities, or services.  Georgia Tech complies with all applicable laws and regulations governing equal opportunity in the workplace and in educational activities.

Georgia Tech prohibits discrimination, including discriminatory harassment, on the basis of race, ethnicity, ancestry, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, disability, genetics, or veteran status in its programs, activities, employment, and admissions.  This prohibition applies to faculty, staff, students, and all other members of the Georgia Tech community, including affiliates, invitees, and guests. Further, Georgia Tech prohibits citizenship status, immigration status, and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing, and recruitment, except where such restrictions are required in order to comply with law, regulation, executive order, or Attorney General directive, or where they are required by Federal, State, or local government contract.

USG Core Values Statement

The University System of Georgia is comprised of our 26 institutions of higher education and learning as well as the System Office. Our USG Statement of Core Values are Integrity, Excellence, Accountability, and Respect. These values serve as the foundation for all that we do as an organization, and each USG community member is responsible for demonstrating and upholding these standards. More details on the USG Statement of Core Values and Code of Conduct are available in USG Board Policy 8.2.18.1.2 and can be found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section8/C224/#p8.2.18_personnel_conduct.

Additionally, USG supports Freedom of Expression as stated in Board Policy 6.5 Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section6/C2653.