C++/Cloud Engineering Scientist Associate

About the Role

The Space and Geophysics Laboratory (SGL) is seeking a C++/Cloud Engineer to design, develop, test, and maintain high-performance software systems using C++ deployed on cloud infrastructure. This position leverages C++ best practices and modern cloud-native architectures to build scalable, reliable, and efficient software that supports science, research, and engineering applications. This role combines C++ software development expertise with cloud engineering capabilities to deliver optimized solutions running in cloud environments.

Key Responsibilities

• Implementation & Testing
• Implement high-quality C++ code meeting coding standards and best practices.
• Write comprehensive unit tests, integration tests, and system tests.
• Perform code reviews and ensure code quality.
• Debug and resolve software defects.
• Implement performance optimizations, memory management strategies, and cloud resource tuning.
• Build automated testing and deployment pipelines.
• Cloud Infrastructure & Deployment
• Design and implement cloud architecture solutions for applications across multiple environments.
• Deploy and configure cloud resources including compute, storage, networking, and databases.
• Set up multi-region and multi-availability zone deployments.
• Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines for C++ application builds and deployments.
• Implement Infrastructure as Code for reproducible environments.
• Software Design & Architecture
• Design and implement software solutions in C++ following established architecture patterns for cloud-native deployments.
• Create scalable, maintainable, and efficient software designs.
• Working within software requirements, interfaces, and module specifications.
• Make architectural tradeoffs to balance performance, memory usage, and cloud resource efficiency.
• Evaluate and recommend C++ libraries and frameworks for cloud environments.
• Create and maintain architecture diagrams and design documentation.
• Operations & Reliability
• Monitor application and infrastructure health, performance, and cost.
• Implement robust monitoring, alerting, and logging solutions.
• Optimize resource utilization and cloud costs.
• Manage the lifecycle of cloud resources supporting C++ applications.
• Collaboration & Documentation
• Partner with cross-functional teams to understand requirements and deliver software solutions.
• Create and maintain technical documentation, runbooks, and operational procedures.
• Provide technical guidance on C++ development practices and cloud best practices.
• Communicate technical concepts clearly to stakeholders.
• Support knowledge transfer and team collaboration.
• Other related functions as assigned.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• C++ software development
• Modern C++ (C++11/14/17)
• Object-oriented design and design patterns
• Data structures, algorithms, and software architecture
• Version control systems (e.g., Git)
• Build systems (e.g., CMake, Make)
• Software development lifecycle
• Debugging and profiling tools
• Memory management
• CI/CD tools and practices
• Distributed systems principles
• Strong problem-solving and troubleshooting abilities
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD 8140 compliant security certification within six months of employment
• US Citizen

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Science, Engineering, Computer Science, or related field.
• Demonstrated ability and knowledge of experience in C++ software development.
• Understanding of software development lifecycle.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience developing and deploying C++ applications in cloud environments.
• Experience with at least one major cloud platform (AWS, Azure, GCP).
• Knowledge of performance optimization.
• Experience with multi-threaded and concurrent programming.
• Familiarity with test-driven development (TDD) and unit testing frameworks (e.g., Google Test, Catch2).
• Experience with Infrastructure as Code tools such as Terraform or CloudFormation.
• Experience with container orchestration platforms such as Kubernetes or ECS.
• Experience with CI/CD tools such as GitLab CI or Jenkins.
• AWS certifications such as Solutions Architect, SysOps Administrator, or Developer.
• Knowledge of monitoring solutions such as CloudWatch, Datadog, or Prometheus.
• Experience with database services such as RDS, Aurora, or DynamoDB.
• Familiarity with serverless architectures.
• Experience with static analysis tools and code quality metrics.
• Understanding of security best practices in software development and cloud.
• Three or more years experience in software engineering.
• Cumulative GPA of 3.0.