Category: Mission Operations

Assistant Survey Scientist for Near-Earth Object Surveyor Mission

Posted on
Current state: Approved
Department: Earth, Planetary & Space Sciences
City: Los Angeles
State/Province: CA
Category: , , ,
Country: USA
Contact Person: UCLA Campus Human Resources
Contact Email: [email protected]
Institution: UCLA
Application Due Date: Friday, July 31 2026
Web Link: https://jobs.ucla.edu/careers-home/jobs/10520

NASA’s Near-Earth Object (NEO) Surveyor is a planned mission (launch: September 2027) with a goal of finding, identifying, and characterizing potentially hazardous asteroids in our Solar System.  The Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences is an academic unit within the UCLA Division of Physical Sciences.  The NEO Surveyor Assistant Survey Scientist will be supported under UCLA’s contract with NASA.  The NEO Surveyor Assistant Survey Scientist will work with the Principal Investigator and Science Team in developing the NEO Surveyor survey plan, which determines where the Observatory points as a function of time. The Assistant Survey Scientist will participate in testing and verifying that the survey plan obeys survey rules defined by the Science Team. The Assistant Survey Scientist will also participate actively in studying the ability to link detections of small body candidates observed by NEO Surveyor to ensure that they result in the determination of high-quality orbits.  Qualifications for the position include: 1+ years research experience in planetary astrophysics, solar system bodies, exoplanets or related subarea(s); strong programming skills with 2+ years Python or equiv. language programming experience; ability to interpret copious amounts of complex technical information and data.  More information on the position, including qualifications, compensation range, benefits and how to apply are provided in the job website.

Application Developer – ROMAN

Posted on
Current state: Review
Department: IPAC
City: Pasadena
State/Province: CA
Category: ,
Country: United States
Contact Person: Caltech Recruitment
Contact Email: [email protected]
Institution: Caltech/IPAC
Application Due Date: Tuesday, December 09 2025
Web Link: https://phf.tbe.taleo.net/phf03/ats/careers/v2/viewRequisition?org=CALTECH&cws=37&rid=10694

IPAC, in the Physics, Math, and Astronomy Division at Caltech, provides science operations, user support, data and archive services, and scientific vision to enhance discovery with observatories both in space and on the ground. The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is a NASA observatory designed to address key questions in the areas of dark energy, exoplanets, and infrared astrophysics. It is slated for launch by May 2027. IPAC is inviting highly qualified individuals to apply for a full-time position as a Data Processing Pipeline Developer with the Roman team at IPAC. This position requires weekly on-site work.

Job Summary

As a Pipeline Developer, you will work with engineering and scientific team members on tasks to develop, operate, and test large, automated pipelines in a cloud environment that process images taken with the Wide-Field Instrument on the Roman Telescope. You will develop both prototype and production-quality automated software to work with high volumes of data for science operations. You will also help the team interpret and implement project requirements and detail and document the work that you’ve accomplished.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Astronomy, Physics, Math, or a related technical field.
• Two or more years’ experience developing software code using C and python.
• Ability to work in a team environment, including good written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience as a software developer in a cloud environment.
• Familiarity with software configuration management principles and tools, source code version control (e.g., Git/GitHub), and issue/bug tracking systems (e.g., Jira).
• Qualify as a United States (US) person as defined by ITAR regulations. A US person is a citizen of the United States, a lawful permanent resident alien of the US (“Green Card” holder), or an individual granted refugee or asylee status under US law.

Preferred Qualifications

Beyond these basic qualifications, there are a set of skills and experiences that will add to your ability to contribute to the roles and responsibilities. The following might give you a head start, but even if these do not describe you or your experience, we would still like to hear from you:

• Experience developing software for astronomical data analysis.
• Experience working with large data sets and databases.

Required Documents
• Full résumé.
• Short cover letter.
• Submit Application via Caltech Website.

We will begin reviewing applications as they are received, with full consideration given to those submitted by December 9. Depending on start date, an initial remote working arrangement may be considered for up to three months.

Life at IPAC

People choose to work at IPAC for many reasons, and the casual, employee-centric culture often leads to fulfilling, long-term careers and positive relationships. Caltech’s benefits program offers a quality, competitive benefits package that is affordable for you and the Institute. We also offer a 403(b) defined contribution plan to eligible staff as well as a Voluntary Retirement Savings (TDA) Plan. IPAC staff have access to the Institute’s facilities, including the athletic center, libraries, on-site daycare, professional development and enrichment classes, and Athenaeum club membership.

Hiring Range
$40.00 – $48.25 Per Hour
The salary of the finalist(s) selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, internal equity, experience, education, specialty and training.

