Software Engineer

Relative Dynamics; Sioux Falls (SD); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Relative Dynamics in Sioux Falls, SD, seeks a junior-to-mid-level Software Engineer to support software development efforts in collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey at the EROS Center. This is a full-time, onsite position requiring regular collaboration with team members and scientists.

The ideal candidate should have a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field and typically 5 years of experience in software engineering. Applicants will work on mission-critical Earth science initiatives.

Qualifications

• Typically 5 years of professional experience in software engineering.
• Experience with systems involving data ingest, image processing, satellite ground systems, or cloud computing is highly beneficial.
• Three years of continuous residency in the U.S. for issuance of a Government Security credential.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and maintain software components within complex systems.
• Lead or significantly contribute to software planning, including requirements refinement.
• Perform and document both preliminary and detailed designs for software modules.

Skills

Python

C/C++

Interpersonal skills

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Experience with database systems

Change management tools (Git)

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related discipline

Tools

Git

Job description

Career Opportunities with Relative Dynamics

Relative Dynamics is a subcontractor supporting USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center. In this role, you will be employed by Relative Dynamics and assigned to work on projects in support of USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center.

Department: Technical Support Services Contract (TSSC)

Relative Dynamics is seeking a junior-to-mid-level Software Engineer to support advanced software development efforts in partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) at the Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center in Sioux Falls, SD. This is a full time, onsite position, requiring regular in person collaboration with team members, scientists, and mission partners. This role is not eligible for remote work.

In this role, you will contribute to meaningful, mission‑critical Earth science initiatives, collaborate with experienced engineers and scientists who value innovation, apply and expand your expertise in modern software development practices, and work within a team culture that values technical excellence, curiosity, and continuous improvement.

What You'll Get to Do

• Design, implement, and maintain software components within complex systems
• Lead or significantly contribute to software planning, including requirements refinement, task estimation, and design reviews
• Perform and document both preliminary and detailed designs for software modules
• Implement software solutions from established design artifacts
• Develop, execute, and document unit tests, integration tests, and system‑level tests
• Prepare test plans, test procedures, and formal test reports
• Manage and analyze configuration change requests following Configuration Management (CM) processes
• Participate in and occasionally facilitate technical reviews for documents and code
• Collaborate closely with Systems Engineers, Software Engineers, and cross‑functional project teams to ensure cohesive, high‑quality solutions
• Independently execute engineering tasks
• Mentor junior staff where applicable
• Contribute to the full life cycle of software development

What You'll Need

Required Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Typically 5 years of professional experience in software engineering
• Experience with systems involving data ingest, image processing, satellite ground systems, or cloud computing is highly beneficial
• Experience supporting distributed or cloud‑native architectures is strongly preferred
• Three years of continuous residency in the U.S. for issuance of a Government Security credential
• Ability to obtain and maintain a national agency check and background investigation for facility access

Required Skills

• Excellent interpersonal, organizational, and communication skills
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a highly skilled technical team
• Solid understanding of the Software Development Life Cycle
• Proficiency in Python and C/C++
• Experience interfacing with database systems
• Experience with change management tools such as Git

Desired Skills

• Perl
• Jave
• Experience with remote sensing, digital image/signal processing techniques, and basic geography concepts such as map projections
• Infrastructure as Code
• Artificial Intelligence for software code generation and documentation