ngVLA Assistant Scientist

Title: ngVLA Assistant Scientist Location: NRAO Albuquerque Office, 800 Bradbury Dr SE Ste 235, ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico, United States of America; NRAO Headquarters, 520 Edgemont Rd, CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia, United States of America Requisition Number: 198 Job Family: Astronomy Pay Type: Salary Required Education: SCI Position Summary The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) is a prestigious research and development organization that plays a vital role in the study of the universe. The Observatory is a hub for technological and scientific collaboration, operating state‑of‑the‑art radio telescope facilities for use by the international scientific community. We are currently designing the Next‑Generation VLA (ngVLA), a new facility which will offer an order‑of‑magnitude advance over the current VLA and VLBA with first light expected in the 2030s. At NRAO we are seeking an Assistant Scientist to join a rapidly growing team to support the ngVLA software design and development effort. The appointee will spend 75% of their time on functional work as part of the ngVLA Science Support Integrated Product Team (IPT), with the remaining 25% available for independent research. The primary responsibility for this position will be to help develop and maintain detailed software requirements for the ngVLA Computing and Software IPT and to support the development of calibration and operation processes and workflows. Responsibilities Supporting the development and prototyping of operations processes and workflows. Developing detailed system and subsystem requirements for ngVLA software, including but not limited to the calibration and imaging pipelines and their underlying functionality. Contributing to calibration strategies under development for ngVLA. Carrying out a program of independent astronomical research. Work Environment Work is mission driven, team oriented and typically performed in an office setting within a research or development environment. Qualifications You have a PhD in Astronomy, Astrophysics, Physics or a related field, and (preferably) at least 3 years of related experience after PhD. Previous experience in radio astronomy data reduction and analysis, software development, and/or commissioning is preferred. Competency Summary Established record of independent research. Research expertise in interferometric radio/millimeter/submillimeter astronomy. Demonstrated experience leading a team. Demonstrated proficiency working with a geographically distributed, multi-disciplinary team. Experience with standard radio astronomy data reduction software (e.g., CASA). Experience with observatory capability development and/or observatory operations. Highly organized, with attention to detail. Fluency in the English language. Excellent communication skills, including presentations and technical reports. Additional Requirement Observatory employees must be authorized to work in the United States. The Observatory presently cannot sponsor H‑1B Visas for this position. Total Rewards Compensation The typical starting salary for an Assistant Scientist starts at $85,000. Factors which may affect starting pay may include education, experience, skills, competencies, other qualifications of the successful candidate, as well as internal equity and labor market conditions. Benefits Excellent paid time off (13 holidays, annual accrual of up to 24 vacation days) Medical, dental and vision plans are effective on the first day of employment. AUI's retirement benefit contributes an amount equal to 10 percent of a qualified participant's base pay with no required employee contribution. Click Total Rewards for more information. Equal Opportunity Employer Statement AUI is an equal opportunity employer. To view our complete statement, please visit If you require reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, you may submit your request by sending an email to View email address on click.appcast.io. #J-18808-Ljbffr National Radio Astronomy Observatory