R&D Software Engineer

Arizona Institute for Resilience in Office of Research & Partnerships at the University of Arizona is seeking an R&D Software Engineer. The Power Forecasting Group (PFG) within the Arizona Institute for Resilience produces weather and renewable power forecasts for the Southwest United States. The group is seeking a research and development software engineer to support research efforts and development of our forecasting systems. Our systems require both web front-end (HTML/CSS/JavaScript) and server back-end (Python, MySQL, Linux) development in a primarily Linux environment. The selected candidate will be responsible for developing, maintaining, and reviewing code in a collaborative environment utilizing GitHub. The candidate is expected to contribute to on-call support for operational systems that run 24/7/365. They will also be responsible for the warehoused data and scripts that acquire new data. This position offers opportunities to gain substantial experience with the rapidly growing renewable energy sector.

At the Arizona Institute for Resilience, we turn science into actionable, community-oriented solutions. Our focus is resilience, the capacity to respond to environmental change in innovative ways by adapting toward more sustainable and equitable outcomes. We bring together researchers, educators, problem-solvers, and innovators from diverse disciplines - science, engineering, humanities, economics, public policy, law, the arts, and beyond - to develop innovative and practical solutions to the many environmental and resilience challenges we all face today.

Outstanding U of A benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans; life insurance and disability programs; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; U of A/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; retirement plans; access to U of A recreation and cultural activities; and more!

The University of Arizona has been recognized for our innovative work-life programs. For more information about working at the University of Arizona and relocations services, please click here.

• Maintenance, development, and operation of forecast code and supporting systems. These systems include custom weather and power forecast systems, and specific projects include the production of weather and renewable power forecasts, delivery of forecast data to sponsors through established delivery mechanisms, and web dashboard creation/support for data visualization using modern front-end technologies e.g. Vue/d3.js, etc.
• Update and maintain documentation relating to the custom weather and power forecast systems.
• Work with the team to implement new code and/or models into production forecast systems. The candidate will be responsible for making code design decisions related to the projects assigned to them.
• Serve as a point of call for stakeholders (e.g. regional electric utility companies including TEP, APS and SRP) and actively participate in virtual/in-person meetings.
• Aide in the publication/presentation of results online (GitHub, archives), at conferences, and in traditional literature.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Interest in renewable energy and willingness to learn on the job.
• Skills in developing for and in a Linux environment.
• Proficiency in Python and scientific Python libraries (NumPy, SciPy, Pandas).
• Familiarity with DBMS systems such as MySQL
• Familiarity with RESTful API development using frameworks like Flask and FastAPI
• Familiarity with container and virtualization technologies such as Docker and KVM
• A record of open-source software development.
• Demonstrated ability to produce high-quality, reliable software and documentation.
• Knowledge of Git and GitHub, and an active GitHub account.
• Familiarity with Test Driven Development and CI/CD processes.
• Strong written and oral communication.

This job posting reflects the general nature and level of work expected of the selected candidate(s). It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. The institution reserves the right to amend or update this description as organizational priorities and institutional needs evolve.

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Physics, Engineering, or equivalent advanced learning attained through experience.
• 3 years of relevant work experience.

• Experience with using and managing Kubernetes clusters and Ansible.
• Experience with Machine Learning.
• Experience with solar or wind power forecasting, or other relevant experience in the sector.