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Software Engineer (Open‑Source Computational Physics)

Multiple openings: Full‑time onsite (Blacksburg, VA) and part‑time remote (US‑based)

Target start: Summer 2026 (subject to project timelines)

Duration: Up to 2 years, unless further funding is secured.

Employer of record: Virginia Tech (full‑time roles include university benefits)

About ALPS

ALPS (Applications and Libraries for Physics Simulations) is a long‑running, open‑source software ecosystem used worldwide to model complex quantum and classical systems. Its uses span condensed matter, quantum computing, AMO physics, materials science, and quantum chemistry. The platform has supported thousands of users across 50+ countries and 1,500+ citing publications, and it is central to training the next‑generation quantum workforce.

We’re modernizing the ecosystem: lowering barriers to contribution and use and onboarding new application codes

Why this role matters

You’ll join an international, interdisciplinary team of physicists and software engineers to build the developer‑facing and infrastructure layers of a widely used scientific OSS platform. Your work will directly improve reproducibility, performance, and accessibility for research codes (Monte Carlo, ED, DMRG, DMFT, etc.), and help onboard new packages into ALPS.

What you’ll do

  • Design and maintain a modern API that makes it easy to contribute new physics codes (standardizing on a C wrapper for onboarding).
  • Relax and streamline dependencies and simplify installs (e.g., SPACK on HPC, PyPI packages), with a push to improve support and documentation.
  • Onboard new application packages (vet, incubate, integrate) following governance and contribution standards.
  • Define and enforce I/O standards (e.g., HDF5 data, XML/INI configs) for interoperability and reproducibility.
  • Build and maintain CI/CD and automated tests for new commits and refactors; support frequent release candidates and annual stable releases.
  • Contribute to documentation, tutorials, and user onboarding (website, community channels, tutorial videos).
  • Implement security best practices—2FA, dependency hygiene, and supply‑chain hardening aligned with open‑source guidance.
  • Explore agentic AI assistants to help users discover and run ALPS workflows via conversational interfaces and write source code

What you bring (examples of relevant backgrounds)

Required (or strong equivalents):

  • A degree in physics or a closely related field
  • Proficiency in C/C++ and Python for scientific software; solid Git/GitHub practices and code review discipline.
  • Experience with HPC/parallel computing (e.g., MPI/OpenMP) and Linux/macOS; comfort working across platforms (including Windows).
  • CI/CD and automated testing (GitHub‑based pipelines or Jenkins).
  • Packaging and distribution (e.g., SPACK, pip/PyPI), including maintaining wheels/recipes.
  • Familiarity with scientific data formats (HDF5, XML; INI parameters).

Nice to have:

  • Background in computational physics, strongly correlated quantum matter, or related numerical methods (QMC, ED, DMRG, DMFT).
  • GPU acceleration (CUDA/OpenCL), performance profiling, or distributed workflows.
  • Packaging for multiple OSes (Windows installers, macOS/Homebrew/MacPorts, Linux distros).
  • Security‑by‑design and OSS supply‑chain practices (OpenSSF).
  • Interest in agentic AI (e.g., building Copilot‑style agents, plugin architectures).

How we work

  • Community governance: ALPS operates under a Self‑Appointing Council model with a steering committee, advisory board, core developers, and maintainers—promoting longevity, transparency, and community input.
  • Open source by default: MIT license; code on GitHub; releases archived to Zenodo (DOIs) following FAIR principles.
  • Active community: public chat/support, tutorial videos, and international workshops/schools.

Work arrangement & eligibility

  • Full‑time onsite roles are hired through Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, VA) with university benefits.
  • Part‑time remote roles are available; the employee/contractor must be based in the United States (work performed for a US‑based entity).
  • We welcome applicants from national labs, academia, industry, and open‑source communities.

Compensation & benefits

  • Salary commensurate with experience and Virginia Tech policies; full‑time employees receive Virginia Tech university benefits.
  • Professional development via code workshops, international collaboration, community events, and other university resources.

Apply

Please email the following to scarola@vt.edu (Subject: ALPS Software Engineer – [Your Name]):

  1. 1) CV or résumé;
  2. 2) GitHub (or similar) profile;
  3. 3) 1–3 examples of relevant code contributions;
  4. 4) A short note on your experience with CI/CD, packaging, or HPC.

Learn more: ALPS website — https://alps.comp-phys.org/opportunities

EEO: Virginia Tech is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and encourages applications from women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities.