James Nielsen
Software Engineer
Monterey, CA
1.571.919.3284,
James@NielsenSoftware.com
Summary
More than twenty years of success of code-level development of defense and commercial software
systems. Highly motivated self-starter with vast knowledge, expert skills and extensive experience
in every phase of the Software Development life-cycle.
Experience
Software Engineer, Parsons Corporation, Colorado Springs, CO
09/2020, 5/2025
I lead a small team to design, code, test, deploy and support the Enterprise Data Distribution
System (EDDS) as part of the Missile Defense Agency’s (MDA) Enterprise Ground System
(MEGS) for Hyper-sonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor Satellites (HBTSS). Technologies:
NASA GMSEC API, C++ 17, Concurrence, Threading and multi-process scalability. Red Hat Linux
and Windows platforms, VS Code and Qt Creator IDEs, Python, scripting, Qt 5 and Boost libraries,
Agile, Quality Assurance (QA), Bitbucket, Git and Jira DevOps.
Software Engineer, Seagate Technology, Longmont, CO
07/2019, 06/2020
On contract converted Data Storage Manufacturing Multi Disk Writer Rack PC software from
Borland 5 C++, Delphi Pascal and VS C++ Windows desktop applications to Qt GCC C++ on the
Linux platform. Technologies: Linux, C++ Qt Library, Qt Creator, Borland and Visual Studio IDE's,
Agile, Git, Bitbucket and Jira DevOps.
Software Engineer, Northrop Grumman, Dulles, VA
08/2018, 07/2019
On contract developed satellite ground systems for the US Air Force Enterprise Ground Services
(EGS) Raptor project. Developed orbital method conversions and UI controls for orbital simulation
visualization. Updated an Astrodynamics C++ library python wrapper with a new orbital
conversion. Developed app that converts bit mapped star field images into SVG format for
scalable web browser display. Technologies: C, Qt C++, OOP, Python, Agile, Git, Bitbucket and
Jira DevOps.
Software Engineer, Leidos Inc., Gaithersburg, MD
10/2017, 05/2018
On contract developed applications for the SkyLine Air Traffic Management System. Technologies:
Qt C++ Widgets, OOP, Linux, Threading, Qt Model View, Qt Graphics View and QTest
Frameworks. Agile, Git, Bitbucket and Jira DevOps.
Software Engineer, Wickr Inc., Newark, NJ
11/2014,10/2015
On contract developed the intelligence gathering Wickr secure messaging system for desktop
Windows, Linux and MAC OS. Technologies: Qt C++, Model View, Threading, QProcess IPC,
OAuth, Squish Qt Test. Agile, Git, GitHub and Jira DevOps.
Software Engineer, International Biomedical, Austin, TX
10/2015,10/2016
On contract developed touch screen user interface UI controls for an infant warmer medical device
product. Technologies: C++, GTK+, OOP using C on Linux. Agile, Bitbucket DevOps.
Software Engineer, QRC Technologies, Gaithersburg, MD
12/2013, 8/2014
On contract developed graphical RF spectrum analysis tools for the Wide Band Transcorder (WBT)
intelligence gathering product. Technologies: Qt C++, Qt Plugins, Threading, digital signal
processing (DSP), ADC using Fast Fourier Transform (FFT).
Software Engineer, Wadsworth Controls, Arvada, CO
3/2013, 12/2013 (part-time)
On contract completed new product development of a greenhouse control system. Technologies:
C++ GUI, Qt Widgets, Modbus C API, Linux.
Software Engineer, Northrop Grumman Corp., Boulder, CO
3/2013, 12/2013
On contract developed Satellite Command and Control (C2) Display Systems for the USAF Space-
Based Infrared System (SBIRS). Technologies: C, C++, Unix, GUI, OpenGL, X Toolkit, Motif HMI,
Silicon Graphics, ClearQuest DevOps. US Secret Clearance.
