Senior Software Engineer: Systems Engineer

Job Description

Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, & Ecosystem Studies (CICOES) has an outstanding opportunity for an experienced Senior Software Engineer to join their team.

About this Opportunity

Reporting to Senior Research Scientist, the Senior Software Engineer brings expertise in designing and implementing full-stack solutions for cyber-physical, embedded, and real-time systems. The successful candidate will be proficient in hardware-software integration and advanced vision systems, including deep learning, object detection, and tracking. Strong experience with embedded platforms such as Jetson Xavier/Orin, and expert in utilizing ROS for system integration. Proven ability to contribute to research and development, including technical proposals and peer-reviewed publications. Demonstrates a level head and adaptability in field research under diverse environments.

This is a permanent, salaried, overtime-exempt position.

UW-CICOES
The Software Engineer will continuously communicate with UW scientists at CICOES to coordinate field deployments of data collection systems; lead system development, testing, and implementation efforts; and prepare field gear and equipment required for operating the KAMERA system. The Software Engineer will also collaborate with UW and CICOES scientists to plan, schedule, and execute fieldwork. As part of this fieldwork which may occur in remote and challenging Arctic environments, the Software Engineer will collaborate with UW/CICOES staff to troubleshoot technical systems; develop innovative solutions; implement, and monitor the system to ensure resolution. Outside of fieldwork, the Software Engineer will communicate with UW/CICOES staff on issues related to developing and implementing novel VIAME AI models for species detection and classification, provide biological and ecological context for model improvement, and addressing complex data processing issues such as camera misalignment and duplicate detection suppression, among others.

Non-UW
In addition to coordinating activities with CICOES personnel both for fieldwork deployment and algorithm development, the Software Engineer will coordinate with external entities in order to integrate the KAMERA system (or other imaging systems) and hardware with survey aircraft, develop innovative hardware and software for uncrewed aerial systems including multi-spectral imaging systems, and developing novel state of the art AI models and cloud-based processing systems and pipelines.

1) Marine Mammal Laboratory, Polar Ecosystem Program  - As the scientific leads of this project, scientists at the Polar Ecosystem Program (PEP) will define the objectives and purpose of the technological systems the Software Engineer will develop. Thus, the Software Engineer will collaborate with PEP Colleagues to develop performance metrics and required  capabilities of aerial imaging systems. In addition, colleagues from PEP will also provide feedback on engineering requirements, troubleshooting needs, camera misalignment issues, as well as the effect of weather on the performance of the KAMERA system. The Software Engineer will also collaborate with PEP colleagues to identify requirements, implement capabilities, and develop cloud-based solutions for detecting and classifying animals in imagery of varying modalities (e.g., infrared, color).

2) Scientists at other NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Science Centers (NEFSC, SWFSC), will provide feedback on detection rates, metadata, camera system reliability, algorithm performance, and development priorities. The Software Engineer will collaborate with these external partners to analyze these metrics and needs, identify areas of improvement, develop innovative solutions using state-of-the-art technology, and develop timelines and milestones for system testing and deployment. The Software Engineer will also collaborate with these external partners by providing direction in service of operationalizing these AI processes and pipelines.

3) Office of Marine and Aviation Operations, Aircraft Operations Center -- The Software Engineer will lead work at the Aircraft Operations Center (AOC) in service of developing and integrating complex technological systems with aircraft. As part of this, they will coordinate with AOC staff (i.e., aerospace engineers, pilots, and maintainers) to understand operational constraints of the aircraft and aeronautical engineering considerations as they develop and integrate scientific systems with the aircraft. Specifically, the Software Engineer will collaborate with AOC staff to develop an intimate understanding of  aircraft capabilities (power, weight, cooling, and avionics); system integration considerations (weight and balance, aviation safety, impact to platform endurance); and aviation procedures for various phases of flight as part of their design considerations while devising technological solutions and directing their integration with aircraft in coordination with AOC staff.

4) Coordination with hardware, software, and systems engineers from other universities; NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service Science Centers across the US; and Kitware. The Software Engineer will closely collaborate with their counterparts at these external organizations, directing the design and development of technological systems, including but not limited to aerial and aquatic imaging systems, cloud-based image processing pipelines, camera mounts, imagery analysis software, and field-data collection software.

