GS-13 Astronomer, Advanced Technologies Development

The United States Naval Observatory (USNO) will accept resumes to fill a vacancy for an Astronomer under the Direct Hire Authority for Certain Personnel of the Department of Defense.

Resumes/CVs and transcripts should be submitted by email to [email protected] and reference Flyer #24-010 in the Subject Line of the email. Unofficial versions of transcripts are acceptable provided they list all coursework, credit hours completed, and the student’s name. Cover letters are not required, but are encouraged. Highly qualified applicants will be contacted via email to schedule a job interview.

Successful candidates will be employed by the U. S. Naval Observatory (USNO) stationed at Washington, DC. USNO provides to the Navy, the Department of Defense (DoD), other federal agencies, and to the civil sector precise time, Earth orientation parameters, the positions and motions of celestial bodies, and related astronomical information. These positions are in support of USNO’s Celestial Reference Frame (CRF) Department and USNO’s Precise Time and Astrometry (PTA) mission. Applicants will work in the Advanced Technology Development Division of CRF, which concentrates on the development of instrumentation and software to support the Navy's astronomical mission objectives. The positions will have a concentration in the areas of orbital mechanics and orbital tracking data; and the development, use, and support of visible/infrared astronomical instrumentation and techniques (including astrometry, photometry, and spectroscopy).

Highly qualified candidates will demonstrate a strong ability to perform the following required tasks:

• Leadership in the development of new astronomical hardware, software, and observation techniques:
• Hands-on responsibilities for operating, developing, testing, and supporting astronomical instrumentation.
• Design & development of telescope data processing pipelines, system models and simulation of instrumentation using program languages such as Python
• Collaborate within a group with established development techniques for code and task tracking.
• Research and development in fields related to the USNO CRF mission area including automated telescope network development and tasking, satellite tracking, near Earth objects, stars, stellar remnants, galaxies, and distant objects such as quasars.
• Communicating scientific and technical material in both verbal and written formats to a wide range of audiences, from experts in astronomy to government and international partners.
• Mentorship of junior staff
• Subject matter expertise in orbit determination and propagation a strong plus.

Appointments to Federal positions will be made at the GS-12 and GS-13 level, with full performance at the GS-13 level, with initial placement commensurate with the applicant’s education and experience.

Starting salaries are commensurate with education and experience, plus full benefits. Applicants must be U.S. citizens. Males born after December 31, 1959 are required to be registered with the Selective Service System. All positions are subject to satisfactory completion of a security investigation, successful completion of a pre-employment physical, and/or drug test.

Recruitment and relocation incentives may be authorized.