Staff Engineer I - Govt

Purpose of the position:

Linde Special Projects in New Providence, NJ is seeking a skilled Software Engineer to support and advance specialized, mission-critical hardware systems focused on gas handling and metrology. This role blends software development and process control of hardware components with hands-on system support, requiring a strong understanding of physical systems, electronics, instrumentation, and data acquisition.

The ideal candidate will minimize downtime and ensure the reliability of existing systems while designing and implementing software for next-generation hardware platforms. This position requires a DOD security clearance; US citizenship is required.

Principal responsibilities will include:

Laboratory & Technical Leadership

* Maintain, monitor, and troubleshoot software systems that control and interface with gas handling and radioactive measurement equipment; help ensure reliable operation and minimal downtime of existing systems

* Integrate sensors, detectors, and instrumentation with software platforms for real-time monitoring and analysis

* Collaborate with engineers and scientists to define system requirements and translate them into robust software solutions

* Optimize hardware systems for performance, reliability, and safety

* Implement data processing pipelines for measurement analysis, calibration, and reporting

* Support system upgrades, testing, and validation, including documentation and compliance

* Participate in debugging hardware and software issues in a laboratory environment

Research & Innovation

* Develop and successfully deploy software for new hardware systems, including control logic, data acquisition, and user interfaces

* Lead or contribute to research projects from concept through implementation and validation.

Communication

* Interface with key stakeholders, including department technical staff, management, and US government technical staff.

* Prepare clear, data-driven technical reports and presentations and present project updates and technical recommendations to our sponsor and collaborators.

Collaboration

* Work closely with internal and external scientists, engineers, and technicians on multidisciplinary research projects.

* Support troubleshooting and root-cause investigations for instrumentation or process issues.

Key interfaces

* Department technical staff (Engineers/Scientists/Technicians)

* Department management

* US Government Technical staff

Key competencies

* Safety-first mentality

* Intellectual curiosity and innovation mindset

* Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities

* Ability to work independently and as a part of a team in a lab-based, hands-on environment

* Excellent communication skills; clear and confident presenter

* Attention to detail, especially in safety-critical systems

* Decisiveness & Task execution

Required Qualifications

* Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Applied Physics or a closely related field

* Strong programming experience used in hardware development such as C/C++, Assembly, PLC programming; experience with high-level languages such as python, etc.

* Experience interfacing software with hardware systems (e.g., DAQ systems, embedded systems, industrial controls, etc.)

* Familiarity with signal processing, instrumentation, or measurement systems

* Familiarity with Windows and Linux operating systems

* Familiarity with relational databases (SQL, etc.)

* Understanding of gas flow systems, vacuum systems, and radiation detection principles

* Ability to rapidly troubleshoot, maintain, repair, and improve complex systems

* Ability to obtain and maintain a DOD secret level security clearance (This requires US citizenship).

Preferred Qualifications

* Experience with legacy programming languages such as Visual Basic 6.0, Delphi/Pascal, FORTRAN

* Experience with radioactive counting systems, detectors (e.g., scintillation counters, Geiger-Muller counting), or spectroscopy

* Knowledge of communication protocols (e.g., TCP/IP, serial, Modbus)

* Familiarity with laboratory or industrial safety standards