Job Description

The Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) has an outstanding opportunity for a Software Engineer to join the Electronic and Photonic Systems (EPS) Department. This is a full-time Maryland-based position

About this Opportunity

Reporting to the Senior Principal Engineer, the Software Engineer will specialize in systems engineering for unmanned and unattended sensors. The person hired will play a critical role in the design, integration, and lifecycle management of novel autonomous platforms. This position focuses on Unmanned Systems (UxS) and Unattended Sensors, ensuring these technologies operate reliably in complex maritime environments. This position will work closely with the Technical Project Manager and the customer.

This position will work throughout all phases of system development and integration from requirements gathering through final release and life cycle maintenance for major hardware and software components. The incumbent must have experience testing, integrating, and deploying a complex system of systems. The candidate must be comfortable working at multiple location types such as offices, on-site naval testing facilities, or at sea. The candidate must be capable of troubleshooting complex problems in real time. The candidate must anticipate and identify potential technical issues and produce innovative solutions.

Key Responsibilities:

System Architecture & Design (20% FTE):

• Deconstruct high-level mission needs and customer objectives into system architectures, functional allocations, software interfaces, and integration concepts for unmanned systems, unattended sensors, and supporting mission software.

• Work with the customer’s Project Manager, technical leadership, software developers, test engineers, and external performers to define system boundaries, interface assumptions, operational constraints, and technical risks early in the development lifecycle.

• Develop and maintain architecture artifacts such as interface descriptions, data-flow diagrams, sequence diagrams, software/system block diagrams, architecture notes, version description documentation, and technical decision records.

• Evaluate existing and emerging software frameworks, open-source tools, autonomy frameworks, sensor packages, and mission-system components; identify architectural gaps, legacy-code issues, inefficient computations, fragile interfaces, and recommended corrections.

Requirements Management (20% FTE):

• Work with the customer’s Project Manager, Technical Project Manager, software developers, test engineers, and external stakeholders to elicit, refine, document, and maintain requirements for unmanned systems, unattended sensors, mission software, test tools, and integration environments.

• Maintain traceability from customer needs and operational scenarios through system architecture, software tasks, test cases, validation activities, and delivered capability using MBSE tools, requirements databases, issue trackers, and version-control artifacts as appropriate.

• Identify ambiguous, incomplete, conflicting, or changing requirements and work with the customer and internal leadership to resolve scope, schedule, cost, feasibility, and quality impacts.

Technical Oversight (20% FTE):

• Provide technical oversight for software, autonomy, integration, and test activities supporting unmanned systems, unattended sensors, mission software, open-source tool evaluation, and supporting laboratory or field environments.

• Review software designs and implementations for correctness, maintainability, performance, testability, safety, and alignment with program standards; provide feedback to engineers and help correct technical issues before release.

• Lead or contribute to small technical teams by assigning tasks, monitoring progress, resolving blockers, reviewing work products, and mentoring junior engineers in coding practices, documentation, configuration management, testing discipline, and customer communication.

• Analyze legacy software and integration frameworks to identify inefficient calculations, boundary-condition risks, fragile assumptions, unreachable code, missing tests, and opportunities for refactoring, improved automation, or improved validation.

Integration & Testing (20% FTE):

• Lead or support integration of software components, autonomy behaviors, sensor interfaces, communication links, test tools, and mission-system components in laboratory, simulation, customer-site, naval test facility, or at-sea environments.

• Develop integration plans, test procedures, test readiness materials, configuration records, test data collection plans, and acceptance criteria for software and system-of-systems testing.

• Troubleshoot complex real-time integration issues involving software behavior, timing, data messages, sensor interfaces, configuration errors, network behavior, external tools, and interactions among multiple hardware/software components.

Collaboration (20% FTE):

• Work closely with Navy stakeholders, software developers, and external vendors to ensure interoperability with existing systems.

All of the above duties are expected to be conducted in close collaboration with the Navy stakeholders, software developers, and external vendors to ensure interoperability with existing systems.

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

Bachelor’s degree in Systems, Electrical, Mechanical Aerospace, or related Engineering field AND 5-10 years’ work experience.

• US Citizenship.

• Eligibility to obtain and maintain a Dept of Defense Top Secret-level security clearance.

• 5+ years of software integration experience.

• 5+ years of Linux experience, such as RHEL8.

*Incumbent will be required to submit for a Department of Defense Top Secret-level security clearance within the first 3-6 months of employment, and once granted, must maintain eligibility to hold a Top Secret-level clearance. *

A federal security clearance is required to hold this position. The person hired into this position must be a U.S. citizen and successfully obtain and continue to maintain a Department of Defense (DOD) Personnel Security Clearance. The process for obtaining a DOD Security Clearance can be viewed using the following links: Processing Applicants (dcsa.mil) or General Investigations and Clearance Processes (dcsa.mil)

Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.

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

Additional Qualifications

• Hands-on experience with autonomous systems and logic.

• Proficiency in MATLAB and other modern programming languages (Python, C++, or Java).

• Strong verbal and written communication skills.

• Strong documentation and organization skills.

• Self-driven with the ability to take ownership and complete tasks with minimal guidance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Systems, Electrical, Mechanical Aerospace, or related Engineering field.

About APL:

The Applied Physics Laboratory is a research unit at the University of Washington. Our research expertise is in ocean physics and engineering, ocean and medical acoustics and imaging, polar science, remote sensing, and signal processing. We conduct research and development that is sponsored by a variety of federal and state agencies and take great pride in our long-standing status as a US Navy-designated University Affiliated Research Center (UARC). Our work takes place not only on the University of Washington campus and medical centers, but in field locations around the world – at sea, in the air, and on polar ice caps. We apply rigorous scientific inquiry and engineering excellence in pursuit of solutions to important problems for the good of our region, nation, and world.

We are focused on building and sustaining a laboratory where all students, staff, and collaborators can realize success. We believe every member of our team enriches our research enterprise by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, identify challenges, and discover, design, and deliver solutions. We invite you to explore our laboratory, to find answers to Common Questions about the University’s application process, and to See Yourself at APL .

Compensation, Benefits and Position Details

Pay Range Minimum:

$132,000.00 annual

Pay Range Maximum:

$180,000.00 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

About the UW

Working at the University of Washington provides a unique opportunity to change lives – on our campuses, in our state and around the world.

UW employees bring their boundless energy, creative problem-solving skills and dedication to building stronger minds and a healthier world. In return, they enjoy outstanding benefits, opportunities for professional growth and the chance to work in an environment known for its diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty.

Our Commitment

The University of Washington is committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful and welcoming community for all. As an equal opportunity employer, the University considers applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, citizenship, sex, pregnancy, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, disability, or veteran status consistent with UW Executive Order No. 81 .

To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 or dso@uw.edu .

Applicants considered for this position will be required to disclose if they are the subject of any substantiated findings or current investigations related to sexual misconduct at their current employment and past employment. Disclosure is required under Washington state law .