About this OSTP Software Developer role at Kitware
Earn your master's degree while building real-world open source software.
Kitware's Open Source Software Technology Program (OSTP) is a full-time position for talented and curious new Computer Science and Computer Engineering graduates, offering an opportunity to launch their careers while earning a master's degree in Computer Science.
You'll work on real-world open source software projects, develop your technical and leadership skills, and complete your graduate education - all while earning a competitive salary.
You'll gain experience developing innovative software with applications across areas such as computer vision, scientific computing, data and analytics, medical computing, and software solutions. Along the way, you'll learn not only how to build and maintain powerful open source platforms, but also how successful technical projects are led, funded, and sustained.
How it Works
OSTP Software Developers join Kitware as full-time, permanent employees from day one. The program is designed to combine professional software development experience with graduate study, with the master's degree typically completed over a three-year period.
Throughout that time, you'll work on-site at Kitware's Clifton Park, NY headquarters while completing your master's coursework. Your work schedule is designed with the demands of graduate study in mind, with flexibility during the academic year to balance your Kitware responsibilities and coursework. During the summer and other academic breaks, you'll have greater availability to focus on your work at Kitware.
Kitware covers 100% of educational expenses for your master's degree. By the time you complete your degree, you'll have also gained approximately three years of professional experience developing open source software. And because OSTP is a permanent position - not a three-year appointment - we hope earning your master's degree will be one milestone in a long-term career with Kitware.
What You'll Do
Work on a variety of real-world open source software projects.
Develop software with applications across computer vision, scientific computing, data and analytics, medical computing, and other technical areas.
Build a deep understanding of what it takes to create, maintain, and grow powerful open source software platforms.
Learn open source software development processes and best practices.
Develop technical and business knowledge that can prepare you for future leadership opportunities.
Learn the fundamentals of project leadership.
Gain exposure to how funding is acquired to support the development and growth of open source platforms.
Complete your master's degree in Computer Science while gaining professional software development experience.
What We're Looking For
Be completing a bachelor's degree in Computer Science or Computer Engineering in Spring 2027. December 2026 graduates will also be considered.
Have demonstrable programming experience through undergraduate projects, internships, or similar experience.
Have experience programming in both C++ and Python.
Have strong communication skills.
Be willing and able to meet the program's on-site work requirements in Clifton Park, NY.
Due to contractual requirements, this position requires U.S. citizenship and a willingness and ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance.
Employment visa sponsorship is not offered for this position.
Preferred Qualifications
Why Kitware?
Kitware is a research and development software company working to advance science, make a positive impact, and share our results. Our work contributes to areas including healthcare, national security, scientific discovery, and advanced computing, and our customers and collaborators include government organizations, national laboratories, leading universities, medical device manufacturers, technology companies, and other organizations around the world.
Open source software is central to how we work. For someone beginning a career in software development, that means an opportunity to learn by contributing to real software, working alongside experienced researchers and developers, and seeing how collaborative software projects grow from technical ideas into platforms used by others.
We're also 100% employee-owned through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). Eligible employees have the opportunity to share in the value they help create, giving our people a meaningful stake in Kitware's long-term success.
Our employees enjoy a collaborative work environment, flexibility in their assignments, significant independence, and the opportunity to take ownership of their work.
Benefits include:
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Six weeks of paid time off
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Flexible working hours
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Competitive compensation
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401(k)
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Health and life insurance
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Short- and long-term disability insurance
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Free coffee, drinks, and snacks
Living & Working in New York's Capital Region
The OSTP is offered exclusively at Kitware's Clifton Park, NY headquarters, putting you in the heart of New York's Capital Region.
This area offers the conveniences and culture of city living with a distinctly small-town feel. From Broadway shows and outdoor concerts to a strong local dining scene, there’s plenty to do without the pace of a larger metropolitan area.
What really sets the region apart is its access to the outdoors. With an abundance of parks, lakes, nature preserves, and trails, outdoor recreation is part of life year-round from hiking and boating in the warmer months to skiing and snowshoeing in the winter.
Kitware's Clifton Park headquarters includes collaborative gathering spaces, an oversized kitchen stocked with beverages and snacks, and an expansive outdoor patio.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Kitware actively subscribes to a policy of equal employment opportunity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, protected veteran status, uniformed service member status, or any other characteristics protected by applicable law.
If you need assistance with applying or interviewing for a role due to a disability or special need, please reach out directly to our HR team at [email protected] at any time during the hiring process.