As one of the largest employers in Pasadena, CA, Caltech is committed to providing comprehensive benefits to eligible employees and their eligible dependents. Our benefits package includes competitive compensation, health, dental, and vision insurance, retirement savings plans, generous paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick time, parental leave, bereavement, etc.), tuition reimbursement, and more. Non-benefit eligible employees will have access to some benefits such as onsite counseling and sick time. Learn more about our benefits and staff perks.

EEO Statement
We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Caltech is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor.
To read more Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) go to eeoc_self_print_poster.pdf.

Disability Accommodations
Caltech complies with the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). We consider reasonable accommodation measures that may be necessary for eligible applicants and employees to perform the essential functions of a position.
If you would like to request an accommodation to complete this application, interview, or otherwise participate in the employee selection process, please contact Caltech Recruiting at [email protected].
Additionally, if you do not meet the basic qualifications of a role but believe you can perform the essential functions of the job with reasonable accommodation, please reach out to Caltech Recruiting at [email protected].

Application Developer – RAPID

Posted on
Current state: Review
Department: IPAC
City: Pasadena
State/Province: CA
Category: ,
Country: United States
Contact Person: Caltech Recruitment
Contact Email: [email protected]
Institution: Caltech/IPAC
Application Due Date: Friday, December 12 2025
Web Link: https://phf.tbe.taleo.net/phf03/ats/careers/v2/viewRequisition?org=CALTECH&cws=37&rid=10691

Job Summary
IPAC at Caltech is looking for a developer for the RAPID pipeline team. As a part of the Physics, Math, and Astronomy Division at Caltech, IPAC (www.ipac.caltech.edu) provides science operations, user support, data and archive services, and scientific vision to maximize discovery with observatories both in space and on the ground. We are partners with NASA, NSF, JPL, and the international research community to advance exploration of our Universe. Over our three-decade history, we have provided a range of support for more than 20 astronomy missions, helping each to bring forth major advances in astrophysics and cosmology. As a member of our RAPID team, you will enable scientists to explore the dynamic sky—finding supernovae, other rare cataclysmic events, variable stars, asteroids, and all other manner of time-varying phenomena from our solar system to the edges of the Universe.

Where You Fit In
RAPID is a time-domain Project Infrastructure Team (PIT) for the upcoming NASA Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. The PIT is responsible for a low-latency pipeline to discover changes between observations, then alert astronomers for follow-up with other resources. The pipeline will run within AWS, automatically processing observations on receipt, all without a human in the loop. The PIT will also provide associated resources and services to the international community, such as historical light-curves of variable sources and an on-demand forced-photometry service. The developer will help write, validate, and tune the pipeline and services, working with scientists and engineers across several Roman teams.
Essential Job Duties
• Design project architecture and interfaces.
• Independently develop Python modules for specific tasks.
• Validate performance of delivered code.
• Integrate modules into pipeline scaffolding.
• Deploy, maintain, and tune the pipeline in AWS.
• Communicate regularly with the rest of the RAPID team.
• Support off-hours activities during operations as needed.
• Participate in continuing career education, with occasional opportunities to attend industry conferences and related training.
Basic Qualifications
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Astronomy, Physics, Math, or a related technical field.
• At least 5 years of production experience in Python code development and maintenance in a complex environment.
• Experience with SQL.
• At least 5 years of experience with Linux/Unix operating systems.
• Good written and interpersonal communication skills, with an emphasis on the ability to share ideas in a collaborative setting.
• Qualify as a US PERSON as defined by ITAR regulations — a US person is a citizen of the United States, a lawful permanent resident alien of the US (“Green Card” holder), or an individual granted refugee or asylee status under US law.
Preferred Qualifications
Beyond these basic qualifications, there are a set of skills and experiences which will add to your ability to contribute to the roles and responsibilities. The following might give you a head start, but even if these do not describe you or your experience, we would still like to hear from you:
• Production experience with AWS & Apache Kafka.
• Development of C code (or similar) where required for performance.
• Operation of multi-component pipelines, including batch systems, monitoring, logging, and dashboards.
• Experience in automating infrastructure and code deployment, such as Terraform and GitOps.
• Familiarity with astronomical image differencing.
Required Documents
• Resume
• Cover letter
• Submit application via Web Link provided.

Applications will be accepted via the Caltech website only until December 12, 2025. Preferred start date is January 2026. This is an onsite role based in Pasadena, California.
Life at IPAC
People choose to work at IPAC for many reasons, and the casual, employee-centric culture often leads to fulfilling, long-term careers and positive relationships. Caltech’s benefits program offers a quality, competitive benefits package that is affordable for you and the Institute. We also offer a 403(b) defined contribution plan to eligible staff as well as a Voluntary Retirement Savings (TDA) Plan. IPAC staff have access to the Institute’s facilities, including the athletic center, libraries, on-site daycare, professional development and enrichment classes, and Athenaeum club membership.

