Scientific Software Developer for MPAS Infrastructure

Overview

Lynker Corporation is a leading provider of innovative solutions in weather and climate science. With a commitment to excellence and a passion for innovation, Lynker leverages cutting-edge technologies and scientific expertise to support the creation and delivery of improved operational weather forecasts. As part of our ongoing growth and expansion, we are seeking a dynamic and experienced Scientific Software Developer for MPAS Infrastructure to join our growing team. The ideal Scientific Software Developer for MPAS Infrastructure will be local to the DC Metro area, and be able to work a hybrid schedule, working 2 days per week in office out of the College Park, MD location, and working from home the remaining 3 days of the week.

Responsibilities

Duties of the Scientific Software Developer will include the following:

• Conduct infrastructure development and innovation for the seamless integration of MPAS (Model for Prediction Across Scales) as a new dynamical core (dycore) within the UFS Weather Model, along with necessary component updates and integration.
• Develop, expand, and support NUOPC caps, coupling infrastructure, coupled field exchanges, component interactions, and mediator configurations to enable robust coupled model configurations using the MPAS dycore.
• Develop new capabilities and modular frameworks to allow standalone testing of individual components within the coupled model.
• Ensure portability of compiled code, build system configurations, and unit/regression testing workflows across scientific HPC platforms, including supporting the testing and integration of heterogeneous compute capabilities (e.g., GPUs).
• Apply specialized tools for profiling parallel code at scale; identify performance bottlenecks (I/O, memory, load balancing); and investigate scalability algorithms suitable for refactoring, compression, or replacement with third-party implementations.
• Build, maintain, debug, and refactor automated Continuous Integration (CI) workflows, and utilize modern Git-based code management and agile development practices (issues, pull requests, project boards).
• Identify, evaluate, and apply generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools, namely large language models (LLMs), to advance model development, focusing on the efficient generation of high-quality code and technical documentation.
• Follow emerging trends in scientific HPC hardware, compilers, and software architectures to ensure the UFS model anticipates technological changes and utilizes state-of-the-art developments.
• Serve as subject matter expert and technical point of contact for external model components (CICE, CDEPS), tracking external repository developments affecting the UFS Weather Model.
• Engage and manage relationships with key UFS Weather Model stakeholders and application teams, serving as a point of contact and reviewing and integrating multi-team contributions.
• Maintain a high standard of code documentation, rapidly troubleshoot build failures and runtime errors, demonstrate advanced debugging tools, and provide technical mentoring to colleagues.

Qualifications

The Scientific Software Developer selected should have the following:

• Candidates must be a U.S. Citizen or Green Card Holder to qualify (please indicate in your cover letter).
• Background in meteorology/NWP, physical sciences, mathematics, computer science, software engineering, scientific computing, or a closely related field with demonstrated numerical modeling or closely related scientific computing experience.
• Experience with or strong foundational understanding of Earth system or other dynamical modeling, with preference for the Model for Prediction Across Scales (MPAS) or other dynamical cores (dycores).
• Demonstrated proficiency in Fortran (including F95+ and Object-Oriented concepts) and Python (including OOP and automation).
• Proficiency in shell scripting (Bash) and developing scientific software within Linux or similar environments.
• Demonstrated working knowledge of modern software engineering practices, including modular design, unit testing, and standalone component testing frameworks.
• Experience developing, configuring, and executing parallel Earth system or similar models on HPC systems.
• Working knowledge of parallel job schedulers (SLURM, PBS) on HPC systems.
• Experience with CMake-based build systems and CTest; development experience strongly preferred.
• Proficiency in Git-based (GitHub/GitLab) version control and code management, including branching/forking strategies, pull/merge requests, and issue/project tracking.
• Experience leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to advance code and documentation development, or willingness to learn.
• Good verbal and written communication skills in English.
• Ability to work effectively and professionally as part of a diverse, customer-focused team, collaborating with physical scientists, software engineers, and inter-agency partner teams.
• Demonstrated ability to independently identify, prioritize, and implement bug fixes and new features.
• Ability to provide technical mentorship to colleagues and maintain user-facing developer documentation.

The ideal Scientific Software Developer will have the following:

• Practical experience with coupled Earth system model frameworks (e.g., ESMF), NUOPC, mediators, and component interactions is strongly preferred, as well as experience developing and running individual components (atmosphere, ocean, wave, ice).
• GPU and other heterogeneous computing experience or familiarity is a plus.
• Experience in C++ is beneficial.
• Experience working in Agile/Scrum development environments is preferred.
• Demonstrated experience developing, debugging, and maintaining continuous integration (CI) and other automated workflows is a plus.
• Familiarity with package managers (e.g., Spack) and containerization technologies (Apptainer/Singularity, Docker/Podman) is beneficial.

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.