Sandia National Laboratories

Early Career Computer Science - Satellite Ground Stations, Onsite

Sandia National Laboratories • $99K — $193K *
Aerospace & Defense
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline or equivalent experience
  • Ability to obtain and maintain DOE Q and SCI clearances

Responsibilities

  • Collaborate to develop software using Java and C++ for satellite operations
  • Gather requirements and design solutions with team members and stakeholders
  • Enhance user experience for operational environments
  • Utilize debugging tools to troubleshoot complex software
  • Conduct research to optimize scheduling algorithms and geolocation accuracy
  • Engage with specialists across multiple disciplines for enhanced solutions

Benefits

  • Opportunity to work on cutting-edge satellite ground station technologies
  • Collaborative environment with multidisciplinary teams
  • Potential for personal and professional growth in the aerospace sector
  • Involvement in national security and nonproliferation missions
  • Support for continuing education and skill expansion opportunities
Full Job Description
What Your Job Will Be Like

Passionate about Space, Satellites and other Remote Sensing systems? Our team is dedicated to advancing remote sensing technologies and enhancing global security through the development of innovative ground station solutions. We are passionate about pushing the boundaries of what is possible in satellite operations and ensuring that our systems meet the highest standards of performance and reliability.

We are looking for a talented Computer Scientist to join our team and contribute to exciting projects that build and optimize satellite ground stations. As the selected candidate, you will play a crucial role in the design, development, and implementation of software systems for satellite ground stations. You will work collaboratively with engineers and other specialists to create robust solutions that support satellite communication, data processing, and mission operations. Your contributions will directly impact the efficiency and effectiveness of our ground station capabilities.

On any given day, you may be called upon to:
  • Collaborate with a team to develop new software using Java and C++ for sensor and payload scheduling, commanding, state-of-health monitoring, and constellation management.
  • Work closely with architects, developers, technical leads, customers, and end users to gather requirements, design solutions, and deliver scalable software applications.
  • Focus on enhancing user experience to support operational environments effectively.
  • Utilize debugging tools, static analysis tools, test harnesses, and other capabilities to troubleshoot and resolve complex software applications and libraries.
  • Conduct research to optimize scheduling algorithms, improve geolocation accuracy, and support feasibility studies.
  • Engage with specialists in diverse fields such as data fusion, signal and image processing, analytics, cloud computing, machine learning, modeling and simulation, service-oriented architectures, data management and visualization, and pattern recognition.

Due to the nature of the work, the selected applicant must be able to work onsite.

Salary Range

$99,400 - $193,600

*Salary range is estimated, and actual salary will be determined after consideration of the selected candidate's experience and qualifications, and application of any approved geographic salary differential.

Qualifications We Require

  • A Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline, or an equivalent combination of directly relevant education and engineering or scientific experience that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and ability to perform independent research and development.
  • Ability to obtain and maintain DOE Q and SCI clearances which may require a polygraph test.


Qualifications We Desire

The ideal R&D S&E, Computer Science candidate for Sandia National Laboratories will in addition possess the following:
  • Graduate degree in Computer Science or a highly related field where an independent research project was a graduation requirement (e.g., independent project, thesis, or dissertation).
  • Demonstrated software development skills and familiarity with modern software development practices and tools (e.g., Agile).
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills, ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams, and a passion to improve and expand technical skills.

Also, for this posting we are seeking individuals with the following experience:
  • Proficiency in object-oriented programming with Java and Python.
  • Experience with Unix/Linux operating environments.
  • Familiarity with the design and integration of distributed systems deployed across heterogeneous platforms.
  • Experience in developing software for satellite ground stations or related aerospace applications.
  • Knowledge of command and control technologies, including experience in building telemetry processing software and automated vehicle health management systems.
  • Familiarity with Docker, Jenkins, and CI/CD practices.
  • Experience with Web based front-end development
  • Experience in algorithm development for near real-time systems.
  • Active DOE Q security clearance.


About Our Team

Our team is at the forefront of designing and developing sophisticated data processing systems and analytical applications that support some of our nation's most critical nonproliferation and national security missions. Our mission is to engineer, build, deploy, and enhance vital systems that transform data into actionable decisions.

The Tasking, Planning, and Mission Management Department (6323) focuses on developing software to assist in satellite and payload command and control, task and asset scheduling and coordination, state-of-health analysis and visualization, mission planning, and other control elements such as navigation, geolocation, and payload pointing. Our team's deep domain expertise and technical experience, combined with an operational mindset, create extraordinary capabilities for our nation and the brave individuals who protect it.

About Sandia National Laboratories

The Sandia National Laboratories is one of three National Nuclear Security Administration research and development laboratories in the United States, managed and operated privately by the National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia. Their primary mission is to develop, engineer, and test the non-nuclear components of nuclear weapons and high technology. Headquartered on Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico, it also has a campus in Livermore, California, next to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and a test facility in Waimea, Kauai, Hawaii. It is Sandia's mission to maintain the reliability and surety of nuclear weapon systems, conduct research and development in arms control and nonproliferation technologies, and investigate methods for the disposal of the United States' nuclear weapons program's hazardous waste. Other missions include research and development in energy and environmental programs, as well as the surety of critical national infrastructures. In addition, Sandia is home to a wide variety of research including computational biology, mathematics, materials science, alternative energy, psychology, MEMS, and cognitive science initiatives. Sandia formerly hosted ASCI Red, one of the world's fastest supercomputers until its decommission in 2006, and now hosts ASCI Red Storm, originally known as Thor's Hammer. Sandia is also home to the Z Machine. The Z Machine is the largest X-ray generator in the world and is designed to test materials in conditions of extreme temperature and pressure. It is operated by Sandia National Laboratories to gather data to aid in computer modeling of nuclear weapons. In December 2016, it was announced that National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, under the direction of Honeywell International, would take over the management of Sandia National Laboratories starting on May 1, 2017. Educational opportunities are conducted in collaboration with university students through several programs, including the Securing Top Academic Research & Talent at Historically Black Colleges and Universities Program and the Sandia University Partnerships Network.
Learn more about Sandia National Laboratories
Industry
Founded
1948

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