Software Architect (Experienced) - SEAL - Colorado Springs, CO - Open Rank

The Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) is the nonprofit, applied research division of the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech).Founded in 1934 as the Engineering Experiment Station, GTRI has grown to more than 2,900 employees, supporting eight laboratories in over 20 locations around the country and performing more than $940 million of problem-solving research annually for government and industry.GTRI's renowned researchers combine science, engineering, economics, policy, and technical expertise to solve complex problems for the U.S. federal government, state, and industry.

Georgia Tech's mission is to develop leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. The Institute has nine key values that are foundational to everything we do:

1. Students are our top priority.
2. We strive for excellence.
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6. We safeguard freedom of inquiry and expression.
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8. We act ethically.
9. We are responsible stewards.

Over the next decade, Georgia Tech will become an example of inclusive innovation, a leading technological research university of unmatched scale, relentlessly committed to serving the public good; breaking new ground in addressing the biggest local, national, and global challenges and opportunities of our time; making technology broadly accessible; and developing exceptional, principled leaders from all backgrounds ready to produce novel ideas and create solutions with real human impact.

Colorado Springs, CO

The Command, Control, and Communications Division (C3D) within the Sensors and Electromagnetic Applications Laboratory (SEAL) delivers world-class, robust communications and fused data capabilities to the warfighter. C3D focuses on the ideation, development, implementation, testing, and analysis of various technical challenges ranging from joint all-domain command and control warfighting concepts to the challenges posed by the increasing lethality of the modern contested, degraded environment of a near-peer adversary.

The Software Architect designs, develops, and deploys software solutions for GTRI's applied research sponsors. The Software Architect provides technical leadership, including design documentation that details recommendations and implementation details about software subsystems, hardware technologies, and deployment requirements. The Software Architect is knowledgeable in continuous development / continuous integration (CD/CI) best practices and enabling technology, cloud platforms for deployment, and development environment creation and management. The Software Architect is also able le to independently implement any portion of the design/development process, as needed for custom implementations.

• Develop software system architectures to solve complex analytic systems
• Develop complex test plans and coordinate testing activities.
• Lead field test activities including efficient troubleshooting of test or system malfunctions, on-the-fly interpretation of test results, and ability to modify test plans to adapt to tests results on the fly
• Diagnose and troubleshoot systems as required, and perform or document required resolutions
• Perform comparative analysis to similar systems, assessing system strengths and weaknesses
• Research system theory and design concepts and implementation methods to help in determining system functionality, state of the art, and potential weaknesses
• Serve as primary author of technical reports/presentations for projects of high complexity
• Serve as a resource and Subject Matter Expert (SME) for software engineering tools and technologies
• Significantly contribute to whitepapers and proposals

• Mentor and train junior engineers and technical staff in systems thinking, software design patterns, secure coding practices, and debugging methodologies
• Champion code quality initiatives, including code reviews, static analysis, and remediation of issues identified through quality metrics and scanning tools
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including hardware engineers, DevOps, QA, field operations, and product management, to ensure seamless solution delivery
• Lead technical integrations of software systems with sensor hardware and specialized platforms
• Drive adoption of modern software engineering practices, including containerization, virtualization, and CI/CD pipelines, while understanding bare-metal deployment trade-offs
• Facilitate architecture review sessions and technical workshops for project stakeholders and sponsor representatives
• Support technology transfer and sustainment efforts by preparing comprehensive design documentation, operational manuals, and user training content
• Contribute significantly to whitepapers, proposals, and the advancement of open architecture initiatives
• Optimize application performance through profiling, benchmarking, and tuning of CPU, memory, and I/O subsystems

• Minimum 5 years of professional experience developing complex software systems with demonstrated systems thinking-understanding how systems work from low-level hardware through high-level software abstractions
• Extensive hands-on experience with software design patterns and ability to articulate trade-offs among patterns based on quality attributes they support
• Expert-level programming proficiency in C and/or C++ with modern language standards (C++11/14/17 or later preferred), with proven ability to develop applications in multiple programming languages
• Substantial experience (minimum 3 years) developing software for multicore, multi-CPU, and distributed parallel systems with a deep understanding of threading, synchronization, message passing, and related primitives
• Demonstrated experience with multiple operating systems (e.g., Linux, Windows) and ability to make informed architectural trade-offs based on OS-specific features and design patterns
• Experience with DoD open standards and architectures, including Open Mission Systems (OMS), Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA), and familiarity with FACE, SOSA, or UCI specifications
• Proven expertise in secure coding practices with knowledge of common vulnerabilities and mitigation strategies
• Strong debugging and troubleshooting skills across multiple layers of the stack using tools such as GDB or system tracing utilities
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to mentor others, produce clear technical documentation, and convey complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Proven ability to independently decompose large technical tasks into modular, manageable components
• Understanding of networking fundamentals and communication protocols (e.g., TCP/IP, UDP, message-oriented middleware)

• Active Top Secret Clearance
• Strong understanding of bit and byte manipulation, endianness, memory architectures, interrupts, I/O buses, and instruction sets
• Experience developing for non-x86/x64 CPU architectures (ARM, RISC-V, MIPS) with an understanding of architecture-specific considerations
• Knowledge of real-time operating systems (RTOS) and design requirements for soft and hard real-time applications
• Embedded systems and firmware development experience, including hardware-software co-design
• Familiarity with low-level open APIs such as POSIX and their role in building portable software
• Experience with modern data center technologies and trade-offs among bare-metal, virtualized, and containerized deployment environments (Docker, Kubernetes)
• Proficiency with cross-platform development tools, including GCC, LLVM/Clang, cross-compilers, debuggers, and profilers
• Experience with code quality metrics and analysis tools (e.g., SonarQube, Coverity, static analyzers), including prioritizing and remediating identified issues
• Experience with version control systems (Git) and CI/CD pipelines (Jenkins, GitLab CI/CD, GitHub Actions)
• Performance optimization experience, including profiling, benchmarking, and tuning applications
• Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure) or edge computing architectures
• Experience working in Agile/DevOps environments
• Understanding of specialized communication protocols (DDS, CAN bus, serial protocols)
• Experience with JTAG debuggers or hardware debugging tools
• Contributions to open-source projects demonstrating collaboration and community engagement
• Track record of leading cross-functional teams and fostering inclusive, collaborative team environments
• Advanced degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related field

<10% travel

This position vacancy is an open-rank announcement. The final job offer will be dependent on candidate qualifications in alignment with Research Faculty Extension Professional ranks as outlined in section 3.2.1 of the Georgia Tech Faculty Handbook

• 9 years of related experience with a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science, Physics or another related field.
• 7 years of related experience with a Masters' degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science, Physics or another related field.
• 4 years of related experience with a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science, Physics or another related field.

$149,220 - $206,100

Due to our research contracts with the U.S. federal government, candidates for this position must be U.S. Citizens.

Candidates must be able to obtain and maintain an active security clearance.

Comprehensive information on currently offered GTRI benefits, including Health & Welfare, Retirement Plans, Tuition Reimbursement, Time Off, and Professional Development, can be found through this link: https://benefits.hr.gatech.edu/.

The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. The Institute is committed to maintaining a fair and respectful environment for all. To that end, and in accordance with federal and state law, Board of Regents policy, and Institute policy, Georgia Tech provides equal opportunity to all faculty, staff, students, and all other members of the Georgia Tech community, including applicants for admission and/or employment, contractors, volunteers, and participants in institutional programs, activities, or services. Georgia Tech complies with all applicable laws and regulations governing equal opportunity in the workplace and in educational activities.

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