Software Engineer, Covidien, Boulder, CO
1/2012, 3/2013
On contract completed touch screen graphical controls functionality for a new radio frequency (RF)
energy generator for medical device surgical cut and coagulate tools. Technologies: C++, Qt
Framework, Qt Embedded for MCUs, ADC, UART, Renesas e2 studio, Core DX DDS IPC. Agile,
Bitbucket, Jira DevOps.
Software Engineer, Defense Technologies Inc., Lexington Park, MD
7/2011, 12/2011
On contract extended autonomous flight controls capabilities of the Open Unmanned Mission
Interface (OpenUMI) Ground Control Station (GCS) and developed a STANAG 4586 Vehicle
Specific Module for the SwitchBlade submarine tube launched Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV).
Technologies: C, C++, Java Swing, Netbeans IDE, UDP, Windows, Linux.
Lead Software Engineer, Aptus Technologies Corp., Round Round, TX
11/2010, 07/2011
Lead a small team to the successful development of an artificial intelligent (AI) web based threat
analysis system, Threat Act Program (TAP). Technologies: C++, Java, Javascript, Spring MVC,
Bayesian Weight Algorithm, Tomcat Web Server, Flash AS3, PostgreSQL, Netbeans, Eclipse
IDE, Windows and Linux, Agile, Subversion DevOps.
Software Engineer, Trane Corp., Tyler, TX
5/2010, 1/2010
On contract Successfully completed assignment by developing an SD card based GUI interface
application for service updates of Trane's new Comfort Control System kernel. Technologies: ARM
embedded architecture, C, C++, GTK+, Linux.
Software Engineer, Fidelity Technologies Corp., Reading, PA
01/2010, 05/2010
On contract developed military training simulation systems. Developed a simulated AN/PRC-113
military UHF radio user interface (UI) with interactive controls that worked by push-to-talk over the
training IP network. Technologies: C++, C#, Visual Basic, Visual Studio Team Services (VSTS)
DevOps.
Software Engineer, Northrop Grumman Corp., Azusa, CA
3/2009, 10/2009
On contract developed Satellite Command and Control (C2) Display Systems for the USAF Space-
Based Infrared System (SBIRS). Technologies: C, C++, Unix, GUI, OpenGL, X Toolkit, Motif HMI,
Silicon Graphics, ClearQuest DevOps. US Secret Clearance.
Software Engineer, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., San Diego, CA
8/2008, 3/2009
On contract developed Predator UAV Ground Control Station user interface (HMI) systems.
Developed a Line-Of-Site (LOS) Ku Band pilot / payload configuration system and user interface
(UI) for the Predator UAV Ground Control System. Technologies: C, C++ STANAG 4586, UML, X
Motif C++ GUI, VxWorks, Solaris, Linux, PowerPC, Agile, Subversion (SVN) DevOps.
Software Engineer, AAI Corporation, Fort Hood, TX
11/2006, 08/2008
On contract developed Command and Control (C4I) ground systems for the US Army’s Shadow
Tactical Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) Ground Control Station(GCS). Technologies: Sun Solaris
UNIX, Java, Perl, XML, STANAG 4586, DOORS, Web Services, SOAP. Subversion (SVN)
DevOps. US Secret Clearance.
Software Engineer, General Dynamics, Fort Wayne, IN
1/2006, 11/2006
On contract developed US Army Rangers mobile and British Army COMBAT situational awareness
and mission planning (C4I) software. Technologies: Win32, COM, C++, MS Access, Sybase DB,
Synergy ClearCase DevOps.
Software Engineer, The Boeing Company., Huntington Beach, CA
1/2005, 1/2006
On contract designed US Army Future Combat Systems (FCS) systems. Developed C2 Information
Exchange Data Model (C2IEDM) schemas from logical through physical database design.
Technologies: Java Swing, Rational Rose UML object and data modeling. ERwin Logical / Physical
Data Modeling. Oracle 9i and PostgreSQL databases, Perl and VB scripts, XML, Metadata
Integration Model Bridge (MIMB), DOORS Requirements.