Hiring Range
$109,200 – $134,700 Per Year

The salary of the finalist(s) selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, internal equity, experience, education, specialty and training.

As one of the largest employers in Pasadena, CA, Caltech is committed to providing comprehensive benefits to eligible employees and their eligible dependents. Our benefits package includes competitive compensation, health, dental, and vision insurance, retirement savings plans, generous paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick time, parental leave, bereavement, etc.), tuition reimbursement, and more. Non-benefit eligible employees will have access to some benefits such as onsite counseling and sick time. Learn more about our benefits and staff perks.

EEO Statement
We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Caltech is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor.
To read more Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) go to eeoc_self_print_poster.pdf.
Disability Accommodations
Caltech complies with the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). We consider reasonable accommodation measures that may be necessary for eligible applicants and employees to perform the essential functions of a position.
If you would like to request an accommodation to complete this application, interview, or otherwise participate in the employee selection process, please contact Caltech Recruiting at [email protected].
Additionally, if you do not meet the basic qualifications of a role but believe you can perform the essential functions of the job with reasonable accommodation, please reach out to Caltech Recruiting at [email protected].

Staff Scientist (ROMAN – Microlensing)

Posted on
Current state: Approved
Department: IPAC
City: Pasadena
State/Province: CA
Category: , , , ,
Country: United States
Contact Person: Caltech Recruitment
Contact Email: [email protected]
Institution: Caltech/IPAC
Application Due Date: Wednesday, October 08 2025
Web Link: https://phf.tbe.taleo.net/phf03/ats/careers/v2/viewRequisition?org=CALTECH&cws=37&rid=10604

Job Summary
IPAC, in the Physics, Math, and Astronomy Division at Caltech, provides science operations, user support, data and archive services, and scientific vision to enhance discovery with observatories both in space and on the ground. IPAC invites applications to the science staff from highly qualified individuals for a full-time position to work with the Roman team at IPAC.
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is a NASA observatory designed to address key questions in the areas of dark energy, exoplanets and infrared astrophysics. It is slated for launch in 2026. The Roman Science Support Center (SSC) at IPAC is a part of the Roman Ground Data System, providing algorithm and software development and data processing for the Galactic Bulge Time Domain, High Latitude Wide Area and the High Latitude Time Domain surveys. In addition, the SSC will support the operations of the Coronagraph Instrument, manage the Roman general and guest investigator proposal solicitations, and provide community support for exoplanet and wide-field spectroscopy science with Roman.
For more details, see: https://roman.ipac.caltech.edu
Essential Job Duties
• As a scientist on the Roman Science Support Center team at IPAC, you will:
• Develop and test algorithms for processing data from the Galactic Bulge Time Domain survey.
• Analyze commissioning and on-sky data.
• Work with software developers to implement and test pipeline modules.
• Write documentation for the pipeline and for the user community.
• Participate in meetings (virtual and in-person) with the community and the Roman team.
• Conduct independent research.
Basic Qualifications
If you have the following in your background, then we want to hear about your interest in joining our team:
• PhD degree in astrophysics or a closely related field.
• Two years of post-PhD experience with astronomical data processing including at least one of the following: microlensing data processing and analysis, precision infrared photometry, time domain data analysis.
• Ability to work in a team environment, including good written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to collaborate with Roman partners distributed across many institutions.
Preferred Qualifications
These are a set of skills and experiences which will add to your ability to contribute to the roles and responsibilities of the position. The following attributes would make you a better fit for this position, but even if these do not describe you or your experience, we would still like to hear from you.
• Experience with exoplanet microlensing data analysis and interpretation.
• Experience in developing software for inclusion in automated pipelines.
• Experience with cloud computing or software.
Required Documents
• Full resume
• Cover letter
• List of three professional references
Applications will be considered starting Sept 29 with a deadline of Oct 8.
Preferred start is date is December 2025-January 2026. Depending on start date, an initial remote working arrangement may be considered for up to 3 months.

People choose to work at IPAC for many reasons, and the casual, employee-centric culture often leads to fulfilling, long-term careers and lasting relationships. Caltech’s benefits program offers a quality, competitive benefits package that is affordable for you and the Institute. The program provides a strong base of coverage for you and your dependents, and the ability to choose the plan and the level of coverage that best meet your needs. We also offer a 403(b) defined contribution plan to eligible staff as well as a Voluntary Retirement Savings (TDA) Plan. IPAC staff have access to the Institute’s facilities, including the athletic center, libraries, on-site daycare, professional development and enrichment classes, and Athenaeum club membership.
Hiring Range
$79,700 – $112,500 Per Year

The salary of the finalist(s) selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, internal equity, experience, education, specialty and training.

