Senior Research Technician

Position Description

Senior Research Technician

Job Category
Fulltime Term

ExemptOvertimeEligible
Overtime Eligible

Benefits Eligible
Benefit Based

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Caltech is a world-renowned science and engineering institute that marshals some of the world's brightest minds and most innovative tools to address fundamental scientific questions. We thrive on finding and cultivating talented people who are passionate about what they do. Join us and be a part of the diverse Caltech community.

Job Summary

IPAC at Caltech has an opening for two Research Technician positions to support the Euclid mission for a one-year term.

IPAC, part of the Physics, Math, and Astronomy Division at Caltech (www.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.

Euclid: Euclid is a European Space Agency (ESA) mission to study the geometry and nature of the dark Universe, which launched in July 2023. NASA has established the Euclid NASA Science Center at IPAC (ENSCI) in order to support US-based investigations using Euclid data. ENSCI participates in the Euclid Consortium’s Science Ground Segment, providing algorithm and software development, participating in data quality assurance, and performing data processing. In addition, ENSCI supports the US research community by providing expert insight into the Euclid surveys, data processing, calibration, and products. For more details, see http://euclid.caltech.edu.

Essential Job Duties

As a term member of ENSCI, your specific tasks would include: (1) validating spectroscopic data products produced by development versions of the pipeline; (2) working with ENSCI staff on python notebooks to provide tutorials for using Euclid images and spectra, potentially including forced-photometry on images; (3) working with ENSCI to support the US-based research community in using Euclid data by investigating and solving problems identified by users of the data; (4) writing documentation for the user community; and (5) supporting workshops (in person or online) on the use of Euclid data.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Astronomy, Physics, or a related field
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant research or technical experience (or equivalent combination of education and experience)
• Experience working in collaborative or distributed research environments

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 an IPAC research technician working with Euclid:

• PhD in Astronomy, Physics, or a related field
• 2+ years of research experience post-PhD in astronomy or astrophysics
• Familiarity with Euclid and its science
• Expertise with slitless grism spectroscopy
• Experience with measuring photometry using NIR space-based observations
• Proficiency with python, including the use of python notebooks

Required Documents

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• Names of three professional references

Hiring Range

$29.75 - $37.25 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.