Journeyman Research Scientist

Arcfield was purpose-built to protect the nation and its allies through innovations in digital transformation, space mission engineering and launch assurance, miniaturized sensors and satellites, advanced modeling and simulation, cybersecurity, and conventional and hypersonic missile support. Headquartered in Chantilly, VA with 16 global offices, Arcfield employs more than 1,500 engineers, analysts, IT specialists, and other professionals with more than 60 years of collective proven experience supporting missions in cyber and space defense, space exploration, hypersonic and nuclear deterrence and warfighter readiness. Visit arcfield.com for more details.

Position Overview
We are seeking a highly motivated Research Scientist with a strong background in space physics, atmospheric science, or a closely related field. The ideal candidate will work on the development and optimization of coupled models for the ionosphere, thermosphere, and magnetosphere, employing modern coding practices to orchestrate large-scale simulations in a high-performance computing (HPC) environment. While this position requires specialized expertise, it is open to all applicants who meet the qualifications and are eager to tackle advanced geospace research challenges.

Key Responsibilities

1. Model Development & Integration
• Develop, couple, and refine physics-based models of the ionosphere, thermosphere, and magnetosphere.
• Ensure seamless integration between different model components to capture complex geospace interactions.
• Contribute to model validation through comparison with observational data and published literature.
2. Software Engineering & HPC Orchestration
• Write clean, efficient, and scalable code in modern programming languages such as Python and Rust.
• Utilize PARSL or similar orchestration frameworks to manage and automate large-scale simulations on HPC clusters.
• Develop and maintain robust testing and documentation pipelines to ensure reproducibility and reliability of code.
3. Data Analysis & Visualization
• Perform data processing and analysis of model output, leveraging advanced computational and statistical techniques.
• Create high-quality visualizations to communicate model results and insights effectively to diverse stakeholders.
4. Research & Collaboration
• Collaborate with internal and external research teams, contributing expertise on space environment modeling and simulation.
• Publish findings in peer-reviewed journals and present results at conferences and scientific meetings.
• Participate in the development of research proposals, grants, and new project initiatives.
5. Technical Leadership & Mentoring
• Provide technical guidance, mentorship, and training to junior scientists, postdoctoral researchers, or students.
• Identify new technologies and methods that can enhance modeling capabilities and research outcomes.

Basic Qualifications & Skills

• Education:
  • BS 8-10, MS 6-8, PhD 3-5
  • Ph.D. (preferred) or Master's degree in Space Physics, Atmospheric Science, Computational Physics, or related fields.
• Scientific Expertise:
  • Demonstrated knowledge of ionosphere-thermosphere-magnetosphere physics, space weather processes, or related domain.
  • Experience publishing in peer-reviewed journals and presenting at scientific conferences.
• Technical Proficiency:
  • Proficiency in Python and/or Rust for numerical modeling, data analysis, and software development.
  • Familiarity with PARSL or other workflow orchestration tools for HPC environments.
  • Experience with version control (Git), containerization (e.g., Docker, Singularity), and HPC job schedulers (e.g., Slurm, PBS).
• Analytical & Problem-Solving Abilities:
  • Ability to analyze large data sets, troubleshoot complex software, and optimize computational workflows.
  • Strong debugging and performance tuning skills for high-performance computing applications.
• Communication & Collaboration:
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills for diverse audiences, including non-scientific stakeholders.
  • Proven ability to work in collaborative, interdisciplinary, and distributed teams.
• Possess and Maintain a Secret clearance, with the ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret clearance.

Additional Desired Experience

• Hands-on expertise with GPU/accelerator-based computing.
• Prior involvement in multi-institution research collaborations.
• Experience writing grant proposals or securing research funding.

EEO

Arcfield proactively fulfills its role as an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, religion, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, national origin, marital status, physical or mental disability, status as a Disabled Veteran, Recently Separated Veteran, Active-Duty Wartime or Campaign Badge Veteran, Armed Forces Services Medal, or any other characteristic protected by law.