As one of the largest employers in Pasadena, CA, Caltech is committed to providing comprehensive benefits to eligible employees and their eligible dependents. Our benefits package includes competitive compensation, health, dental, and vision insurance, retirement savings plans, generous paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick time, parental leave, bereavement, etc.), tuition reimbursement, and more. Non-benefit eligible employees will have access to some benefits such as onsite counseling and sick time. Learn more about our benefits and staff perks.

EEO Statement
We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Caltech is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor.
To read more Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) go to eeoc_self_print_poster.pdf.

Disability Accommodations
Caltech complies with the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). We consider reasonable accommodation measures that may be necessary for eligible applicants and employees to perform the essential functions of a position.
If you would like to request an accommodation to complete this application, interview, or otherwise participate in the employee selection process, please contact Caltech Recruiting at [email protected].
Additionally, if you do not meet the basic qualifications of a role but believe you can perform the essential functions of the job with reasonable accommodation, please reach out to Caltech Recruiting at [email protected].

Staff Scientist (ROMAN)

Posted on
Current state: Approved
Department: IPAC
City: Pasadena
State/Province: CA
Category: , , , ,
Country: United States
Contact Person: Caltech Recruitment
Contact Email: [email protected]
Institution: Caltech/IPAC
Application Due Date: Wednesday, October 08 2025
Web Link: https://phf.tbe.taleo.net/phf03/ats/careers/v2/viewRequisition?org=CALTECH&cws=37&rid=10603

Job Summary
IPAC, part of the Physics, Math, and Astronomy Division at Caltech, provides science operations, user support, data and archive services, and scientific vision to enhance discovery with observatories both in space and on the ground. IPAC invites applications to the science staff from highly qualified individuals for a full-time position to work on a spectroscopic science pipeline on the wide-field instrument with the Roman team at IPAC.
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is a NASA observatory designed to address key questions in the areas of dark energy, exoplanets, and infrared astrophysics. It is slated for launch in late 2026. The Roman Science Support Center (SSC) at IPAC is a part of the Roman Ground Data System, providing algorithm and software development for spectroscopic and Galactic Bulge Time Domain Survey data processing. In addition, the SSC will support the operations of the Coronagraph Instrument, manage the Roman guest investigator proposal solicitations, and provide community support for exoplanet and wide-field spectroscopy science with Roman.
For more details, see: https://roman.ipac.caltech.edu
Essential Job Duties
As a scientist on the Roman Science Support Center team at IPAC, you will:
• Develop and test algorithms for extracting near-infrared, slitless spectroscopy taken with the wide-field instrument and the measurement and classification of galaxy spectra.
• Participate in the planning and implementation of observatory and science calibration and commissioning of Wide Field spectroscopy with Roman.
• Work with software developers to implement and test pipeline modules.
• Write pipeline documentation and support the user community.
• Participate in meetings (virtual and in-person) with the wider Roman team.
• Conduct independent research.
Basic Qualifications
If you have the following in your background, then we want to hear about your interest in joining our team:
• PhD degree in astrophysics or a closely related field.
• 2 years post-PhD experience with data processing and calibration of infrared and/or optical spectra from space observatories.
• Ability to work in a team environment.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Qualify as a US PERSON as defined by ITAR regulations – A US person is a citizen of the United States, a lawful permanent resident alien of the US (“Green Card” holder), or an individual granted refugee or asylee status under US law.
Preferred Qualifications
Beyond these basic qualifications, there are a set of skills and experiences which will add to your ability to contribute to the roles and responsibilities of this position. Any of the following might give you a head start here, but even if these do not describe you or your experience, we would still like to hear from you.
• Reduction and analysis of slitless spectra, including spectral feature identification, decontamination and measurement.
• Experience in developing and testing software for inclusion in automated pipelines.
Required Documents
• Full resume
• Cover letter
• List of three professional references

Applications will be accepted until October 8, 2025. Preferred start date is December 2025 or earlier. Depending on start date, an initial remote working arrangement may be considered for up to three months.
People choose to work at IPAC for many reasons, and the casual, employee-centric culture often leads to fulfilling, long-term careers and lasting relationships. Caltech’s benefits program offers a quality, competitive benefits package that is affordable for you and the Institute. The program provides a strong base of coverage for you and your dependents, and the ability to choose the plan and the level of coverage that best meet your needs. We also offer a 403(b) defined contribution plan to eligible staff as well as a Voluntary Retirement Savings (TDA) Plan. IPAC staff have access to the Institute’s facilities, including the athletic center, libraries, on-site daycare, professional development and enrichment classes, and Athenaeum club membership.
Hiring Range
$79,700 – $112,500 Per Year

The salary of the finalist(s) selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, internal equity, experience, education, specialty and training.

