DIVISION: Solar Stellar and Planetary Sciences Division
LOCATION: Cambridge, MA
AREA OF CONSIDERATION: This position is open to all eligible candidates.
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Conditions of Employment
Pass Pre-employment Background Check and Subsequent Background Investigation, as required.
Complete a Probationary Period if applicable.
Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer.
The position is open to all candidates eligible to work in the United States. Proof of eligibility to work in U.S. is not required to apply.
Applicants must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.
Overview
INTRODUCTION
The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) is at the forefront, internationally, of the scientific exploration of the universe. SAO combines its resources with those of the Harvard College Observatory to form the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA). The CfA is the best-known astrophysics center in the world. Its programs range from ground-based astronomy and astrophysics research to space-based research, the engineering and development of major scientific instrumentation for space launch and use in large ground-based facilities, and research designed to improve science education. The research objectives of SAO are carried out primarily with the support of Government and Smithsonian Institution funds, with additional philanthropic support. Government funds are in the form of Federal appropriations or the form of contracts and grants from other agencies. In contrast, Institution funds are available to SAO through grants from the Institution's Restricted Funds, Special Purpose Funds, Bureau Activities, Business Activities, and non-Federal contracts and grants.
Summary
The Astronomer will participate in the processing of observational data submitted to the Minor Planet Center, and participate in research involving orbits, orbital elements, the orbit determination of minor planets and other activities related to the functioning of the Minor Planet Center.
This is a career ladder position with promotion potential to grade 12. If selection is made at the grade 11 level the selectee may be non-competitively promoted to the next higher level up to the grade 12 upon recommendation of the supervisor based on classification requirements, satisfactory performance, qualifications of the employee and recommendation of the Professional Accomplishments Evaluation Committee. First consideration may be made 14 days after the opening date.
Duties And Responsibilities
Grade 11
Function as part of a team in the processing of orbital elements and related information received by the Minor Planet Center. This includes checking data for both reliability and relevance, consulting with the contributors when appropriate.
Function as part of a team to use existing procedures for making more sophisticated identifications of newly reported objects with minor planets observed only very perfunctorily in the past, so that new objects can as a result be considered known and their orbits added to the main database.
Function as part of a team to design and develop modifications to current techniques for the determination of orbits from observations.
Function as part of a team to discover and correct errors in the MPC's orbital and observational databases.
Function as part of a team to apply new procedures for determining the orbits of minor planets.
Assist in the preparation of reports on activities by the Minor Planet Center and on related activities by the national and international community.
Assist in the preparation of papers on such analyses and related topics for publication in scientific journals and presentation at scientific meetings.
Grade 12
In addition to the duties for the grade 11, the grade 12 Astronomer will:
Lead efforts to design and develop modifications to current techniques for the determination of orbits from observations.
Lead efforts to discover and correct errors in the MPC's orbital and observational databases.
Lead efforts to apply new procedures for determining the orbits of minor planets.
Qualification Requirements
Basic Requirements:
Degree: in one or a combination of astronomy, physics, mathematics, space science, or electronics. The course work must have included differential and integral calculus and 12 semester hours in astronomy and/or physics.
OR
Combination of education and experience -- at least 30 semester hours of courses equivalent to a major in any combination of astronomy, space science, physics, mathematics, and electronics, with required course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
In addition to the basic requirements, candidates for the grade 11 must also possess one of the following:
Master's or equivalent graduate degree; or
Minimum of one year specialized experience equivalent to at least grade 9 in the normal line of progression for this occupation. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position such as (a) using orbit-fitting packages for the purpose of fitting orbits of moving solar system objects, or (b) writing sql queries to extract data from databases. or
Combination of successfully completed graduate level education and experience equivalent to the above.
Grade 12
Ph.D. degree or equivalent doctoral degree
or
A minimum of one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least grade 11 in the normal line of progression for this occupation. This experience includes experience in (a) using orbit-fitting packages for the purpose of fitting orbits of moving solar system objects, and (b) using databases to store and query astronomy data.
OR
A combination of successfully completed graduate level education and experience equivalent to the above
Applicants, who wish to qualify based on education completed outside the United States, must be deemed equivalent to higher education programs of U.S. Institutions by an organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. This documentation is the responsibility of the applicant and should be included as part of your application package.
Any false statement in your application may result in your application being rejected and may also result in termination after employment begins.
The Smithsonian Institution values and seeks a diverse workforce. Join us in "Inspiring Generations through Knowledge and Discovery."
Resume/CV should include a description of your paid and non-paid work experience that is related to this job; starting and ending dates of job (month and year); and average number of hours worked per week. College Transcript should be provided if using education for qualification.
What To Expect Next: Once the vacancy announcement closes, a review of your resume will be compared against the qualification and experience requirements related to this job. After review of applicant resumes is complete, qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager.
Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The Smithsonian Institution provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation should contact hr@cfa.harvard.edu. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. To learn more, please review the Smithsonian's Accommodation Procedures.
The Smithsonian Institution is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We believe that a workforce comprising a variety of educational, cultural, and experiential backgrounds support and enhance our daily work life and contribute to the richness of our exhibitions and programs. See Smithsonian EEO program information: www.si.edu/oeema.
The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity in our workplace. Please visit the SAO website at http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/
Seniority level
Not Applicable
Employment type
Full-time
Job function
Research, Analyst, and Information Technology
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