Instrumentation Software Engineer

Instrumentation Software Engineer

Pasadena, CA- Hybrid 1-2 days week in office

Direct Hire

$135k-$170k year

Immediate hire, in this role you will bridge software engineering, systems, and scientific domain knowledge. Will contribute to the definition of control interfaces, participate in design reviews, support integration and testing, and ensure that instruments are successfully commissioned and operating. Role is ideal for someone with a background in both software engineering and astronomy or physics, who thrives on collaboration and building reliable systems for scientific discovery.

Collaborate with external instrument teams to develop and integrate their device control software using the companies SDK and following the Software and Controls standards. Assist in the design and implementation of operations support packages, including data processing pipelines, calibration tools, proposal preparation tools and data analysis software. Assist in defining and documenting control system interfaces and integration requirements. Provide guidance and hands-on support in implementing control and data acquisition systems for scientific instruments. Conduct code reviews, write unit tests, and participate in continuous integration to ensure software quality and adherence to coding standards and architectural guidelines. Develop and maintain technical documentation such as design documents, Interface Control Documents (ICDs), user guides, code examples, trade studies and test reports. Work closely with the Software and Controls team to integrate instrument software into the broader Observatory Control System. Contribute to software validation, integration testing, and commissioning of instruments at the observatory. Maintain up-to-date knowledge of the observatory's software frameworks, tools and processes, and help instrument teams adopt them effectively.

Requirements:

• Master's degree or higher in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Astronomy, Physics
• Minimum of 5-7 years' experience developing control, data acquisition or data processing software for scientific systems.
• Strong foundation in Computer Science and Software Engineering principles, including data structures, algorithms, design patterns, object-oriented programming, functional programming, and general best practices.
• Proficiency in C++, Python, and Javascript programming languages, and Linux environments.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to demonstrate analysis of complex technical issues.

Bonus Skills:

• Experience with telescope instrumentation, astronomical control systems or data management.
• Knowledge of observatory operations, commissioning processes, or calibration pipelines.
• Experience working with detectors, vacuum systems, cryogenics, and/or motion control devices.
• Familiarity with real-time systems, device communication protocols, or hardware-software integration.
• Understanding of system and software architecture in distributed or modular systems.
• Experience with Software Framework design and development.
• Experience working in Agile or Scrum-based teams.
• Experience using Git or other version control systems in a collaborative environment.

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