Scientific Software Engineer - Meteorological Decoders for Observation Processing and Integration

Overview

Lynker is seeking a highly skilled Software Engineer to support the NOAA/NWS Office of Modeling and Development by managing, developing, and optimizing the meteorological data decoder systems. This role focuses on the critical pipeline that converts diverse, native-format meteorological observations into standardized formats required for downstream numerical weather prediction (NWP) systems.

Responsibilities

Duties of the Scientific Software Engineer will include the following:

Technical Operations & R&D

• Develop, maintain, and optimize C and Fortran programs used to decode raw meteorological bulletins.

• Translate non-standard native data formats into BUFR and JEDI IODA netcdf by engineering specialized decoder logic

• Ensure uninterrupted, efficient data flow by managing input and output streams for ingest data queues, descriptor lists, and temporary BUFR message storage.

Systems & Data Integration

• Monitor and troubleshoot operational data ingestion across major meteorological data servers, including LDM, DBNet, GTS, and WIS2.

• Ensure decoded data tanks are optimized for rapid assimilation into the NCEP NWP system, supporting the generation of thousands of daily weather products.

• Manage and maintain the software repositories pertaining to legacy and operational decoder processing.

Coordination & Reporting

• Liaise with upstream data originators and downstream NCO Operations users to seamlessly integrate new observational data types into the BUFR pipeline.

• Report on software task progress, system performance metrics, and project risks to the Lead Scientist and Federal oversight managers.

• Participate in the Modernization of Observation Infrastructure project (GEODE) to transition legacy decoder frameworks to modern architectures.

Qualifications

The Scientist Software Engineer selected for this role should meet the following qualifications:

• Advanced skills and knowledge of Fortran and C programming languages specifically tailored for data parsing and processing.

• Deep understanding of BUFR (Binary Universal Form for the Representation of meteorological data), including table-driven descriptors and binary extraction logic.

• Experience working in a UNIX/Linux environment with advanced shell scripting languages.

• Demonstrated knowledge of meteorological data servers and distribution networks (LDM, DBNet, GTS, WIS2).

• Skills and knowledge of High-Performance Computing (HPC) file systems and job schedulers (e.g., WCOSS environment, MPI, Slurm, LSF).

• Knowledge of modern software development practices and version control software, particularly Git/GitHub/Gitflow.

• Ability to perform complex, mission-critical debugging in a fast-paced, operational environment.

Additional desirable experiences and skills include:

• Knowledge of global Data Assimilation (DA) systems and observation networks.
• Experience transitioning legacy meteorological codebases into Cloud environments.
• Background in atmospheric physics or earth system modeling.

About Lynker

Lynker is a growing, employee owned business, specializing in professional, scientific and technical services. Our continually expanding team combines scientific expertise with mature, results-driven processes and tools to achieve technically sound, cost effective solutions in hydrology/water sciences, geospatial analysis, information technology, resource management, conservation, and management and business process improvement.

We focus on putting the right people in the right place to be effective. And having the right people is critical for success. Our streamlined organization enables and empowers our talented professionals to tackle our customers' scientific and technical priorities – creatively and effectively.

Lynker offers a team-oriented work environment, and the opportunity to work in a culture of exceptionally skilled professionals who embrace sound science and creative solutions. Lynker's benefits include the following:

• Comprehensive healthcare for the employee at no monthly cost
• Healthcare benefit covers medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision
• Personal Time Off (PTO) Policy plus paid holidays
• Highly competitive compensation plan regularly calibrated against industry and location benchmarks
• 401(k) retirement plan with company-matching
• Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) – we're all company owners!
• Flexible spending accounts
• Employee assistance program (EAP)
• Short- and long-term disability insurance
• Life and accident insurance
• Tuition assistance/Training/Workforce improvement reimbursement per year
• Spot bonuses for exceptional performance
• Annual Employee Recognition Awards with bonuses
• Employee Referral Program
• Free centralized, self-directed Learning Management System to learn at your own pace
• Personalized career growth plans for every employee

Lynker is an E-Verify employer.

Lynker is an equal opportunity employer and makes all employment decisions based on merit, qualifications, and business needs. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or any other legally protected status under federal, state, or local laws.