Transportation Software Technician

About

Zachary Piper Solutions is seeking a Transportation Software Technician to support a groundbreaking research and development program advancing automated, connected, and intelligent transportation technologies. The Transportation Software Technician supports engineering teams through hands‑on field work, equipment testing, data preparation, and lightweight software tasks that enable accurate modeling, simulation, and validation of advanced transportation systems in McLean, VA through 100% full onsite presence.

Responsibilities

• Support Civil Engineering Tasks: Assist engineers with planning, design, construction, and maintenance activities for transportation‑related systems and structures
• Conduct Field Data Collection: Perform traffic studies including volume counts, speed studies, signal effectiveness checks, lighting assessments, and other roadway performance measurements
• Test & Calibrate Equipment: Modify, develop, test, and calibrate sensors, ITS hardware, traffic counters, roadway devices, and related instrumentation under engineering guidance
• Run Tests & Gather Measurements: Execute test procedures, capture performance logs, record measurements, and support real‑world validation of transportation systems
• Prepare Technical Data & Documentation: Structure, clean, and prepare datasets, field notes, and evaluation findings for use in engineering analysis and modeling
• Support Technical Integration: Assist with basic scripting (Python), Linux‑based operations, data conversions, and interfacing with equipment diagnostics or system tools
• Collaborate with Engineering Teams: Work alongside transportation engineers, software developers, and physical scientists to support research, modeling, and system validation tasks

Qualifications

• Ability to collect, structure, and prepare technical data; experience with traffic/field data collection, test execution, and instrumentation handling
• Proficiency using Python in a Linux environment (C++ familiarity preferred) for basic scripting, data manipulation, and system support
• Hands‑on experience with equipment diagnostics, calibration, and troubleshooting—including ITS hardware/sensors, traffic counters, or signal‑related devices
• Familiarity with data interfaces (e.g., JSON ↔ XML), basic API interaction, and Git version control workflows
• Foundational understanding of robotics, autonomous systems, or ITS technologies, or willingness to learn in a research environment
• Must meet Public Trust requirements: U.S. Citizen or Green Card + 3 years recent U.S. residency
• Junior: 0–4 years (BS/BA or 4 yrs relevant experience)
• Mid‑Level: 4–8 years (BS+4 / MS+2 / PhD / 8 yrs equivalent)