Senior Software Engineer

About the Job
The company is a publicly funded research institute based in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, home to a diverse community of scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and researchers dedicated to pioneering research and technology prototypes that advance society.

Propulsion and Space Research Centre
Within the company, the digital engineering team of the Propulsion & Space Research Centre develops software and engineering capabilities that support propulsion and flight-vehicle research programmes. Current capabilities include a robust engineering platform, validated physics and gas-turbine simulation software, an AI engineering assistant, and a growing hardware capability, focusing on data acquisition and real-time testing. The team aims to standardize product lines, enable versioning, and develop commercial-grade offerings, all within a collaborative environment that emphasizes direct communication and individual ownership.

Role Purpose
The Senior Software Engineer – Simulation & Engineering Products will be instrumental in developing and productizing the software backbone for propulsion and flight-vehicle research programmes. The role is vital in transitioning programme-specific solutions to robust software products that meet commercial-grade standards, including repeatable releases, version-control, and reliable deployment processes.

Key Responsibilities
Software Product Engineering

• Evolve the existing engineering platform into a configurable and reusable product that can support multiple programmes and external customers.
• Develop backend and frontend capabilities using Python/FastAPI and React.
• Enhance platform capabilities for requirements modeling, test campaigns, and interactive 3D visualization.
• Improve product quality across documentation, installation, upgrades, maintainability, and security.
• Maintain a strong product-oriented approach, ensuring software architecture meets user needs and sustainable ownership.

CI/CD & Release Engineering

• Enhance CI/CD practices across the product.
• Develop automated build, test, and deployment pipelines, and implement versioning and release management practices.
• Ensure reliable, controlled, and reproducible software releases across deployments.

Numerical & Simulation Software

• Support the engineering of physics-based software for gas-turbine performance and model adaptation using test data.
• Develop independently versioned libraries with stable APIs for model adaptation and testing.
• Apply software practices to scientific code, ensuring proper testing and numerical integrity.

Test Data & Engineering Evidence

• Design and develop pipelines for ingesting engineering data in formats like TDMS and HDF5.
• Implement physics-based validation checks and develop traceable engineering outputs.

Hardware & Real-Time Integration

• Support software integration with hardware systems for data acquisition and telemetry.
• Contribute to hardware-in-the-loop test capability development and support reliable data transfer processes.

Engineering Quality & Collaboration

• Review software and engineering designs to ensure high-quality standards.
• Collaborate within a small, autonomous team and contribute to establishing engineering standards.
• Utilize AI-assisted tools while ensuring robust human reviews and quality control measures.

Research & Publication

• Contribute to research publications, focusing on model adaptation and AI engineering tools evaluation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Advanced qualifications in a relevant engineering or scientific discipline may be advantageous.

Experience

• A minimum of 7 years of experience in production-grade software development.
• Demonstrated expertise in numerical or engineering software within aerospace, energy, automotive, scientific computing or quantitative finance.
• Experience with software lifecycle management and controlled deployments.
• Proficient in managing API decisions, version control, and product maintenance.
• Strong knowledge of CI/CD, DevOps, and containerization practices.

Technical Competencies

• Strong proficiency in Python and full-stack development capabilities.
• Experience with backend frameworks such as FastAPI or Django and frontend frameworks like React or Angular.
• Capable of interfacing with C/C++ and understanding MATLAB or Fortran code as needed.
• Knowledge of Git and experience with Linux and software deployment infrastructure.
• Understanding of numerical software considerations, such as tolerance testing and validation of physics-based models.

Preferred Qualifications & Experience

• Experience with customer-facing software products, including packaging and licensing.
• Familiarity with engineering data formats like HDF5, TDMS, or ASAM ODS.
• Knowledge of gas turbines, propulsion systems, or real-time software development.

Behavioural Competencies

• Strong commercial product mindset and accountability within small team settings.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with a focus on engineering quality.
• Ability to communicate technical issues clearly and constructively review peer work.
• Collaborative approach to working with diverse teams of engineers and researchers.
• Driven by transforming research software into robust and commercially viable solutions.