TITLE: IT Specialist (Data Specialist), IS-2210, Grades 7, 9; $43,801 to $67,125/yr
TYPE OF POSITION: Trust Fund (non-Federal), Temporary Not To Exceed Two years with the Possibility of Conversion to an Indefinite Position
DIVISION: - High Energy Astrophysics
LOCATION: Cambridge, Massachusetts
AREA OF CONSIDERATION: All qualified candidates

First consideration may be made 14 days after the opening date. Selection may be made at the grade 7 or 9 level. This is a career ladder opportunity with promotion potential to grade 11. Employee may be non-competitively promoted to the next higher grade, up to grade 11, upon the recommendation of his/her supervisor, based on the position classification as well as his/her qualifications and satisfactory performance.

DUTIES: As a data specialist with the Chandra Science Data Systems group, the employee may perform any of a variety of computer-related duties in support of astrophysical research in the areas of the Chandra data analysis system know as CIAO (CIAO tools, ChIPS, Sherpa) and Chandra catalogs.

Duties at the 7 level are in the form of assigned tasks relating to the duties described below for the grade 9 level. Grade 7 is considered a developmental trainee level, where employees receive on-the-job training and developmental experience. Assignments are designed to develop employees for work at a higher level.

Duties at the grade 9 level may include activities such as supporting questions and work associated with the CIAO releases and responding to the user community; specifying, testing, writing modifying, debugging, and/or documenting software for data analysis, extending data analysis software capabilities, user support and calibration, simulations, and modeling; running software and analyzing data output; developing and analyzing algorithms; developing and maintaining databases; developing, updating, and maintaining web-based and command line-based material concerning the Chandra data analysis systems, the Chandra Catalogs, and other data analysis related projects; contributing to the overall Chandra outreach program by supporting the team with computer demonstrations at conferences and meetings and hands-on sessions at workshops or schools.

QUALIFICATIONS : Candidates for all grade levels must possess experience in computer operations and/or software development ideally in a UNIX environment, good communication and interpersonal skills and self-motivational qualities. A background in astronomy or physics is highly desired. Knowledge of astronomical data analysis packages, scripting languagues, and web site development and maintenance are required. Experience using any of the following is preferred: CIAO, IDL, SAS, FTOOLS, XSPEC, Perl, Python, S-Lang, HTML, XML, CSS. Specialized experience referred to below is experience that has equipped candidates with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities required to successfully perform the above duties, and is typically in or related to the work of the above-described work. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for this occupation.

Candidates for the grade 7 level must also possess at least one of the following:

1. minimum of one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least grade 5, which may have been gained through work as a computer assistant, programmer, research assistant, or other position that employed the application of computer technology to carry out the basic duties. Such experience may have included translating detailed logical steps developed by others into computer code requiring understanding procedures and limitations of the programming language; interviewing subject-matter users to get facts necessary to develop specifications; operating computer consoles where this involved choosing from among various procedures in responding to machine commands or unscheduled halts; or scheduling the sequence of programs to be processed by computers where alternatives had to be considered with a view to production efficiency; or
2. one year of graduate level education in computer science, information science, information systems management, mathematics, statistics, operations research, engineering, or related field; or one year of graduate level education in astronomy, physics, or related field, where course work required the development or adaptation of computer programs and systems and provided knowledge equivalent to graduate level education in a computer field; or
3. superior academic achievement as an undergraduate in one of the above cited fields; or
4. combination of successfully completed graduate level education and experience equivalent to the above.

1. minimum of one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least grade 7, which may have been gained through work as a computer programmer, research assistant, or data analyst, which employed the application of computer technology to carry out the basic duties. Such experience should demonstrate knowledge of computer requirements and techniques in carrying out assignments consisting of several related tasks such as typically is the case in developing minor modifications to software based on detailed specifications provided; knowledge of mathematics to be able to analyze algorithms and/or perform the necessary calculations to develop code; ability to analyze problems and develop solutions; ability to develop complex programs, to code and create resulting binary files, to verify and clearly document all software, and to produce and maintain proper libraries; and ability to meet deadlines. Assignments must have demonstrated the following or equivalent: planning a sequence of actions required to accomplish an assignment, analysis of interrelationships of pertinent components of a computer system, and personal responsibility for at least a segment of a project; or
2. two years of graduate level education or Master's or equivalent degree in computer science, information science, information systems management, mathematics, statistics, operations research, engineering, or related field; or two years of graduate level education or Master's or equivalent degree in astronomy, physics, or related field, where course work required the development or adaptation of computer programs and systems and provided knowledge equivalent to graduate level education in a computer field; or
3. combination of successfully completed graduate level education and experience equivalent to the above.

NOTE: The appointment will be subject to the applicant’s successful/satisfactory completion of a pre-employment background check and subsequent background investigation. New employees are subject to background checks, including fingerprinting, and a one-year probationary period. Relocation expenses will not be paid.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE: Please reference Job Posting #27-45 and submit resume to the address below, or via email to saoresumes@cfa.harvard.edu. Please note that this email address is for resume/application materials only. Applicants who have experience in a research environment are encouraged to augment their resumes by elaborating upon their education, software, and research experience by 1) briefly relating research projects and their objectives, and, 2) describing how specific software was applied to the scientific research being conducted.

Please complete the Applicant Survey Form, which is used to collect information from candidates during the search process to evaluate the effectiveness of the Institution's search and recruit efforts. Please print all responses. The information provided is not a part of the selection process and will be used for statistical purposes only. Your voluntary responses will have no effect on your consideration.

The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity in our workplace.

Visit our SAO website. or http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/sao-home.html

Mailing address:
Recruiter 461 (JP#27-45)
Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
60 Garden Street, MS 17
Cambridge, MA 02138