Deputy Director - LBT Observatory

The Large Binocular Telescope Observatory (LBTO) is seeking a Deputy Director to work in close partnership with the Director in providing strategic and operational leadership to advance the Observatory’s mission as a forefront facility for astronomical discovery.

The Large Binocular Telescope conducts observations with two 8.4m-diameter mirrors on a common mount, providing collecting area equal to a single 11.8m mirror and interferometric capability with an edge-to-edge baseline of 22.8m.  With these attributes the LBT is the first of the emerging generation of Extremely Large Telescopes.  The telescope is located on Mt Graham in southeast Arizona, which at 3200m is one of the highest observatory sites in North America.  

The LBT hosts a sophisticated suite of instruments supporting optical and infrared imaging and spectroscopy, including high-resolution optical spectropolarimetric capability, and an interferometer with Fizeau and nulling modes that leverage the full telescope baseline.  The observatory has a track record of innovation in adaptive optics, and is currently commissioning a new generation of optical and near-IR instruments optimized to leverage AO for high contrast, high resolution imaging and spectroscopy, and precision radial velocity measurements.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Deputy Director will support and assist the Director in the internal and external affairs of the Observatory, with a core portfolio of responsibilities in science operations management. Duties include

• Management of the overall science support for users of the Observatory, including personnel support, observation planning, nighttime support, and facility instrument configuration.
• Daily management of support astronomers, service observers, and technicians.
• Performance monitoring of facility instruments, and work with technical personnel and instrument teams for routine maintenance, remediation of problems, and implementation of upgrades. Oversight of formal processes for reviews, acceptance, and commissioning plans for future facility instruments.
• Communication regarding science operations with Observatory stakeholders via formal and informal channels. Work with the Director in preparing communication materials for Observatory member institutions and users, organization of LBT-related conference activity, annual reports, and Board of Directors briefings.
• Establishment of policies to govern operations.
• Oversight for construction of the telescope observing schedule, and management of Observatory engineering and Director’s Discretionary Time.

The Deputy Director will be a senior member of the Observatory leadership team with the ability to stand in for the Director as needed in representing LBTO to external constituencies and providing high-level management direction. The Deputy Director will work closely with the Director in developing strategies to maximize the scientific productivity of the telescope.

The Deputy Director will have up to 20% time available for scientific research.  The position is based at the Observatory offices in Tucson with occasional work at the Mt Graham site.

Desired Qualifications

Experience in managing people and projects.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
Knowledge of observatory operations, and use and maintenance of optical/infrared astronomical instrumentation.
Demonstrated commitment to a diverse and inclusive workforce.
Bachelors degree or equivalent learning attained through professional level experience required.
Ph.D. in astronomy or a related field is preferred.

The LBTO Community

The Large Binocular Telescope Corporation, representing an international collaboration with partners in Germany, Italy, and the United States, contracts with the University of Arizona for operation of the LBTO.  Employees have access to the full range of benefits offered by the university, including education benefits for employees and family members.  

At the LBTO and the University of Arizona, we value our inclusive climate because we know that diversity in experiences and perspectives is vital to advancing innovation, critical thinking, solving complex problems, and creating an inclusive academic community. As an Hispanic-serving institution, we translate these values into action by seeking individuals who have experience and expertise working with diverse students, colleagues, and constituencies. 

Because we seek a workforce with a wide range of perspectives and experiences, we provide equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or genetic information. As an Employer of National Service, we also welcome alumni of AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, and other national service programs and others who will help us advance our Inclusive Excellence initiative aimed at creating a university that values student, staff and faculty engagement in addressing issues of diversity and inclusiveness.