Software Engineer

DESE Research, Inc. is hiring a Junior to Mid-Level Software Engineer in Huntsville, AL (onsite) to support mission-critical software development and modernization work.

Responsibilities

• Develop, modify, and maintain software primarily in C++.
• Support Ada software development efforts as required.
• Assist with migration of an existing bare-metal application to a containerized environment.
• Analyze application dependencies, operating-system needs, configuration requirements, external interfaces, and runtime behavior to enable containerization.
• Develop, maintain, and document Dockerfiles, Podmanfiles, container build scripts, and related configuration artifacts.
• Build, run, test, debug, and troubleshoot container images and containerized applications using Docker or Podman.
• Validate that containerized applications preserve required functionality, interfaces, performance characteristics, and operational behavior.
• Review existing unit tests and assess test coverage.
• Design, develop, and implement new unit tests for existing software components.
• Improve automated testing capabilities to enable repeatable daily build and regression testing.
• Integrate container build, test, and validation steps into repeatable workflows such as CI/CD, daily build, or regression-test processes as applicable.
• Analyze software defects, troubleshoot failures, and implement corrective actions.
• Participate in software design reviews, code reviews, technical discussions, and modernization planning.
• Collaborate with software, systems, QA, and DevOps engineers to improve software quality, maintainability, containerization practices, and deployment readiness.
• Contribute to software documentation, container build documentation, testing standards, and engineering best practices.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives focused on reliability, automation, modernization, and long-term sustainment.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in a related technical discipline (Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or similar).
• Strong experience developing software in C++.
• Demonstrated proficiency with Docker or Podman for building, running, testing, and troubleshooting containerized applications.
• Experience authoring and maintaining Dockerfiles, Podmanfiles, or equivalent container build definitions.
• Experience packaging application dependencies, configuration, and runtime requirements into container images.
• Understanding of container concepts: images, containers, layers, volumes, environment variables, networking, image registries, and container lifecycle management.
• Experience troubleshooting software defects and supporting software integration activities.
• Understanding of software development lifecycle processes, software quality practices, and configuration management.
• Experience working in collaborative teams using peer reviews and version control.
• Ability to work independently while supporting a customer-facing engineering environment.
• Active Secret security clearance or ability to obtain and maintain one.

Technologies

• C++, Ada, Docker, Podman
• Dockerfile, Podmanfile
• CI/CD, Kubernetes, OpenShift
• Linux

Benefits

• Competitive health, dental, and vision insurance with affordable premiums
• Flexible work schedules
• Two different flexible spending account options
• Company paid life insurance with options for employee-paid additional coverage
• Performance bonus program
• Education reimbursement program
• Company paid personal leave for approved philanthropic activities
• Vacation, Sick & Holiday leave
• Robust 401(k) profit-sharing plan
• Opportunities for internal promotions
• Employee referral incentive program
• Rewards and gifts for service anniversaries
• Generous profit-sharing plan
• Company paid life insurance

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience developing software in Ada.
• Experience supporting legacy software modernization efforts.
• Experience migrating bare-metal, monolithic, legacy, embedded, or traditionally deployed applications into containerized environments.
• Experience with automated testing frameworks and regression testing.
• Experience integrating automated testing and container image build/validation activities into CI/CD or daily build environments.
• Experience supporting complex real-time, embedded, or defense software systems.
• Familiarity with Linux-based development and deployment environments.
• Familiarity with container-image security practices, including vulnerability scanning, image hardening, software supply-chain practices, or private container registries.
• Familiarity with Kubernetes, OpenShift, or other container orchestration platforms.
• Familiarity with Agile software development methodologies.
• Experience with static code analysis, code coverage tools, or software quality metrics.
• Experience developing unit tests for complex software systems.
• Familiarity with automated testing, regression testing, build/test workflows, and containerized development environments.

Disability Accommodation for Applicants

• DESE Research, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and provides reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in its job application procedures.
• If you have any difficulty using our online system and need an accommodation due to a disability, contact [email protected] or 256-837-8004 x123.