Software engineer

• 536401

• Blacksburg, Virginia

• Physics

• Hourly Wage/Part-Time

• College of Science

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)”, a global, community-driven open-source software ecosystem used for quantum and classical physics simulations. 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 include strengthening long-term sustainability through modern infrastructure and governance; improving maintainability and code quality via robust testing and release practices; establishing clear on-boarding protocols for new application codes (including wrapper standards and input/output standards); and expanding accessibility through documentation, tutorials, and training materials delivered through workshops and online channels.


The Software Engineer will collaborate with the distributed ALPS leadership and contributor community and will help implement and maintain ALPS development standards and tooling (e.g., repository workflows, testing and delivery practices, packaging/distribution, and user/developer support 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

5

Overtime Status

Exempt: Not eligible for overtime

Appointment Type

Restricted

Salary Information

Commensurate with experience

Hours per week

25-35 (part time)

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 is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a school of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School, and Honors College. The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including Blacksburg, the greater Washington, D.C. area, the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke, sites in Newport News and Richmond, and numerous Extension offices and research institutes. A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $650 million in research annually.

Virginia Tech endorses and encourages participation in professional development opportunities and university shared governance. These valuable contributions to university shared governance provide important representation and perspective, along with opportunities for unique and impactful professional development.

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.

If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Jackie Woodyard at [email protected] during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.