Operational Applications and Infrastructure Developer

About the role

Lynker, a Federal Government Contractor, is seeking a talented Operational Applications and Infrastructure Developer to support the Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC).

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, test, deploy, and sustain operational scientific applications supporting SWPC forecast operations, data integration, product generation, workflow automation, and mission support functions.
• Develop and maintain Python-based applications, backend services, APIs, data processing workflows, and automation scripts supporting operational space weather applications and infrastructure.
• Develop, maintain, and support containerized applications and services using Docker or equivalent technologies to improve reproducibility, portability, scalability, cloud readiness, and operational maintainability.
• Develop and support infrastructure-as-code, configuration management, deployment automation, CI/CD workflows, and cloud-ready application patterns that align with SWPC modernization and agency cloud strategy objectives.
• Integrate operational applications with AWS services, cloud-native infrastructure, data storage platforms, monitoring tools, and deployment pipelines.
• Design, develop, maintain, and optimize relational and non-relational database solutions, including SQL-based databases and platforms such as PostgreSQL, DynamoDB, MongoDB, or equivalent systems.
• Integrate scientific datasets, model outputs, observational data streams, forecast products, and time-series information into operational applications using scalable and maintainable delivery methods.
• Support transition of applications from development or prototype environments into operational production environments, ensuring traceability, version control, configuration management, testing, documentation, and stakeholder acceptance.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex operational application issues, including data flow interruptions, database problems, API failures, container issues, deployment defects, performance degradation, and integration failures.
• Provide Tier 3 on-call or escalation support, as required, for database and operational scientific applications, including technical assessment, root-cause analysis, and coordination needed to sustain operational continuity.

Requirements

• At least a Master’s degree in atmospheric science, space physics, geophysics, engineering, computer science, mathematics, information systems, or a related STEM discipline, and at least 10 years of experience in related areas.
• Strong proficiency in Python application development, including backend services, data processing, automation, API development, testing, and maintainable code design.
• Experience developing and supporting containerized applications using Docker or equivalent technologies.
• Experience with AWS cloud services, cloud-native application patterns, infrastructure automation, deployment pipelines, and operational cloud integration.
• Experience designing, querying, maintaining, and troubleshooting relational databases, including SQL and PostgreSQL or equivalent platforms.
• Familiarity with non-relational or document/key-value databases such as DynamoDB, MongoDB, or equivalent systems.

Qualifications

• Experience supporting operational forecasting, scientific computing, environmental prediction, space weather, weather, aviation, emergency management, or other mission-critical operational environments.
• Experience modernizing legacy applications through refactoring, database migration, containerization, API development, or cloud integration.
• Experience with Agile SCRUM, Kanban, GitLab, Jira, or equivalent development and project tracking platforms.
• Experience supporting applications in high-availability or 24/7 operational environments where reliability, maintainability, documentation, and rapid troubleshooting are essential.

Skills

• Strong proficiency in Python application development, including backend services, data processing, automation, API development, testing, and maintainable code design.
• Experience developing and supporting containerized applications using Docker or equivalent technologies.
• Experience with AWS cloud services, cloud-native application patterns, infrastructure automation, deployment pipelines, and operational cloud integration.
• Experience designing, querying, maintaining, and troubleshooting relational databases, including SQL and PostgreSQL or equivalent platforms.
• Familiarity with non-relational or document/key-value databases such as DynamoDB, MongoDB, or equivalent systems.

Benefits

• Comprehensive healthcare for the employee at no monthly cost.
• Personal Time Off (PTO) Policy plus paid holidays.
• Highly competitive compensation plan regularly calibrated against industry and location benchmarks.
• 401(k) retirement plan with company-matching.
• Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) - we're all company owners!
• Flexible spending accounts.
• Employee Assistance program (EAP).
• Short- and long-term disability insurance.
• Life and accident insurance.
• Tuition assistance/Training/Workforce improvement reimbursement per year.
• Spot bonuses for exceptional performance.
• Annual Employee Recognition Awards with bonuses.
• Employee Referral Program.
• Free centralized, self-directed Learning Management System to learn at your own pace.
• Personalized career growth plans for every employee.

Pay

Compensation is commensurate with experience.

Schedule

The position is full-time.

Contact Information

To apply, please visit our careers page at https://www.lynker.com/careers.