Posting 23-65A

AREA OF CONSIDERATION:  This position requires access to export-controlled work. The candidate must be a U.S. person (citizen, permanent resident, approved asylee or refugee) or be a national of a country eligible to be approved on an export license. Selection maybe made at either grade. If selected at grade 9 candidate maybe promoted to the next grade level upon the recommendation of the supervisor based on classification requirements, satisfactory performance.

Summary

The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory asks the big science questions:

What do black holes look like?

How do stars and planets form and evolve?

Does life exist outside the solar system? 

As a member of Central Engineering, you will work with a multi-disciplinary team of engineers and scientists to design and build the next generation of telescopes and space probes which will advance humanity’s understanding of Earth and the Universe.   This position is located in Cambridge, MA.

Responsibilities

Duties for grade 9  may include but are not limited to:

1. Functions as a junior computer engineer with a focus on software development across the various astrophysics-based research, operational, and instrumentation projects which the Central Engineering department supports at CfA. Participates in code reviews to maintain a high standard of code quality across CfA.
2. Develops real-time, embedded device control software and high-performance data processing pipelines with web-based user interfaces.
3. Collaborates with scientists and engineers of other disciplines on projects. Provides software expertise where needed to inform non-software design decisions. Incorporates feedback from colleagues of other disciplines into software designs. Participates in system-level and software design reviews at all stages of design, including preliminary design, critical design, assembly, system integration, and commissioning.
4. Provides input on software requirements. Validates and verifies software requirements through inspection, testing, and analysis.
5. Documents software for both peer software developers and users of the software. Documentation includes both diagrams (UML, SysML), text, and code comments.
6. Provides a good level of customer support to colleagues and other software users. Performs troubleshooting and failure analysis and provides long term support for projects.
7. Develops software tests, including unit and regression tests, which are used to verify requirements and measure system performance.
8. Performs other duties as assigned.

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

1. Functions as a computer engineer with a focus on software development across the various astrophysics-based research, operational, and instrumentation projects which the Central Engineering department supports at CfA. Participates in code reviews to maintain a high standard of code quality across CfA.
2. Develops real-time, embedded device control software and high-performance data processing pipelines with web-based user interfaces.
3. Collaborates with scientists and engineers of other disciplines on projects. Provides software expertise where needed to inform non-software design decisions. Incorporates feedback from colleagues of other disciplines into software designs. Participates in system-level and software design reviews at all stages of design, including preliminary design, critical design, assembly, system integration, and commissioning.
4. Writes software requirements. Validates and verifies software requirements through inspection, testing, and analysis.
5. Documents software for both peer software developers and users of the software. Documentation includes both diagrams (UML, SysML), text, and code comments.
6. Provides a good level of customer support to colleagues and other software users. Performs troubleshooting and failure analysis and provides long term support for projects.
7. Develops software tests, including unit and regression tests, which are used to verify requirements and measure system performance.
8. Performs other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

BASIC REQUIREMENTS:
(A) Degree: professional engineering. To be acceptable, the curriculum must: (1) be in a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) as a professional engineering curriculum; or

(2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics.
OR
(B) Combination of education and experience--college-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying professional engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering.

In addition to the Basic Requirements, applicants must have specialized experience:

At the grade 9: One year of professional experience  equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to grade 7 level work in the Federal service within or closely related to the position being filled.  Specialized experience at the grade 7 would typically be any combination in 1) real-time device control in an embedded or distributed system 2)data processing using high-performance computing workflows or cloud computing 3) web application programming. 

At the grade 11: One year of professional experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibly to grade 9 level work in the Federal service within or closely related to the position being filled. Specialized experience at the grade 9 would typically be at least four of the following:

1)real-time device control in an embedded or distributed system
2) data processing using high-performance computing workflows or cloud computing
3) web application programming
4) designing software systems which meet specified functional and performance requirements
5) documentation of software designs in both text and SysML/UML diagrams
6) developing bespoke software systems in a professional setting, as part of a team, using modern programming languages
7) formal software testing, using a testing framework, to verify that requirements are met."

This position has a mandatory education requirement; you must furnish a copy of your transcript of college work completed (unofficial copy is acceptable) or a copy of your degree certificate. Non-submission may result in you being rated ineligible for the position.
 
Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Basic qualification requirements can be found at https://www.opm.gov/qualifications/SEC-IV/A/GS-PROF.asp and https://www.opm.gov/qualifications/SEC-IV/B/GS0800/0800.htm.

Additional information

For the latest information on the COVID-19 vaccination requirements and its impact on your application, click on Smithsonian Institution’s Frequently Asked Questions.  

APPLICATION PROCEDURE We will only accept applications on line for this position.  For complete information about this position and the online application procedures, please visit USAJOBS

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

Visit the SAO website at http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/