Research Associate: Software Engineer

San Jose State University Research Foundation
$110,425-$121,193 annually - Exempt, Benefited
retirement plan
United States, California, Mountain View
Nov 07, 2024
OUR STATEMENT The San Jose State University Research Foundation (SJSURF) is committed to building a work environment where everyone can show up as their own self and have an opportunity to contribute, develop, and advance in their career. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) are core values of the organization. We strive to attract, retain, and develop employees who reflect the community and society where we work and live. The Research Foundation aims to develop a culture where everyone feels welcome, shares their views, and where differences in backgrounds and perspectives are seen as adding value. GENERAL NATURE OF POSITION The candidate will serve as a key member of the software development team to develop and maintain operator-in-the-loop simulations and flight control/display systems for unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and piloted helicopters, in support of the human/machine interface research under the U.S. Army Aviation Development Directorate's Human-Systems Interface (HSI) Technical Area (TA) on-site at NASA Ames. The candidate will collaborate with researchers, engineers, pilots, and other programmers in the Technical Area to develop software capabilities that meet requirements established by the researchers. As part of the software team, the candidate will participate in technical consulting, maintenance/upgrade of current software, new code generation, ensure compliance with DoD/industry software standards, documentation, specification of new purchase items (typically new computers and software), and operation of computer systems during helicopter simulations and/or flight tests. The software environment generally consists of C++ and OpenGL operating on Linux and Windows, while the Image Generator in our simulator utilizes Unreal Engine 5. ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES Develop and test software code to support research in Holistic Situational Awareness Decision Making. Integrate virtual scenes generated from external visualization software into helicopter simulators. Maintain software and hardware used in the simulator and provide recommendations for new or updated components. Develop standalone software for sub-projects while collaborating on larger initiatives. Design intuitive GUIs that simplifies software usability through high-level configurable inputs. Integrate commercial-off-the-shelf hardware with existing in-house simulation software, to include joysticks, touch-screen displays, and voice-recognition systems. Program and validate data collection files to researcher's specifications in support of flight demonstrations and empirical studies. Participate in internal code reviews and manage the software build and integration pipeline. INTERPERSONAL CONTACTS Reports to the project director. Interacts with Foundation research staff and civil service staff on a daily basis. SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES None. QUALIFICATIONS Minimum Qualifications B.S. in computer science or related field. Minimum of 6 years of software development experience. Proficiency in C++ and comfortable using a command line interface. Skilled in programming with Unreal Engine, capable of balancing blueprints with C++, and experience creating Material shaders. Working knowledge of OpenGL and/or OpenSceneGraph (OSG). Experience with virtual reality technologies and HMD integration. Prior knowledge scripting simulation environments in Virtual Battle Space (VBS3). Experience supporting multiple Army aviation scientific studies. Experience with multiple operating systems: Linux and Windows. Knowledge in software development cycle, object-oriented software design and development, and software source control. Knowledge in inter-process and network communication, and internet protocols such as UDP and TCP/IP. Effective communication skills to support collaborations and interactions with research and software team members. Proficiency in C/C++, OpenGL, shell scripting, Linux, and Windows. 3-D graphics programming experience, including but not limited to Unreal Engine and modeling in Blender. Knowledge in software development cycle, object-oriented software design and development, software source control, inter-process and network communication, and internet protocols such as UDP and TCP/IP. Ability to write high quality and maintainable code. Open to learning new technologies and programming tools. Excellent written communication skills along with strong organizational, analytical, and interpersonal skills. Able to think independently and strategically and assess solutions for short- and long- term goals. Demonstrated ability to interact effectively in an interdisciplinary team of scientists as well as independently. C++, CMake, Visual Studio, gcc, Python, OpenGL, OpenCV, OpenSceneGraph, Unreal Engine, Blender, Qt, Mercurial, Git, meld, shell scripting (bash and powershell), UDP, TCP/IP, Distributed Interactive Simulations (DIS), STANAG 4586, GIMP, Varjo HMD (or equivalent VR headset). Additional Requirements Located at the NASA Ames Research Center. Therefore, this employee must meet security qualifications for entrance to the Center. Candidate must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. Must be onsite three days a week. Two of the three days must be Wednesday and Thursday; the third can be picked from Monday, Tuesday, or Friday. Physical Demands Must be willing to travel domestically and internationally. A background check (including a criminal records check) must be completed satisfactorily before any candidate can be offered a position with the SJSURF. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the application status of applicants or the continued employment of current SJSURF employees who apply for the position. NOTE: This position description intends to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job. It is not intended to include all duties and responsibilities. The order in which duties and responsibilities are listed is not significant. BENEFITS The SJSURF provides an excellent benefits package to benefited employees. The comprehensive benefits package includes: Four company health insurance plans to choose from (employee contributions differ according to plan and level of coverage). Employer-paid dental and vision for both employee and eligible dependents. Life, AD&D, LTD with supplemental coverage opportunities. 14 paid federal & state holidays. Retirement Plan: 403 (b) employee contribution plan component and a 403 (b) employer contribution component, which vests immediately. Vacation-hour accruals and separate sick-hour accumulations. Employee discounts. Paid training and professional-development conferences. Please visit the Benefits & Compensation page on the SJSURF website for more detailed information. APPLICATION PROCEDURE To apply for this position, an applicant must submit a formal application for employment. Select "Apply Now" to complete the SJSURF online employment application. REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION The SJSURF is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with physical or mental disabilities in the employment, recruitment, examination, interviewing, and hiring processes. If you are a job seeker with a physical or mental disability, and you require a reasonable accommodation to search, apply, or interview for a job opening or otherwise need a reasonable accommodation during the application and hiring process, please contact us at foundation-jobs@sjsu.edu. In the email message, please indicate your full name, phone number and the type of assistance required. You must not reveal the underlying medical reason for your needed reasonable accommodation or otherwise disclose confidential medical information. ABOUT THE SJSU RESEARCH FOUNDATION SJSURF employment is separate and distinct from San Jose State University (SJSU) or state of California employment. SJSURF employees are not employees of SJSU or of the state of California. SJSURF is a non-profit auxiliary of SJSU. SJSURF is totally self-supported. The majority of the organization's funding comes from the federal government, and other public and private entities. With annual revenues totaling over $65 million, programs managed through SJSURF cover a rich diversity of applied research, public services, and educational-related activities.