Key Responsibilities

 

Senior R&D & System Engineering Leadership (40%)

• Lead complex systems integration, combining software nodes, camera drivers, and object trackers into cohesive platforms.
• Develop software architecture utilizing Python, Bash, ROS, tmux, and Supervisor across multiple hardware nodes.
• Oversee multi-modal data streams, creating synchronous replay systems for multiple cameras across distributed hardware.
• Work with research scientists to learn data processing routines, requirements, and challenges and develop cloud-based solutions to improve efficiency (GCP)

 

Computer Vision & Robotics Development (40%)

• Train and deploy computer vision models, including R-CNN-based object and person detectors using EO/IR sensor fusion.
• Implement 3D vision technologies, evaluating and utilizing stereoscopic, time-of-flight (ToF), laser line scanners, structured light, and structure-from-motion (SfM) systems.
• Program and test autonomous vehicles, integrating sensor payloads like LiDAR and stereo cameras onto Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs).

 Project Management & Field Operations (20%)

• Deploy technology in remote field environments, including extreme heat, extreme cold, and working in small aircraft at low altitude over the ocean, managing real-world testing of vision systems and interfacing directly with research scientists
• Lead projects designing and managing complex mechanical and systems engineering under rigorous safety and regulatory frameworks (e.g., NRC, DOE).
• Collaborate across multidisciplinary teams of research scientists, aircraft engineers and pilots to successfully integrate, test, and deploy

Required Qualifications

To be considered for this opportunity your application must demonstrate you meet both the minimum qualifications and additional qualifications listed below. Equivalent education and/or experience may substitute for minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license, certification, and/or registration.

 

Minimum Qualifications

Applicants who do not meet these qualifications WILL NOT be forwarded to the Hiring Department.

• A bachelor’s degree in computer engineering, computer sciences, software engineering or related field
• Minimum of 5 years of post-graduate professional experience in engineering roles
• Equivalent experience cannot be substituted for degree requirement

Additional Qualifications

• Familiarity with computer vision: R-CNN architectures, EO/IR sensor fusion, activity recognition, and multi-modal camera streams.
• Familiarity with Hands-on integration with 2D and 3D vision systems (Stereo, ToF, LLS, SfM), LiDAR, and Unmanned Aerial Systems Programming in Python, C++, Bash
• Experience working long hours in remote field conditions .
• Experience working on imaging systems in small aircraft

Preferred Qualifications

• Expertise in systems engineering, algorithm development, and real-time software solutions
• Skilled in integrating hardware and software for advanced applications, such as deep learning for image processing, tracking, and detection
• Proven track record of integrating complex software nodes, drivers, and sensors into cohesive platforms.
• Expertise with development and integration of the KAMERA AI enabled multi-modal aerial imaging system
• Over 5 years experience of post-graduate professional experience in engineering roles
• Extensive experience with embedded systems, including Nvidia Jetson platforms
• Strong programming skills in Python, C++, and proficiency with software tools like Docker, Git, and Ansible
• Proven track record of working on aerial platforms, both crewed and uncrewed.
• Experience deploying and testing robotics/vision systems in real-world field environments.
• Experience working long hours in challenging remote field conditions, such as the Arctic.
• Experience working on imaging systems in small aircraft during scientific survey operations over the ocean
• Experience with image processing pipeline development in GCP cloud environments

 

Working Conditions

• Remote location
• When/ if attendance is needed in Seattle,  office is located at NOAA’s Western Regional Center in Seattle, Washington at the Marine Mammal Laboratory, AFSC, NOAA Fisheries .

Compensation, Benefits and Position Details

Pay Range Minimum:

$1,380,000.00 annual

Pay Range Maximum:

$1,800,000.00 annual

Other Compensation:

-

Benefits:

For information about benefits for this position, visit https://www.washington.edu/jobs/benefits-for-uw-staff/

Shift:

First Shift (United States of America)

Temporary or Regular?

This is a regular position

FTE (Full-Time Equivalent):

100.00%

Union/Bargaining Unit:

Not Applicable