Database Administrator (IT Specialist)

The Minor Planet Center (MPC) is the single worldwide location for receipt and distribution of positional measurements of minor planets, comets and outer irregular natural satellites of the major planets. The MPC is responsible for the identification, designation and orbit computation for all of these objects. This involves maintaining databases of observations and orbits, tracking the discoverer of each object, and announcing discoveries to the rest of the world. The MPC operates at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory as part of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), located in Cambridge, MA.

The MPC would like to hire a database administrator to contribute to the development and maintenance of Postgres Database applications and services used by the Minor Planet Center.

MAJOR DUTIES

Duties at the grade 11 may include but are not limited to:

• Functions as an IT Specialist (Database Administrator/Developer) to contribute to the development and maintenance of Postgres Database applications and services related to the Minor Planet Center. This includes installation and upgrade of postgres database servers and application tools; allocation of system storage and planning future storage requirements for the database system; designing, creating, and modifying primary database storage structures to meet application needs; designing, creating, and modifying primary objects (tables, views, indexes) to meet application needs; enrolling users and maintaining system security; controlling and monitoring user access to the database; monitoring and optimizing the performance of the database; developing and implementing backup and recovery plans.
• Work as part of a team to develop new tools to interface between the MPC’s Postgres database systems and the MPC’s Python-based processing pipeline. This includes designing and coding database objects to support Web-based services and scientific applications, scientific data analysis and reduction, and data archiving and retrieval. This will involve the creation of new database structures that add to system capability as well as the modification of existing structures to meet evolving requirements.
• Documents work in technical reports, memoranda, and/or scientific papers or presentations.
• Ensures that final documentation accurately reflects modifications made in the field when applicable.
• Maintains currency with the evolution of software, computer, and hardware to verify that the most appropriate database technologies are applied to Minor Planet Center data sets.
• Work as part of a team to:
  • Develop unit tests and the apply continuous integration to both existing and new software projects
  • Undertake regular software planning and status reporting activities
  • Maintain and improve the Minor Planet Center software development best practices
• Collaborate with scientists as needed and help coordinate the activities of software development staff in support of scientific requirements. 
• Performs other duties as assigned

In addition to the duties above duties at the grade 12 may include:

• Lead the development of new tools to interface between the MPC’s Postgres database systems and the MPC’s Python-based processing pipeline. This includes designing and coding database objects to support Web-based services and scientific applications, scientific data analysis and reduction, and data archiving and retrieval. This will involve the creation of new database structures that add to system capability as well as the modification of existing structures to meet evolving requirements.
• Lead the Minor Planet Center’s work to:
  • regularly plan software and status reporting activities
  • maintain and improve the Minor Planet Center software development best practices