Controls Software Engineer

The Engineering Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) is seeking a Controls Software Engineer to join our team! In this role, you will develop, deploy, test, document, and maintain control system software and tools that support accelerator and beamline operations at the Advanced Light Source (ALS). Working in a collaborative engineering and scientific environment, you will contribute to EPICS-based control applications, graphical user interfaces, data acquisition and logging tools, and software integrations with instruments and control hardware.

The Advanced Light Source is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science national scientific user facility that produces exceptionally bright soft and hard x-ray, ultraviolet, and infrared light. With a strong scientific reputation, expert staff, and advanced capabilities, the ALS attracts thousands of academic and industrial users each year in condensed matter and quantum materials, energy sciences, biosciences, earth and planetary sciences and more.

The ALS is one of five Berkeley Lab user facilities that serve 15,000 users annually. Co-located with the Molecular Foundry, NERSC supercomputing center, and Berkeley Lab's materials, chemical sciences, biosciences, and other divisions, it provides an ideal collaborative environment for innovative scientific discoveries.

The ALS is a global leader in soft x-ray science, and aims to maintain its leadership with ALS-U, a major project to upgrade the facility to a fourth-generation light source. This upgrade will position the facility among the brightest soft x-ray light sources in the world, offering capabilities that no other facility can provide.

We're here for the same mission, to bring science solutions to the world. Join our team and YOU will play a supporting role in our goal to address global challenges! Have a high level of impact and work for an organization associated with 17 Nobel Prizes!

You will:

Level 1:

• Develop, modify, test, deploy, and maintain EPICS-based control system software, services, and associated tools for accelerator and beamline operations.
• Develop and maintain graphical user interfaces, data acquisition and logging applications, monitoring tools, and related operator-facing software using standard ALS and EPICS tools.
• Support the integration of control software with instruments, sensors, control hardware, and operational infrastructure in collaboration with engineers, scientists, operators, and other technical partners.
• Participate in software and system commissioning, validation, troubleshooting, and operational support. Analyze moderate-scope issues, review relevant technical factors, select appropriate actions within established practices, and escalate issues when needed.
• Create and execute appropriate software tests; participate in peer code reviews; and use established source control, issue management, release, documentation, and testing practices.
• Prepare and maintain clear technical documentation describing software designs, interfaces, configurations, test results, operating procedures, and completed work.
• Produce initial technical reports or analyses for review by more experienced team members.
• Build productive working relationships and collaborate with internal and external partners to resolve shared technical and operational problems.
• Communicate status, risks, technical findings, and support needs clearly and promptly.
• Complete required Laboratory safety training and consistently apply applicable environment, health, safety, and security requirements in daily work.
• Provide occasional scheduled or emergency off-hours support, consistent with Laboratory practices, to help sustain reliable operation of the ALS as a 24/7 user facility.

In addition to the above, the Level 2 will:

• Design EPICS-based control system software, services, and associated tools for accelerator and beamline operations.
• Plan and carry out the integration of control software with instruments, sensors, control hardware, and operational infrastructure in collaboration with engineers, scientists, operators, and other technical partners.
• Perform software and system commissioning, validation, troubleshooting, and operational support. Analyze moderate-scope issues, review relevant technical factors, select appropriate actions within established practices, and escalate issues when needed.
• Enhance relationships with senior internal and external partners to resolve shared technical and operational problems. Adapt communication to the audience and clearly convey status, risks, recommendations, and findings, using persuasion when needed.

We are looking for:

Level 1:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, another engineering discipline, the physical sciences, or a related field, and a minimum of two years of related professional experience; or an advanced degree in a related field without required experience; or equivalent work experience.
• Developing professional knowledge of software engineering concepts and the ability to apply organizational policies, procedures, and established technical practices to troubleshoot and resolve a variety of moderate-scope issues.
• Experience developing software in C/C++ and Python.
• Experience using Linux operating systems and shell scripting.
• Ability to gather relevant information, interpret logs and test results, evaluate identifiable factors, and determine an appropriate course of action within defined practices.
• Knowledge of collaborative software development practices, including version control, issue tracking, code review, documentation, testing, and release or deployment workflows; and the ability to develop and maintain reliable software interfaces and applications.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills and the ability to build productive working relationships with engineers, scientists, operators, software developers, and other partners.
• Ability to organize assigned work, manage priorities, meet commitments, and work effectively with general instruction on routine assignments and detailed instruction on new projects or assignments.
• Ability to learn and apply Laboratory safety requirements and to perform work safely in an operational scientific environment.

In addition to the above, Level 2:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, another engineering discipline, the physical sciences, or a related field, and a minimum of five years of related professional experience; or a master's degree in a related field and a minimum of three years of related professional experience; or equivalent work experience.
• Ability to analyze software and system problems of diverse scope, evaluate identifiable factors, interpret logs and test results, and exercise good judgment in selecting methods and techniques for obtaining solutions.

Desired skills/knowledge:

• Experience with EPICS or a comparable distributed control system.
• Experience supporting scientific experiments, accelerator facilities, beamlines, laboratories, or other research environments.
• Experience integrating software with instruments, sensors, data acquisition systems, or control hardware.
• Experience contributing to a multi-developer software project and participating in peer review and shared development workflows.

Additional information:

• Application date: Priority consideration will be given to candidates who apply by September 4, 2026. Applications will be accepted until the job posting is removed.
• Appointment type: This is a full-time 2 year term appointment with the possibility of extension or conversion to Career appointment based upon satisfactory job performance, continuing availability of funds and ongoing operational needs.
• Salary range:
  • The expected salary for the Controls Software Engineer (Level 1) position is $104,580 - $127,836, which fits into the full salary of $92,964 - $156,876 depending upon the candidate's skills, knowledge, and abilities. This includes education, certifications, and years of experience.
  • The expected salary for the Controls Software Engineer (Level 2) position is $131,760 - $161,064, which fits into the full salary of $117,132 - $197,676 depending upon the candidate's skills, knowledge, and abilities. This includes education, certifications, and years of experience.
• Background check: This position is subject to a background check. Any convictions will be evaluated to determine if they directly relate to the responsibilities and requirements of the position. Having a conviction history will not automatically disqualify an applicant from being considered for employment.
• Work modality: Work will be primarily performed at: Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA. A REAL ID or other acceptable form of identification is required to access Berkeley Lab sites (for more information click here).
• Work authorization: Candidates must be eligible to work in the U.S. at the time of hire. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Want to learn more about working at Berkeley Lab? Please visit: careers.lbl.gov

Equal Employment Opportunity Employer: The foundation of Berkeley Lab is our Stewardship Values: Team Science, Service, Trust, Innovation, and Respect; and we strive to build community with these shared values and commitments. Berkeley Lab is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We heartily welcome applications from all who could contribute to the Lab's mission of leading scientific discovery, excellence, and professionalism. In support of our rich global community, all qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories under State and Federal law.

Misconduct Disclosure Requirement: As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts an offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of substantiated misconduct with a previous employer. For additional information, click here.