Solutions Consultant, Solutions Architects, Los Angeles, CA
1/2003, 1/2005
On Contract developed business requirements definition, design, development, implementation
and test. Re-engineering development services. Technologies: Document Imaging, Customer
Relationship Management (CRM), Content Management (ECM), Sarbanes Oxley Regulatory
Compliance, Network Management and Security. OOD, Web Services, REST, JavaScript, AJAX,
PHP, C, C++, X Windows GUI, .Net, C#, Data Modeling, Rational Rose UML, Oracle 9i.
Software Engineer, Qwest Communications International, Denver, CO
10/2000, 1/2003
On contract developed components of a large middleware framework for Qwest. Full life cycle
development, design through delivery. Developed a Telephone Number (TN) provisioning system.
Technologies: Rational Rose UML, CORBA IDL, C++ OOP, XML, HP Unix, Capability Maturity
Model Integration (CMMI) Level 4 DevOps.
Software Engineer, USA.NET Corporation, Colorado Springs, CO
1/1999, 10/2000
On contract developed Infranet customizations and adhoc reports for the USA.NET Finance
department. Developed customized financial reports without advance notice. Technologies: UNIX
AIX OS, Sun Solaris, C, C++, Java, Infranet API, Oracle 8.04 environment.
Software Engineer, MCI Communications Corp, Colorado Springs, CO
4/1996, 1/1999
On Contract developed International Community Information System (ICIS) telephone network
monitoring system. Technologies: C++, OOP, UNIX AIX OS, X Window, Motif GUI, XRT Graph and
Table Widgets, Versant Object Oriented Database, XRT Designer GUI builder.
Software Engineer, Unisys Corporation, O'Fallon, IL
11/1993, 4/1996
Developed US Air Force Multi-Level Secure (MLS) Global Decision Support System (GDSS)
Mission Planning Command and Control (C2) Systems. Technologies: C++, Ada, X Window
System, X Motif, EDI messaging, Banyan Vines LAN, VAX Secure VMS, Data General OS,
DECforms/IFDL.
Computer Programmer Analyst, Defense Commercial Communications Office, Scott AFB, IL
3/1992, 11/1993
As a US Civil Service employee I developed DoD acquisition financial and communications
software. Technical lead in the ground-up development of a UNIX-based bulletin board system.
Developed on-line interfaces and background processes for electronic commerce on the board.
Technologies: Sun Solaris OS UNIX; IBM 4381 MVS coding C, C++ and COBOL II; Vermont Views
C Library and Designer IDE; MMB UNIX-based Bulletin Board Software; SUPRA relational DB.
Computer Programmer Analyst, HQ Strategic Air Command, Offutt AFB, NE
1/1990, 3/1992
As a US Civil Service employee at HQ SAC now Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) I
developed Strategic Integrated Operational Plan (SIOP) nuclear war planning flight simulation
software. I designed and developed center of gravity calculating system for swept-wing bomber
aircraft and implemented a takeoff data analysis system. I re-engineered a large code base to
more “structured” programming techniques and a more modern version of COBOL. Technologies:
JCL, CLIST, IBM IDMS, FORTRAN, COBOL II, Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE)
tools, IBM 3090 TSO/ISPF MVS, IBM IDMS Database API, WinRunner regression test tools. US
Top Secret (SBI) Clearance.
Computer Programming Specialist, Air Force Global Weather Central, Offut AFB, NE
2/1987, 1/1990
As an active duty member of the US Air Force I enhanced and maintained USAF production
computer flight planning systems software. I developed a point display model stand alone system
using the AF Global Weather database. Contributed to the design and development of the
Advanced Computer Flight Planning (ACFP) system that optimized flights by route, elevation, fuel
and speed. Technologies: UNIX, FORTRAN, UNISYS OS ECL, Ingress Relational Database.
Education
Bachelor of Technology
07/1990 Peru State College, Peru, NE
Associate of Science Computer Science
6/1990 Community College of the Air Force, Maxwell AFB, AL
Associate of Science Communications
2/1992 Community College of the Air Force, Maxwell AFB, AL
Associate of Science Aircraft Maintenance
3/1988 Community College of the Air Force, Maxwell AFB, AL