As one of the largest employers in Pasadena, CA, Caltech is committed to providing comprehensive benefits to eligible employees and their eligible dependents. Our benefits package includes competitive compensation, health, dental, and vision insurance, retirement savings plans, generous paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick time, parental leave, bereavement, etc.), tuition reimbursement, and more. Non-benefit eligible employees will have access to some benefits such as onsite counseling and sick time. Learn more about our benefits and staff perks.

EEO Statement
We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Caltech is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor.
To read more Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) go to eeoc_self_print_poster.pdf.

Disability Accommodations
Caltech complies with the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). We consider reasonable accommodation measures that may be necessary for eligible applicants and employees to perform the essential functions of a position.
If you would like to request an accommodation to complete this application, interview, or otherwise participate in the employee selection process, please contact Caltech Recruiting at [email protected].
Additionally, if you do not meet the basic qualifications of a role but believe you can perform the essential functions of the job with reasonable accommodation, please reach out to Caltech Recruiting at [email protected].

NEO Surveyor Lead Scientist

Posted on
Current state: Approved
Department: IPAC
City: Pasadena
State/Province: CA
Category: , , ,
Country: United States
Contact Person: Caltech Recruitment
Contact Email: [email protected]
Institution: Caltech/IPAC
Application Due Date: Friday, April 11 2025
Web Link: https://phf.tbe.taleo.net/phf03/ats/careers/v2/viewRequisition?org=CALTECH&cws=37&rid=10285

Job Summary

IPAC at Caltech invites applications for the Lead Scientist of the team that is developing the Survey Data System for NASA’s Near-Earth Object (NEO) Surveyor mission. As Lead Scientist you will work closely with the IPAC/NEOS Task Lead and System Architect to guide the overall development, test, and operation of the NEO Surveyor Survey Data Systems (NSDS) at IPAC.

IPAC is part of the Physics, Math, and Astronomy Division at Caltech. We are a dedicated team of scientists, engineers, and administrative personnel who provide science operations, user support, data and archive services, and scientific vision to maximize discovery with observatories both in space and on the ground. NEO Surveyor is a NASA Planetary Defense mission, scheduled to launch in 2027, that is optimized to detect, track, and characterize solar system small bodies that pose a potential risk to the Earth. NEO Surveyor consists of a passively cooled 50 cm telescope located at Sun-Earth L1 equipped with a wide-field camera that will image the sky simultaneously in two mid-infrared bands. NEO Surveyor will detect approximately 100,000 Main Belt asteroids, NEOs, and comets each day against a background of tens of millions of distant stars and galaxies.

IPAC is building the NEOS Survey Data System (NSDS) that ingests imaging and engineering data from the flight system, processes those data into calibrated image and source detection products, performs automated searches for moving solar system objects, assesses the quality of the survey data, and distributes data products to NASA archives and the user community.

Essential Job Duties

IPAC uses an integrated team approach to its tasks including a leadership model where the Lead Scientist and Task Lead partner in guiding the team to achieve task objectives. As Lead Scientist you will be responsible for the following:

Ensuring that the NSDS design and implementation, including operations, meets all functional and performance requirements for the NEO Surveyor project to achieve its objectives.
Ensuring that the data products delivered by the NSDS are of sufficient accuracy and quality to support the needs of the NEO Surveyor objectives, and sufficiently well documented to meet the needs of the community.
Reporting project status to IPAC Management and presenting at internal reviews.
Reporting progress and status for the NSDS development and operations to the NEOS Project Office at JPL and presenting at project reviews.
Serving as liaison with the NEOS PI, Project Scientist, and Science Team and participating in Science Team meetings
Representing the NSDS on the NEOS Project Risk Management Board
Working on a continuing basis with the NSDS Task Lead and Lead Architect to assess NSDS progress, to confirm alignment with science requirements, to identify challenges and mitigations, and to involve IPAC Management in the discussion as needed.
Overseeing the work of NSDS scientists, in particular V&V, QA and Archive scientists, to ensure the NSDS requirements are adequately verified, data products are of sufficient quality, and the products are delivered to and released to the community by the respective archives.
Supervising IPAC scientists working on NEOS, providing coaching, mentoring, advocacy, and annual reviews.
The IPAC/NEO Surveyor Lead Scientist is expected to be an active participant in the general activities of the IPAC Staff, and to conduct a research program, ideally making use of data from the NEO Surveyor mission.

