Senior Scientist

The Department of Astrophysics forms part of the Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography and Astronomy at the University of Vienna. Presently about 70 employees work at the department.

We seek an outstanding scientist with strong expertise in project management for the supervision of astronomical instrumentation projects (in particular long-term projects for space missions in the framework of international co-operations, but also ground-based observatory projects), as well as teaching activities.

Initially this position is to be filled for one year. By mutual agreement it can be extended to a permanent contract.

The tasks conform to the collective agreement of the Austrian universities (see currently §26 (2) and (5)).

They comprise as the main activities
i) co-supervision/management and technological implementation of project participations in astronomical space missions in the framework of international co-operations. The missions include in particular, but not exclusively, CHEOPS, PLATO, SMILE, ARIEL, Athena, and projects in preparation. Special tasks include software development, the participation in international consortium and/or collaboration meetings, contributions to preparatory studies and documents, (co-)organisation of meetings, budget administration for projects, and correspondence with funding agencies.
ii) coordinating management tasks (in particular supervision, project management and meeting organisation) in the frame of the local laboratory for astronomical instrumentation that comprises, apart from space projects, also projects of ESO (specifically METIS, MICADO and MOSAIC for the ELT) and the local university-owned Leopold Figl Observatory. It also includes a local student telescope for education. These activities will be shared with other scientists.

Further tasks include:
iii) conducting independent teaching as defined by the collective agreement (incl. mandatory classes) and organising exams
iv) supervision/co-supervision of students, and
v) contributions to general organisational and administrative tasks as well as evaluation procedures. The tasks conform to the collective agreement of the Austrian universities (see currently §26 (2) and (5)).

They comprise as the main activities
i) co-supervision/management and technological implementation of project participations in astronomical space missions in the framework of international co-operations. The missions include in particular, but not exclusively, CHEOPS, PLATO, SMILE, ARIEL, Athena, and projects in preparation. Special tasks include software development, the participation in international consortium and/or collaboration meetings, contributions to preparatory studies and documents, (co-)organisation of meetings, budget administration for projects, and correspondence with funding agencies.
ii) coordinating management tasks (in particular supervision, project management and meeting organisation) in the frame of the local laboratory for astronomical instrumentation that comprises, apart from space projects, also projects of ESO (specifically METIS, MICADO and MOSAIC for the ELT) and the local university-owned Leopold Figl Observatory. It also includes a local student telescope for education. These activities will be shared with other scientists.

Further tasks include:
iii) conducting independent teaching as defined by the collective agreement (incl. mandatory classes) and organising exams
iv) supervision/co-supervision of students, and
v) contributions to general organisational and administrative tasks as well as evaluation procedures.