Science Archive Content Manager

***Please consider that this position requires a valid working permit to work in Chile***

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The successful candidate will be part of the Data Management Group (DMG) within the Joint ALMA Observatory (JAO). She/he will join a very active team of astronomers (Science Archive Content Managers - SACMs).

The SACMs calibrate and image, mainly through the ALMA science pipeline, a significant fraction of the ALMA science data, and carefully check their quality before sending the data products to the ALMA users.

She/he is expected to become an expert in ALMA data reduction, and to develop a very good understanding of the overall data workflow (procedures and software tools), from the telescope all the way down to the delivery of the data.

She/he will have regular interactions both with other astronomers within the Department of Science Operations (DSO) at JAO and with the astronomers at the ALMA Regional Centers (ARCs) around the world, who also process ALMA data.

Furthermore, she/he will have frequent contact with software engineers and IT-experts in charge of the JAO processing infrastructure, within the ALMA Department of Computing, and with the data processing and pipeline development teams, plus other teams situated at the ARCs, which actively participate in development initiatives closely related to data processing.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

The data of all observed ALMA scientific projects are carefully processed (i.e. calibrated and imaged, manually or through a pipeline) by ALMA staff before being sent to the ALMA users. Additionally, there is a quality assessment (QA) of the calibration and final images, through dedicated software tools, to verify that the data will meet the science goals set by the Primary Investigators (PIs).

The data calibration, imaging and QA of the science data are under the responsibility of both the SACM team at JAO, and astronomers at the ARCs.

The main duties of the successful candidate will be:

· QA of the science data products produced by the pipelines (careful review of weblogs, raw data and/or images, comparison with science goals from PI proposal).

· Manual data reduction, depending on level of expertise.

· Report and first level of investigation on issues (hardware or software) discovered during QA.

· Contribution to defining specifications and testing of new pipeline heuristics.

· Test of new pipeline versions and/or new data processing strategies.

· Data validation of offered observing modes for the new observing cycles.

· Curation of scientific data in the ALMA Science Archive.

· Definition, update or improvement of procedures related to data workflow.

· Development of Python routines, to automate specific tasks, depending on level of expertise.

· Documentation maintenance.

WORKING CONDITIONS

· Work is typically performed in an administrative environment, mainly indoors in Santiago Central Office (SCO) with occasional visits to the Operations Support Facility facilities (OSF) (2900m elevation) and occasional trips to the Array Operations Site (5000m elevation). Physical health compatible with high altitude conditions. A successful High Altitude Medical Exam is a necessary condition of employment.

· Willingness to travel for both short and extended periods for meetings, training, etc. will be required.

· It should be noted that 100% of the SACM time is dedicated to the operational activities described above. There is no time foreseen for scientific research.

· No relocation costs will be covered.

REQUIREMENTS

Minimum requirements (must have):

· Master's degree in astronomy with a minimum of three years of relevant working experience.

· Experience in data processing of astronomical data.

· Good command of Unix/Linux.

· Fluent in English is a must (C1 level).

· Valid working permit to work in Chile.

Desirable Requirements (an asset if present):

· PhD degree will be an asset.

· Fluent Spanish.

· Experience in Python programming and SQL queries will be considered an asset.

· Experience in sub-mm/radio interferometric and/or single-dish data reduction will be considered an asset.

Competencies:

· Motivated, proactive, team player, with very good interpersonal skills.

· Detail oriented, curious and with strong interest in observatory operations.

· Ability to work on a (small) number of tasks in parallel.

· Ability to write clear and concise reports.

Deadline for applications: Friday, June 6th, 12 pm Chile time.

Please send us your CV and Cover letter in English format (Spanish versions will not be accepted).

ALMA Values

An important element in any successful employment relationship is harmony in values between an organization and its people.

The ALMA Values are:

Excellence

Respect and Diversity

Collaboration

Care

Applicants to any ALMA role are asked to reflect on their affinity with these values and advised they may be asked about them if called for an interview.

Diversity

ALMA has established diversity as an important value of the Organization, is committed to providing an equal opportunities environment, and is actively seeking to promote a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce, irrespective of gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or religion.