Systems Engineer

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 is seeking a Dev/Ops Systems Engineer to join the staff of the NASA/IPAC Infrared Science Archive (IRSA). Come be a part of the team that is helping astronomers and data scientists all over the world access and explore IRSA’s petabyte archives of astronomy data!

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 enhance discovery with observatories both in space and on the ground. IRSA (http://irsa.ipac.caltech.edu) is the steward of scientific data sets delivered by NASA's Astrophysics missions. We enable transformative scientific research using data from these and other missions. IRSA ingests petabyte-scale imaging datasets, maintains multi-billion row databases, and develops a variety of tools for accessing, visualizing, and analyzing data from cutting-edge astronomical facilities. We are also preparing to support upcoming astrophysics missions including: SPHEREx, a NASA mission which will conduct a spectroscopic, infrared survey of the entire sky; Euclid, a European Space Agency (ESA) mission to study the geometry and nature of the dark Universe; and NEO Surveyor, a mission designed to discover and characterize most of the potentially hazardous asteroids that are near the Earth.

Essential Job Duties

As an IPAC Data Systems Dev/Ops Engineer, you will apply your understanding of the full data systems hardware and software technology stack in helping design, develop, and operate IPAC’s compute and network infrastructure. Your familiarity with both local data center and cloud technologies will help you create effective approaches to achieve science objectives within technical, budget, and operations constraints. You will work with scientists, developers, and engineering staff to help interpret and implement project requirements and document the work that you’ve accomplished. Specific activities may include:

• Development and operation of IRSA compute, storage, and network infrastructure, employing both cloud and local data center technologies.
• Devising and implementing solutions to systems challenges involving performance, capacity and/or budget, to help achieve science objectives.
• Researching appropriate technologies for new project proposals and assisting in preparation of cost estimates for system deployment and operations.
• Collaborating with other IPAC and IRSA engineers on migrating science data analysis and archiving functions to cloud environments.
• Planning and supervision of upgrades, expansions, and regular refresh of equipment.
• Monitoring overall health and maintenance status of IRSA infrastructure and coordinating response to problems.
• Coordination with other IPAC projects that share technologies and resources with IRSA.
• Other duties as assigned.

Basic Qualifications

If you have the following in your background, then we want to hear about your interest in joining our team:

• Bachelor’s or equivalent degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Sciences, or related field, or equivalent combination of training and experience.
• 5 years of experience as a Unix systems administrator, and familiarity with data center hardware specification, operation, and management.
• Experience with scripting and programming languages (e.g., Python, C/C++).
• Familiarity with software and systems configuration management principles and tools, source code version control (e.g., git/GitHub) and issue/bug tracking systems (e.g., Jira).
• Good written and interpersonal communication skills, with an emphasis on the ability to share ideas in a collaborative setting.
• Qualify as a United States (US) person as defined by ITAR regulations.

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 Data Systems Dev/Ops Engineer. The following might give you a head-start here, but even if these do not describe you or your experience, we would still like to hear from you:

• Master’s or equivalent degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Sciences, or related field.
• Experience with server virtualization and cloud services such as AWS, GCP, Azure.
• Expertise in large dataset management, processing, and analysis techniques.
• Experience with software containerization and deployment technologies, such as Docker and Kubernetes.
• Experience with automation tools such as Ansible, Jenkins, and GitHub Actions.

Required Documents

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• Apply via Caltech Website

Application Details

• This position is an on-site role in Pasadena, California. There will be some allowability for remote work.
• Applicants for this position must be a United States (US) person as defined by ITAR regulations – A US person is a citizen of the United States, a lawful permanent resident alien of the US (“Green Card” holder), or individuals granted refugee and Asylee status under US law.
• Applications are due by June 28, 2024.

Life at IPAC

People choose to work at IPAC for many reasons, and the casual, employee-centric culture often leads to fulfilling, long-term careers and lasting relationships. Caltech’s benefits program offers a quality, competitive benefits package that is affordable for you and the Institute. The program provides a strong base of coverage for you and your dependents, and the ability to choose the plan and the level of coverage that best meet your needs. We also offer a 403(b) defined contribution plan to eligible staff as well as a Voluntary Retirement Savings (TDA) Plan. IPAC staff have access to the Institute’s facilities, including the athletic center, libraries, on-site daycare, professional development and enrichment classes, and Athenaeum club membership.

Hiring Range

$46.00 - $54.00 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. 

EEO Statement

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Caltech is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor.

To read more Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) go to eeoc_self_print_poster.pdf.

Disability Accommodations

If you would like to request an accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please direct your inquiries to Caltech Recruiting at [email protected].