Software Engineer

At Relative Dynamics we value knowledge as a process rather than knowledge as an answer. Founded in 2011 our goal is to define the new space era by continuously pushing the boundaries of engineering models services and technology development. Visit us at


Relative Dynamics is a subcontractor supporting USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center. In this role, you will be employed by Relative Dynamics and assigned to work on projects in support of USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center.


Relative Dynamics is seeking a junior- to mid-level Software Engineer to support advanced software development efforts in partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) at the Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center in Sioux Falls, SD. This is a full time, onsite position, requiring regular in person collaboration with team members, scientists, and mission partners. This role is not eligible for remote work.


In this role, you will contribute to meaningful, mission-critical Earth science initiatives, collaborate with experienced engineers and scientists who value innovation, apply and expand your expertise in modern software development practices, and work within a team culture that values technical excellence, curiosity, and continuous improvement.


What You'll Get to Do:

• Design, implement, and maintain software components within complex systems
• Lead or significantly contribute to software planning, including requirements refinement, task estimation, and design reviews
• Perform and document both preliminary and detailed designs for software modules
• Implement software solutions from established design artifacts
• Develop, execute, and document unit tests, integration tests, and system-level tests
• Prepare test plans, test procedures, and formal test reports
• Manage and analyze configuration change requests following Configuration Management (CM) processes
• Participate in and occasionally facilitate technical reviews for documents and code
• Collaborate closely with Systems Engineers, Software Engineers, and cross-functional project teams to ensure cohesive, high-quality solutions
• Independently execute engineering tasks
• Mentor junior staff where applicable
• Contribute to the full life cycle of software development

What You'll Need:

Required Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Typically 5 years of professional experience in software engineering
• Experience with systems involving data ingest, image processing, satellite ground systems, or cloud computing is highly beneficial
• Experience supporting distributed or cloud-native architectures is strongly preferred
• Three years of continuous residency in the U.S. for issuance of a Government Security credential
• Ability to obtain and maintain a national agency check and background investigation for facility access

Required Skills

• Excellent interpersonal, organizational, and communication skills
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a highly skilled technical team
• Solid understanding of the Software Development Life Cycle
• Proficiency in Python and C/C++
• Experience interfacing with database systems
• Relational database experience
• Unix/Linux expertise
• Experience with change management tools such as Git

Desired Skills

• Postgres experience
• Perl
• Java
• Experience with remote sensing, digital image/signal processing techniques, and basic geography concepts such as map projections
• AWS Cloud Services (S3, EC2, EKS, ECR, Lambda)
• CI/CD pipelines
• Infrastructure as Code
• Artificial Intelligence for software code generation and documentation

What You Won't Do:

• Feel stuck as we offer great opportunities to advance and learn
• Feel like a number as we're a close-knit bunch and always have each other's backs

Who You Are:

• A self-starter who thrives in a fast-paced environment
• A quick learner who is always ready to gain depth of knowledge
• A reliable worker who knows the importance of showing up when it counts
• Accept assignments with open cooperative positive and team-oriented attitudes
• Able to plan and execute plans across teams
• Effective communicator both written and verbal
• Competitive wage and benefits package
• Medical, dental, vision and life/disability insurance
• Vacation and paid holidays
• Tuition reimbursement
• Great 401k with company match
• Employee referral program
• Community involvement investing and giving back to the community

Relative Dynamics conducts a comprehensive background check that includes drug testing. We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability status.