Software Engineer

Job Description

The Department of Physics at Virginia Tech seeks multiple Wage Software Engineers to support the NSF-funded project “NSF POSE: Phase II: Ecosystem of the Applications and Libraries for Physics Simulations (ALPS)”. ALPS supports a broad scientific community spanning condensed matter and materials physics, quantum computing, quantum chemistry, atomic/molecular optics, and related areas. This position will focus on the software engineering work needed to establish and sustain the ALPS open-source software environment (OSE), including developer-facing infrastructure and user-facing resources.

Key Project Goals

• Strengthen long-term sustainability through modern infrastructure and governance
• Improve maintainability and code quality via robust testing and release practices
• Establish clear on-boarding protocols for new application codes (including wrapper standards and input/output standards)
• Expand accessibility through documentation, tutorials, and training materials delivered through workshops and online channels

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, or a related field, or equivalent training and experience
• Demonstrated ability to develop, test, and maintain software in one or more languages used for scientific/technical computing (e.g., Python, C/C++)
• Proficiency working in a Linux-based development environment
• Demonstrated experience with collaborative version control workflows (e.g., Git/GitHub) and communicating changes through code reviews and issue tracking
• Ability to communicate clearly with both developer and user communities and contribute to documentation and support materials

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting open-source scientific software ecosystems (libraries/applications), including contributor on-boarding and interface design (APIs/wrappers)
• Experience with continuous integration/testing and release processes for multi-platform scientific codes
• Experience with packaging/distribution (e.g., Python packaging) and/or HPC-facing distribution workflows
• Experience developing or integrating user-facing support tooling (e.g., documentation sites, tutorials, or conversational/agent-style user assistance)

Pay Band

Pay Band 5

Overtime Status

Exempt: Not eligible for overtime

Appointment Type

Restricted

Review Date

05/20/2026

Additional Information

• The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.
• About Virginia Tech: Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech conducts more than $650 million in research annually.
• Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, ethnicity or national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or military status, or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees or applicants, or on any other basis protected by law.