Job Description

Job Description

The Virginia Tech Center for Ecosystem Forecasting (www.ecoforecastprojectvt.org) is recruiting a research software engineer (RSE) with experience developing software in the life sciences, applying machine learning to forecasting, and constructing data lakes to join our team. The RSE will lead and implement the development of the open-source software stack that serves as the foundation of the Center for Ecosystem Forecasting. This stack includes: software to simulate individual-based models of phytoplankton; machine learning models to predict water quality dynamics; automated workflows that leverage cloud storage and cloud computing; databases that leverage best practices in data lake construction; three-dimensional lake hydrodynamic models; and predictive models of forest dynamics that use large geospatial databases. The RSE will also develop training materials to support the computational needs of the team, communicate findings through reports and peer-reviewed articles, and contribute to the submission of grant proposals.

Required Qualifications

● Master’s degree in computer science
● Proficiency with Python and/or R
● Experience developing research software with life science applications
● Experience applying machine learning models and agent/individual-based models to forecasting applications
● Experience constructing data lakes that contain heterogenous data
● Experience with Docker, automated workflows, and collaborative coding using Git and GitHub, demonstrated by their software portfolio (e.g., GitHub profile).

Preferred Qualifications

● Experience working with parquet file formats
● Experience with building cloud architectures with S3 storage
● Experience with implementing GitHub Actions
● Experience publishing peer-reviewed research articles
● Experience managing software development teams
● Experience acquiring funding to support forecasting projects