Senior System Scientist, Parkes - [Archived Advertisement]

Acknowledgement of Country

CSIRO acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land, sea and waters, of the area that we live and work on across Australia. We acknowledge their continuing connection to their culture and pay our respects to their Elders past and present. View our vision towards reconciliation

The Opportunity

CSIRO Space and Astronomy (S&A) operates the Australia Telescope National Facility (ATNF), which includes the Parkes 64-m telescope, the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA), the Long Baseline Array (LBA) and the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP). S&A is also heavily engaged in the design and development of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA). It is expected that the successful candidate will be involved in the development, planning and execution of future projects as we navigate the transition to the SKA era.

• Be part of the team at CSIRO’s iconic Parkes radio telescope
• Use your skills and experiences as a Systems Scientist to support something truly special.  
• Join CSIRO and make a difference!

As Senior System Scientist, you will take a leading role in maximising the scientific productivity of the Parkes 64-m radio telescope, Murriyang. You will lead a small team of Science Operations staff at the Observatory responsible for oversight of operations of the Parkes 64-m telescope; liaising with astronomers, clients, the Parkes Site Leader and other S&A staff to ensure a detailed schedule of observing time is produced in a timely fashion and executed smoothly; and those telescope maintenance periods are scheduled as required. You will also play a lead role in commissioning major new instruments and upgrades, including a state-of-the-art cryogenically-cooled Phased Array Feed (PAF) receiver, to be installed in 2023.

Your duties will include:

• Incorporate novel approaches to scientific investigations by adapting and/or developing original concepts and ideas for new, existing and further research. 
• Contribute at a high level to the scientific requirements and commissioning of new instruments for the Parkes telescope. 
• Devise test observations for new systems, aid in detecting and diagnosing faults, and compare the results with expected performance. 
• Contribute to the smooth operation of the observing systems and services needed to carry out world class radio astronomy observations. 
• Liaise with the Head of ATNF Science and other staff as needed for Observatory operations and developments. 
• Provide documentation and reports as required.
• Maintain a scientific involvement with the ATNF telescopes, and so gain an appreciation of them from an observer’s perspective. 
• Contribute at a high level to outreach and community engagement activity at Parkes.

Location: Parkes, NSW
Salary: AU$117k - AU$138k per annum (pro-rata for part-time) plus up to 15.4% superannuation
Tenure: Indefinite
Reference: 88361

To be considered you will need:

Essential:

• A Doctorate or equivalent research experience in a relevant discipline area, such as Astronomy, Astrophysics, Physics, or Engineering.
• The ability and willingness to work some flexible hours, and to travel and spend periods at ATNF sites and other astronomy institutions.
• Demonstrated ability to devise and execute observations or measurements to test radio astronomy instrumentation, and to identify and solve complex instrumental problems.
• A significant record of science innovation, creativity, and quality publications in high impact, peer reviewed journals.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, evidenced by high-level reporting, presentation and negotiation abilities, and the capacity to identify and influence critical stakeholders to gain support for contentious proposals/ideas.
• The ability to work effectively as a member and leader of a multi-disciplinary, regionally-dispersed research team, and carry out independent individual research, to achieve organisational goals.

Desirable:

• Experience in pulsar or spectral line observing programs at cm wavelengths.
• Experience with Unix-based operating systems, and familiarity with computer programming and scripting languages such as C, C++, Perl or Python.

For full details about this role please review the Position Description

Eligibility

Applications for this position are open to Australian/New Zealand Citizens, Australian Permanent Residents or you must either hold, or be able to obtain, a valid working visa for the duration of the specified term. Appointment to this role is subject to provision of a national police check and may be subject to other security/medical/character requirements.

To enter a CSIRO site, CSIRO will require you to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 (or show a valid medical exemption from vaccination). If you are unable to meet this requirement, then you must return a negative result on a Rapid Antigen Test (within 48 hours prior to attending site) and wear a face mask whilst on the CSIRO site. These requirements apply if you are attending a CSIRO site as part of a recruitment process.

Flexible Working Arrangements

We work flexibly at CSIRO, offering a range of options for how, when and where you work. 

Diversity and Inclusion

We are working hard to recruit people representing the diversity across our society, and ensure that all our people feel supported to do their best work and feel empowered to let their ideas flourish. 

About CSIRO

At CSIRO Australia's national science agency, we solve the greatest challenges through innovative science and technology. We put the safety and wellbeing of our people above all else and earn trust everywhere because we only deal in facts. We collaborate widely and generously and deliver solutions with real impact. 

Join us and start creating tomorrow today!

How to Apply

Please apply on-line and provide a cover letter and CV that best demonstrate your motivation and ability to meet the requirements of this role.

Applications Close

28th October 2022, 11:00pm AEST