About Careertakes

👉 Important disclosure: Careertakes is a third-party recruiting platform supporting this hiring process. If selected, you will be employed directly by our client, IT.

Applicants for this role may also receive access to additional matched opportunities through the Careertakes platform.

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What You’ll Do

Confidential Client is seeking a Scientist III (early-career software engineer) to support IT-focused R&D activities at the Materials and Manufacturing Directorate supporting optical coatings research at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (Wpafb, OH). In this role you will collaborate with scientists and engineers to design, build, and maintain software that enables instrumentation control, data collection, analysis, and research data management.

• Collaborate with research scientists and engineers to design, develop, and maintain software for deposition equipment control, optical coating characterization, and lab automation.
• Build and maintain API integrations and online database connectivity for research workflows.
• Design, implement, and optimize research databases (SQL or NoSQL) to store and serve experimental data.
• Create data analysis pipelines and visualization tools to support scientific decision-making.
• Write clear technical documentation and test plans; support reproducible research practices.
• Troubleshoot instrumentation software and support lab deployment and validation.
• Communicate results to multidisciplinary teams and support program reviews and conferences.

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Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 0–2 years of professional software development experience; experience in a research or scientific environment is a plus.
• Proficiency in one or more high-level languages such as Python, C++, Java, MATLAB, or R.
• Experience with API development and integration.
• Familiarity with relational and/or NoSQL database design, querying, and optimization.
• Experience with data visualization and data analysis tools.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and teamwork skills.
• Ability to adapt to shifting research priorities and work both independently and collaboratively.
• U.S. citizenship required and ability to obtain and maintain an Active Security Clearance.

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Physical Requirements & Travel

• Ability to work safely in a laboratory environment and lift or carry up to 25 lbs.
• Comfortable working at a computer workstation for extended periods.
• May travel up to ~5% annually for conferences, program reviews, or collaborative meetings (primarily CONUS).
• Hybrid on-site and local remote telework scheduling options available.

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About the Confidential Client (IT)

Confidential Client is an IT-focused research and professional services contractor supporting federal research programs. They partner with government research organizations to deliver software, data, and engineering support for scientific programs. Confidential Client values integrity, collaboration, and technical excellence while providing a supportive environment for early-career researchers and engineers.

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Work Type & Other Details

• Employment type: Full-time
• Location: Wpafb, OH (Wright-Patterson area)
• Clearance: Ability to obtain/maintain Active Security Clearance required
• Travel: Up to ~5% annually
• Hybrid on-site / local remote options available

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Equal Opportunity & Hiring Transparency

Careertakes and our client are Equal Opportunity Employers committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We prohibit discrimination or harassment of any kind. To support a fair and efficient hiring process, AI tools may be used to assist with application review or resume screening. These tools do not replace human decision-making. Final hiring decisions are made by people.

If you have questions about how your data is used, please contact us directly.