Basic Qualifications

PhD with at least 8 years of experience in planetary science, astrophysics, or a closely related technical field.
Experience planning, operating, and analyzing data from large scale surveys for asteroids and Near Earth Objects.
Experience leading, coaching, and motivating a technical team pursuing scientific objectives.
Experience using project management tools such as spreadsheets, scheduling, and issue tracking software.
Ability to work in a team environment, including good written and verbal communication skills.
Applicants for this position must be a United States (US) person as defined by ITAR regulations – A US person is a citizen of the United States, a lawful permanent resident alien of the US (“Green Card” holder), or an individual granted refugee and asylum status under US law.
Preferred Qualifications

Besides these basic qualifications, there are a set of skills and experience that will enhance your contributions to this role. The following might give you a head start, but even if these don’t describe you or your experience, we would still like to hear from you.

Experience working on large planetary science, astronomical, or NASA projects.
Experience with oversight of software systems or system engineering, including analysis of budgets and task plans.
Required Documents

Cover Letter.
Resume.
Names and Contact information of 3 professional references.
Submit Application via Caltech Website link provided

The application deadline for this position is April 11, 2025.

People choose to work at IPAC for many reasons, and the casual, employee-centric culture often leads to fulfilling, long-term careers and lasting professional relationships. Caltech’s benefits program offers a quality, competitive benefits package that is affordable for you and the Institute. The program provides a strong base of coverage for you and your dependents, and the ability to choose the plan and the level of coverage that best meet your needs. We also offer a 403(b) defined contribution plan to eligible staff as well as a Voluntary Retirement Savings (TDA) Plan. IPAC staff have access to the Institute’s facilities, including the athletic center, libraries, on-site daycare, professional development and enrichment classes, and Athenaeum club membership.

Hiring Range
$155,000 – $202,500 Per Year

The salary of the finalist(s) selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, internal equity, experience, education, specialty and training.

As one of the largest employers in Pasadena, CA, Caltech is committed to providing comprehensive benefits to eligible employees and their eligible dependents. Our benefits package includes competitive compensation, health, dental, and vision insurance, retirement savings plans, generous paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick time, parental leave, bereavement, etc.), tuition reimbursement, and more. Non-benefit eligible employees will have access to some benefits such as onsite counseling and sick time. Learn more about our benefits and staff perks.

EEO Statement
We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Caltech is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor.

To read more Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) go to eeoc_self_print_poster.pdf.

Disability Accommodations
If you would like to request an accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please direct your inquiries to Caltech Recruiting at [email protected].

NEO Surveyor Survey Scientist / Aerospace Engr 3

Posted on
Current state: Approved
Department: Earth, Planetary & Space Sciences
City: Los Angeles
State/Province: CALIFORNIA
Category: , ,
Country: United States
Contact Person: Vanand Larians
Contact Email: [email protected]
Institution: UCLA
Application Due Date: Saturday, March 29 2025
Web Link: https://jobs.ucla.edu/jobs/6856

NASA’s Near-Earth Object (NEO) Surveyor is a planned mission (launch: September 2027) with a goal of finding, identifying, and characterizing potentially hazardous asteroids in our Solar System. The Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences is an academic unit within the UCLA Division of Physical Sciences.
The NEO Surveyor survey scientist’s high-level responsibilities include:
• Assist the Principal Investigator and Science Team in developing the NEO Surveyor survey plan, which determines where the Observatory points as a function of time.
• Interface with the NEO Surveyor Science Data System (NSDS) archive to access NEO Surveyor image and catalog data, and work with the NSDS team to maximize the ability to link individual NEO Surveyor detections of small body candidates.
• Interface with the NEO Surveyor mission system team at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and the University of Colorado’s Laboratory for Astrophysics and Space Physics (LASP), and ensure that the teams at JPL and LASP produce uplink sequences that match the desired survey plan.
• Interface with the Minor Planet Center to ensure that the survey plan produces the best possible orbits for small body candidates detected by NEO Surveyor.

Software Developer for NASA’s Near-Earth Object Surveyor mission

Posted on
Current state: Approved
Department: IPAC
City: Pasadena
State/Province: CA
Category: , ,
Country: United States
Contact Person: Caltech Recruitment
Contact Email: [email protected]
Institution: Caltech/IPAC
Application Due Date: Monday, January 06 2025
Web Link: https://phf.tbe.taleo.net/phf03/ats/careers/v2/viewRequisition?org=CALTECH&cws=37&rid=10114

Job Summary

IPAC at Caltech invites applications for a Software Developer to join the team that is developing the Survey Data System for NASA’s Near-Earth Object (NEO) Surveyor mission. As a Software Developer, you will build and maintain the software that will prepare, reformat, and package the NEO Surveyor Survey Data Systems (NSDS) data products for routine ingestion into the NASA/IPAC Infrared Science Archive (IRSA).

