R&D Engineer: Software Engineer
The Pennsylvania State University1 day ago
Reston, VA, USAEntry Level / Mid Level / Senior
Base Salary
$111k - $241k/yr
Responsibilities
- Implement, test, maintain, and productize scalable software across the full development lifecycle.
- Identify emerging challenges, research trends, and future opportunities for national or international impact programs.
- Ensure technical excellence and on-time completion of project tasks.
- Provide clear program-status updates to Fleet-level personnel in individual and community meetings.
- Collaborate with engineering teams, principal investigators, sponsors, product owners, researchers, system engineers, and other stakeholders.
- Support transition efforts and contribute to multidisciplinary research and development programs.
- Troubleshoot operating systems and perform input-output debugging while addressing network protocol issues.
Requirements
- Proficiency in one or more of Python, C++, Java, or Rust.
- Ability to design, implement, and maintain high-quality, scalable software solutions.
- Understanding of object-oriented design, modular architecture, version control, data structures, algorithms, and performance optimization.
- Experience developing, testing, and maintaining software in Linux and/or Windows environments.
- Working knowledge of Git, CI/CD pipelines, and automated testing frameworks.
- Experience with cloud platforms, distributed systems, or container technologies such as Docker and Kubernetes.
- Ability to produce clear, maintainable, and well-documented code.
- Understanding of the network protocol stack and systematic operating-system troubleshooting.
- Preferred experience collaborating with product owners, researchers, system engineers, and other stakeholders to translate requirements into technical designs.
- Preferred experience supporting transitional efforts and working effectively in communication- and organization-intensive environments.
- Current eligibility for Secret-level or higher classified access, with possible government investigation for TS/SCI eligibility.
- Bachelor’s, master’s, or PhD degree in Computer Engineering or Computer Science.
- For the Advanced Professional grade: bachelor’s degree in Engineering or Science and 5+ years of relevant experience.
- For the Intermediate Professional grade: bachelor’s degree in Engineering or Science and 2+ years of relevant experience.
- For the Professional grade: bachelor’s degree in Engineering or Science; no prior relevant work experience required.
- Must be a U.S. citizen and eligible to obtain a government security clearance.
Benefits
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
- Robust retirement plans.
- Paid holidays, vacation, and sick time.
- 75% tuition discount for employees and eligible spouses and children.
- Fully on-site work in Reston, Virginia, with limited project-dependent hybrid work options.
- Frequent travel to sponsor, contractor, and second-party locations in and outside the continental United States, with trips of up to two weeks.
- Employment includes background checks, ARL drug-testing participation, and electronic and physical monitoring requirements in a secure information environment.
About The Pennsylvania State University
The Applied Research Laboratory at Penn State is a University Affiliated Research Center that delivers contract research, prototyping, and systems engineering for U.S. national security and related sponsors. Its work spans undersea systems, communications, navigation, acoustics, fluid dynamics, and advanced materials and manufacturing. Founded in 1945 and based in State College, Pennsylvania, ARL operates within The Pennsylvania State University and is funded largely through federal contracts and grants.