Calibration data scientist (m/f/d) and Calibration instrument scientist (m/f/d)

The Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA) in Heidelberg is one of the leading astronomical research institutions with about 350 employees from all over the world. The institute is developing instruments for large ground- and space-based observatories.

The Galaxies and Cosmology department seeks two exceptionally motivated and skilled experimental astrophysicists with practical experience in developing optical instrumentation. We seek to strengthen our team to build the calibration unit (MCA) and the warm optical relay of the ELT first-light instrument MICADO. MICADO is a near-infrared, adaptive-optics assisted imager and spectrograph with exceptional scientific capabilities.

These positions are planned as a three-year position each to support the final construction and verification phase in Europe, and will lead to the system integration at the ELT in Chile. A contract extension may be possible depending on project status and availability of funding.

The MCA will provide all calibration (flat fielding, wavelength calibration, image quality) for the multi-purpose camera and spectrograph MICADO, operating in the near-infrared, designed to deliver the first images and spectra ever taken with a 39m optical telescope. Beyond classical calibration modes, the MCA is instrumental to calibrate the astrometric observing modes to exceptionally high precision.

The positions: are related to the MCA and its functional role to guarantee the scientific performance of MICADO from day one until the end of operation.

• The calibration data scientist shall concentrate on the data analysis and contribute to the definition and execution of the calibration plan of the instrument.
   
• The calibration instrument scientist will lead the hardware related work, testing the as-built performance, proposing design changes when needed to meet the requirements, leading the system integration phase of the MCA in the overall MICADO system.

Both positions are at the interface between instrumentation and scientific application, one emphasizing the hardware while the other emphasizing the software work of the task. The positions will allow the successful candidates to build or continue a career in astronomical instrumentation. The successful candidates will work with our strong technical team, with the international MICADO partners and ESO as the operator of the telescope, and is invited to help optimize and verify the strategies of the instrument calibration, in collaboration with the hiring group lead Dr. Jörg-Uwe Pott (MICADO instrument scientist).

Depending on the interest, an application to both profiles can make sense and is encouraged if properly motivated by the skillset of the candidate. Regular travels and an active role, visible both in the international MICADO consortium and in the MPIA-local institute community beyond MICADO is part of the job description.

Specific duties: will depend on the particular experience and strengths of the candidate, the above distinction between calibration data scientist and instrument scientist is somewhat arbitrary. But the ideal instrument scientist will lead the practical side of the verification of the MCA subsystem hardware, will setup functional tests of the final hardware (lamps, stages, hexapod, fibres etc.). Whereas the ideal calibration data scientist will explore the raw data quality, verify data reduction steps, interact with the data pipeline development team and contribute to developing data quality assessment. Duties will benefit from experience with astronomical mission calibration plans, systematic data analysis of larger amount of calibration data, instrument documentation to ESO standards. Goal is the testing of available MCA hardware and its integration into the overall MICADO instrument to prepare for the preliminary acceptance Europe (PAE) testing at the ESO headquarters in Garching towards the end of the hire.

Applicants should have: a PhD in astrophysics, physics, or engineering. Practical expertise in building optical, astronomical instruments, knowledge of optics, optical design (preferably Zemax) and measurement techniques, and a scripting language (preferably Python) for data analysis is required. Experience with astronomical data calibration in near-infrared wavelengths is a plus. We expect interest in applying new strategies to the data reduction and quality control, as well as in interaction with the data reduction pipeline development team.

The appointment: remuneration is following German public employment standard, depending on qualifications and professional experience. Social benefits are granted in accordance with the regulations of the civil service. Funds for publications, travel and computer equipment will be provided. The successful applicant can start as early as
 Oct. 1st, 2026. We offer very challenging tasks in an international scientific environment.

The Max Planck Society aims to increase the proportion of women in areas in which they are underrepresented. Women are therefore expressly encouraged to apply. The Max Planck Society promotes professional equality between women and men. A good work-life balance is important to us at the institute. We offer our employees family-friendly working hours and support them in finding suitable childcare facilities. The Max Planck Society has set itself the goal of employing more people with severe disabilities. Applications from people with severe disabilities are expressly welcome. If you have any questions about severe disabilities, please contact [email protected] . For questions about equal opportunities, please contact the equal opportunities officer at [email protected] .