IPAC, part of the Physics, Math, and Astronomy Division at Caltech, is a dedicated team of scientists, engineers, and administrative personnel who provide science operations, user support, data and archive services, and scientific vision to maximize discovery with observatories both in space and on the ground. NEO Surveyor is a NASA Planetary Defense mission, scheduled to launch in 2027, that is optimized to detect, track, and characterize solar system small bodies that pose a potential risk to the Earth. NEO Surveyor consists of a passively cooled 50 cm telescope located at Sun-Earth L1 equipped with a wide-field camera that will image the sky simultaneously in two mid-infrared bands. NEO Surveyor will detect approximately 100,000 Main Belt asteroids, NEOs, and comets each day against a background of tens of millions of distant stars and galaxies.

IPAC is building the NSDS that ingests imaging and engineering data from the flight system, processes those data into calibrated image and source detection products, performs automated searches for moving solar system objects, assesses the quality of the survey data, and distributes data products to NASA archives and the user community. The NSDS operations system generates image data with accompanying metadata and quality metrics and lists of extracted sources from those images.

Essential Job Duties

As Software Developer, you will work with the NSDS Archive Scientist, NSDS Lead System Architect, and IRSA Team to:

• Develop software to identify and collect data product files from the NSDS operations filesystem and prepare them for copying to the archive.
• Develop software to parse lists of extracted source measurements generated from the NSDS image data and reformat these into database-load files to facilitate ingestion into the archive’s relational databases.
• Develop scripts to query the NSDS Operations Databases for metadata and quality metrics accompanying the file products and reformat this information into archive-database-load files.
• Perform integrity checks to verify data accountability, correctness, content, and formatting following archive-ingestion.
• Write and maintain documentation on procedures and recipes for executing and maintaining all archive product preparation tools.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent combination of education and experience) in Information Technology, Software Applications Development, Physical and/or Mathematical Sciences, or related discipline.
• At least 3 years of relevant work experience in developing software.
• Experience with scripting and programming languages.
• Ability to write and maintain documentation for executing and managing software.

Preferred Qualifications

Besides these basic qualifications, there are a set of skills and experience that will enhance your contributions to this role. The following might give you a head start, but even if these don’t describe you or your experience, we would still like to hear from you.
• Experience querying relational databases using SQL or some variant thereof.
• Experience managing extremely large datasets.
• Experience with data-integrity checking tools and hashing algorithms, for example, generating and verifying checksums.
• Scientific programming skills, preferably pertaining to physics and/or astronomy.

Required Documents

• Cover Letter
• Resume
• Names and Contact information of 3 professional references
• Application Deadline: January 6, 2025.

People choose to work at IPAC for many reasons, and the casual, employee-centric culture often leads to fulfilling, long-term careers and lasting professional relationships. Caltech’s benefits program offers a quality, competitive benefits package that is affordable for you and the Institute. The program provides a strong base of coverage for you and your dependents, and the ability to choose the plan and the level of coverage that best meet your needs. We also offer a 403(b) defined contribution plan to eligible staff as well as a Voluntary Retirement Savings (TDA) Plan. IPAC staff have access to the Institute’s facilities, including the athletic center, libraries, on-site daycare, professional development and enrichment classes, and Athenaeum club membership.

Hiring Range

$39.50 – $48.00 Per Hour

The salary of the finalist(s) selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, internal equity, experience, education, specialty and training.

As one of the largest employers in Pasadena, CA, Caltech is committed to providing comprehensive benefits to eligible employees and their eligible dependents. Our benefits package includes competitive compensation, health, dental, and vision insurance, retirement savings plans, generous paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick time, parental leave, bereavement, etc.), tuition reimbursement, and more. Non-benefit eligible employees will have access to some benefits such as onsite counseling and sick time. Learn more about our benefits (https://hr.caltech.edu/departments/total-rewards/benefits) and staff perks (https://hr.caltech.edu/careers/caltech-perks).

EEO Statement

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Caltech is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor.
To read more Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) go to:
https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/eeopost.pdf

Disability Accommodations

If you would like to request an accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please direct your inquiries to Caltech Recruiting at [email protected].

