Argus Array Survey Scientist

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States

Updated: about 1 month ago
Location: Chapel Hill, NORTH CAROLINA
Job Type: FullTime
Deadline: 29 Mar 2024

Posting Information
Posting Information


Department Physics and Astronomy-319000
Career Area Research Professionals
Posting Open Date 03/15/2024
Application Deadline 03/29/2024
Open Until Filled No
Position Type Permanent Staff (EHRA NF)
Working Title Argus Array Survey Scientist
Appointment Type EHRA Non-Faculty
Position Number 20062248
Vacancy ID NF0007941
Full Time/Part Time Full-Time Permanent
FTE 1
Hours per week 40
Position Location North Carolina, US
Hiring Range $90,000-$110,000
Proposed Start Date 04/01/2024

Position Information


Be a Tar Heel!
A global higher education leader in innovative teaching, research and public service, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill consistently ranks as one of the nation’s top public universities . Known for its beautiful campus, world-class medical care, commitment to the arts and top athletic programs, Carolina is an ideal place to teach, work and learn.
One of the best college towns and best places to live in the United States, Chapel Hill has diverse social, cultural, recreation and professional opportunities that span the campus and community.
University employees can choose from a wide range of professional training opportunities for career growth, skill development and lifelong learning and enjoy exclusive perks for numerous retail, restaurant and performing arts discounts, savings on local child care centers and special rates on select campus events. UNC-Chapel Hill offers full-time employees a comprehensive benefits package , paid leave, and a variety of health, life and retirement plans and additional programs that support a healthy work/life balance.
Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit
Our primary mission is providing instruction of the highest quality in physics and astronomy to undergraduate and graduate students at UNC-CH. Training in physics is fundamental among the natural sciences because it provides understanding of the forces governing the structure of matter, from subatomic particles to the large-scale structure of the universe.
Our departmental instructional mission spans all segments of the student community. Over 60% of all college graduates from UNC-CH have taken a course in our department. Among them: undergraduate liberal arts majors who should master the power of quantitative reasoning; undergraduates seeking a degree in another of the natural sciences, who need physics as a foundation for their advanced scientific training; the small number of undergraduates who major in physics, to whom we provide broad and rigorous training. Our graduate education and research advances frontiers of knowledge at the two extremes of space and time, from the very small) the realm of particle physics) to the very large (the realm of astronomy, while expanding the boundaries of knowledge in the many subfields spanning length scales between. Forefront physics and astronomy research requires access to well-equipped laboratories and extensive computing capabilities; it also must be supported by comprehensive and accessible library collec-tions. Again, in research at this advanced level, the bridging aspect of
physics provides basic interdisciplinary insight for many other sciences.
A strong managerial, administrative, and technical staff supports this instructional mission. Duties of these employees range from budget planning and management for the numerous research grants held by faculty in the department to maintaining course and student records. These activities are usually accomplished in a standard 40- hour week schedule.
Position Summary
The Argus Array will be the first very large optical telescope array, with a light collecting area equivalent to a 5-meter telescope and a field of view encompassing the entire sky at once. Argus will be the world’s largest optical telescope array (by a factor of ten) and, at 55 Gigapixels, by far the largest digital camera ever built. The Array will push our observations of the universe into a new regime, scanning the sky 100,000x faster than current nightly-cadence sky surveys. Argus will capture a continuous two-color, 55-gigapixel movie of the night sky, shared with the entire astronomical community in real-time through public transient alerts, images, and light curves with millions of epochs for hundreds of millions of stars.
Joining our team of astronomers, instrumentation specialists, and data scientists, you will be responsible for the Argus Array’s science team development and data analysis. Three years of prototyping efforts have developed and validated the system design and all major subsystems; we are now funded to scale up to the full Argus Array. This scale up involves the design and construction of the system’s external enclosure and tracking mount; the at-scale production of the telescope assemblies; construction of the array’s computing cluster, and the final assembly and commissioning of the Array. You will develop pipeline and data distribution architectures to meet science requirements and oversee their implementation in collaboration with the Argus team, community partners, and contracted vendors.
You will be responsible for leading the collaborative efforts of the Argus Science team and the development of the data analysis pipelines and data distribution infrastructure. Your role will include acting as an intermediary between the science collaboration and the engineering team, advocating for the community’s science needs and verifying that necessary systems are in place for the Array to achieve its full potential as a premier facility for time domain astronomy. 
Responsibilities:
- Leading collaboration development, including building the Argus Science working groups, organizing science collaboration meetings, and regular consults with the user community.
- Participating in system design reviews, helping the project engineering team verify science performance. 
- Managing a team of project staff and students to develop the Argus data pipelines and data distribution infrastructure. 
- Leading science commissioning activities and management of the ongoing data monitoring program.
Learn more about the project here: http://www.argusscience.org
Minimum Education and Experience Requirements
Relevant post-Baccalaureate degree required (or foreign degree equivalent); for candidates demonstrating comparable independent research productivity, will accept a relevant Bachelor’s degree (or foreign degree equivalent) and 3 or more years of relevant experience in substitution. May require terminal degree and licensure.
Required Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience
Successful candidates are required to be experienced developers, instrumentalists, and scientists with at least ten years of experience building pipelines, analysis tools, and interfaces for scientific data. Experience leading scientific collaborations and mentoring early career technicians and students is required. While you don’t have to be an engineer, experience working closely with an engineering team is required. PhD in astronomy, physics, computer science, or related field is required.
Preferred Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience
We will show preference for candidates who understand data flow from the point of origin to data pipelines and archival infrastructure systems. Prefer candidates who love fast-paced iterative science, unique computer infrastructures, and building community. Prefer candidates who thrive on complexity and excel at solving problems efficiently and building systems centered on business value. We prefer candidates who are leaders but adapt readily to fluid, collaborative team environments. Overall, we are seeking a flexible professional who can both organize the science collaboration and enthusiastically support the implementation and commissioning of a world-class observatory.
Special Physical/Mental Requirements
Travel to the remote sites, including both candidate sites and the final Argus construction site, will be required. Frequent travel for collaboration activities is expected.
Campus Security Authority Responsibilities

Not Applicable.
Special Instructions
Quick Link https://unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/276512

Posting Contact Information


Department Contact Name and Title Nicholas Law, Professor
Department Contact Telephone or Email [email protected]
Office of Human Resources Contact Information

If you experience any problems accessing the system or have questions about the application process, please contact the Office of Human Resources at (919) 843-2300 or send an email to [email protected]
Please note: The Office of Human Resources will not be able to provide specific updates regarding position or application status.
Equal Opportunity Employer Statement
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or status as a protected veteran.

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