Computer Engineer

Summary

The Submillimeter Array (SMA), located on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, is a pioneering radio-interferometer designed for astronomical observations in the major submillimeter atmospheric windows. Its eight antennas are equipped with superconducting mixer receivers operating in the 200 - 400 GHz frequency range.

Duties

Duties listed at Full Performance Level GS-14. Design, develop, and maintain monitoring and control systems for observatory operations which are primarily written in C and running on Linux and Unix like systems Modify observatory control tools to improve system stability, robustness, automated fault detection Design, develop, maintain, and enhance the SMA-X message-passing interface using Redis to support communication between distributed observatory software components. Lead systems-level software design and implementation of the SMA upgrade roadmap to improve observing capacity, operational efficiency, and overall system performance Lead the development of next generation data formats and software tools to support interoperability and joint analysis with other observatories, including ALMA and NOEMA Lead the adoption and implementation of software engineering best practices, including version control, code reviews, CI/CD, automated testing, and GitHub-based development workflows. Establish and maintain standardized repository structures, coding standards, data-sharing protocols, APIs, build systems, deployment procedures, and development tools. Perform other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications and evaluation

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. Applications will be evaluated first for the basic qualifications described. The applications that meet the basic qualifications will be evaluated further against the following criteria: Expertise in developing real-time software and automated fault-detection systems to ensure reliable, highavailability monitoring and control of mission-critical instrumentation. Expertise in architecting and maintaining low-latency, high-performance, scalable, and fault-tolerant messaging frameworks that ensure reliable data exchange across complex distributed software systems. Ability to modernize legacy real-time systems and develop high-performance, GPU-accelerated software for advanced signal processing and data analysis. Ability to implement modern software engineering best practices, including CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, and collaborative version control workflows, while leading technical standardization efforts through robust coding standards, repository structures, and comprehensive technical documentation. BASIS OF RATING: Once the announcement closes, your application will be automatically evaluated and rated by the system and a Human Resources Specialist. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your application and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the occupational questionnaire. The numeric rating you receive is based on your responses to the questionnaire. The score is a measure of the degree to which your background matches the knowledge, skills, and abilities required of this position. If, after the Human Resources Specialist reviews your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that the score you have received is not a true reflection of your qualifications and/or experience, your score can and will be adjusted to more accurately reflect the information you provided that support your abilities. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Your resume should provide detailed information regarding how your education and experience relate to this position, including the major duties and qualifications criteria listed. Important Note: Your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses to the occupational questionnaire or other assessment tool for consistency. If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is supported by your resume, you will be assigned a rating commensurate to your described experience. Your resume should provide detailed information regarding how your education and experience relate to this position, including the major duties and qualifications criteria listed. You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Education

Please refer to Qualifications Section.

How to apply

Click on the "Apply Online" button on the upper right side of the page. Please Note: You must apply for this position online through the 'Apply Online' button and submit required supplemental documents (if they are relevant to you). Your resume must be no more than two (2) pages. You may submit required documents by uploading them online during the application process; OR You may manually fax required documents. Faxes are received by an automated system, not a physical fax machine. Documents that are faxed as part of the application process must be sent with the system generated cover sheet by the closing date. Documents faxed without the system generated coversheet are not retrievable and cannot be considered as part of the application package. The complete application package, including any required documents, is due in the Smithsonian Office of Human Resources on the closing date of the announcement by 11:59 PM Eastern Time. If you are unable to apply online, paper applications may be accepted with prior approval of the Contact Person listed below.

Required documents

Your application package should include the following documents: Resume - Your resume can be uploaded and attached to your application or created using the USA Jobs on-line resume builder. Ensure your resume contains the job title (including the occupational series and grade if it is Federal), job-related qualifications, starting and ending dates (month and year), and hours worked per week, for each employment period. It is your responsibility to ensure all information is submitted. Failure to include this information may result in disqualification for the position. Your resume must be no more than two (2) pages and should clearly demonstrate how your experience aligns with the responsibilities and specialized experience required for this position. For assistance with creating a resume, please click USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job? Current and former employees MUST submit a copy of their Standard Form (SF)-50, “Notice of Personnel Action,” that indicates proof of status and time-in-grade eligibility. The SF-50 must include your position title, series, grade, step, salary, type of service (competitive or excepted in block 34), and tenure (1 or 2 in block 24). Please provide a SF-50 that shows the length of time you have been in your current/highest grade level. Examples of appropriate SF50s include: Appointments, Reassignments, Within-grade/range increases or Promotion actions. NOTE: Pay adjustments and award SF-50s do not include the length of time in your current position, therefore, they are NOT acceptable SF-50's on their own. You may need to provide more than one SF-50. Failure to provide the appropriate SF-50(s) may prevent you from receiving consideration for this position. Unofficial school transcripts, if the position has an education requirement or if you are using education to qualify. If selected for the position, you must provide an official transcript before appointment. Proof of U.S. accreditation for foreign study, if applicable. Most recent performance appraisal, if currently a federal employee (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable. Proof of Veteran's Preference - DD214 (Member 4 Copy) if you are requesting a special appointment authority, such as VRA or VEOA Proof of severe disability if you are requesting special placement consideration Proof of eligibility for a military spouse appointment, such as a permanent change station military order Proof of eligibility for any other special appointing authority not specifically mentioned here.

Additional information

Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA): If you are applying for a VEOA appointment, you must be a veteran and must be honorably separated and either a preference eligible or have substantially completed 3 or more years of active service. ("Active Service" under this law means active duty in a uniformed service and includes full-time training duty, annual training duty, full-time National Guard duty, and attendance, while in the active service, at a school designated as a service school by law or by the Secretary concerned.) A veteran who is released under honorable conditions shortly before completing a 3-year tour is also eligible. Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities: The following links contain information on the eligibility requirements to be considered under a noncompetitive appointing authority: Primary Appointing Authorities for Career and Career-Conditional Appointments Hiring Authorities for Veterans People with Disabilities The Smithsonian does not pay relocation expenses. A recruitment bonus may be paid. The Smithsonian Institution is an equal opportunity employer. Additional information can be found on our website at (www.si.edu/oeesd).