Quality Assurance Scientist

Posted on
Current state: Approved
Department: IPAC
City: Pasadena
State/Province: CA
Category: , , ,
Country: United States of America
Contact Person: Caltech Recruitment
Contact Email: [email protected]
Institution: Caltech/IPAC
Application Due Date: Monday, January 06 2025
Web Link: https://phf.tbe.taleo.net/phf03/ats/careers/v2/viewRequisition?org=CALTECH&cws=37&rid=10102

Job Summary

IPAC at the California Institute of Technology invites applications for one or more Quality Assurance Scientists to work on the Near-Earth Object Surveyor (NEOS) program. NEOS is a NASA Planetary Defense mission, scheduled for launch in late 2027, that will detect, track, and characterize solar system small bodies that pose a hazard to the Earth. The NEOS observatory consists of a passively cooled 50 cm telescope located near Sun-Earth L1 equipped with a wide-field camera that will image the sky simultaneously in two mid-infrared bands. NEOS will detect approximately 200,000 Main Belt Asteroids, NEOs, and comets each day against a background of hundreds of millions of distant stars and galaxies.

IPAC is developing and will operate the NEOS Survey Data System (NSDS) that ingests raw data from the flight system, processes those data into calibrated images and source detections, performs automated searches for moving solar system objects, assesses the quality of the survey data, and distributes data products to NASA archives and the user community. The NSDS QA Scientists will be part of the Team who are the final arbiters for the daily NEOS data processing, and who vet the NEOS data products prior to their release to the user community.

Essential Job Duties

As a Quality Assurance Scientist, you will report to the NSDS Lead Scientist and Lead Quality Assurance Scientist. Your duties will include:
• Prior to the launch of NEOS, you will assist with development and testing of the NSDS systems that produce automated quality reports from data processing and longer-term trending, and support performance testing of elements of the NSDS such as photometry, astrometry, automated detection classification, and moving object tracklet generation.
• During NEOS survey operations, you will review the automated NSDS data quality summaries that track data through each stage of the processing, review the list of automatically detected moving solar system object tracklets prior to their delivery to the IAU Minor Planet Center, and monitor long-term trending checks of data quality metrics.
• In preparation for the release of NEOS data products to the user community, you will assist with characterizing and documenting products for the NEOS data user guide.
• You will also contribute specialized analysis tools for off-line checks, such as those to be done during NEO Surveyor’s Science Verification phase just after launch.

The Quality Assurance Scientists are expected to be active participants in the general activities of the IPAC Staff, and to conduct a research program that ideally makes use of data from the NEO Surveyor mission.

Basic Qualifications
• PhD or an equivalent degree in Planetary Science, Astronomy, or a related technical field.
• 3 years of experience in the analysis and interpretation of astronomical imaging data.
• Knowledge of scientific programming and scripting for analyzing astronomical data sets.
• Good communication skills, which will be needed to liaise with other members of the NEOS science data quality assurance team.
• The ability to write and maintain documents that describe the results of analyses of data attributes and quality.

Preferred Qualifications

Besides these basic qualifications, there are a set of skills and experience that will enhance your contributions as the NEOS Quality Assurance Scientist. The following might give you a head start, but even if these don’t describe you or your experience, we would still like to hear from you.
• Experience analyzing data from modern infrared array detectors, preferably from space-based telescopes.
• Experience conducting statistical analyses of large astronomical data sets.
• Plans for an active research program that ideally makes use of data from the NEOS mission.

Required Documents
• Cover Letter
• Curriculum Vitae
• Names and Contact information of 3 references
• Submit Application via Caltech Website.
• Applications deadline: January 6, 2025.

IPAC, part of the Physics, Math, and Astronomy Division at Caltech (www.caltech.edu), partners with NASA, NSF, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL, operated for NASA by Caltech), and the world-wide research community to advance exploration of our universe. IPAC provides science operations, user support, data and archive services, and scientific vision to maximize discovery with observatories both in space and on the ground. Scientists at IPAC have access to Palomar Observatory and other research facilities.

Hiring Range
$71,000 – $105,500 Per Year

The salary of the finalist(s) selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, internal equity, experience, education, specialty and training.

As one of the largest employers in Pasadena, CA, Caltech is committed to providing comprehensive benefits to eligible employees and their eligible dependents. Our benefits package includes competitive compensation, health, dental, and vision insurance, retirement savings plans, generous paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick time, parental leave, bereavement, etc.), tuition reimbursement, and more. Non-benefit eligible employees will have access to some benefits such as onsite counseling and sick time. Learn more about our benefits and staff perks.

EEO Statement
We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Caltech is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor.

To read more Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) go to eeoc_self_print_poster.pdf.

Disability Accommodations

If you would like to request an accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please direct your inquiries to Caltech Recruiting at [email protected].