Job Summary:

You will work as an ASTRONOMER in the Operations Section of the Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI), Earth Orientation (EO) Department of NAVOBSERV. As an astronomer, the candidate will assist the Meteoroid Environment Agency (MEO), located within the MSFC Natural Environments Branch / EV44, in defining the meteoroid environment as it relates to the design and risk of spacecraft. The candidate must perform basic / original meteor / meteoroid analysis, develop software and instruments to analyze meteor-related data, conduct any necessary astronomical observations, and respond with rapid-turn analyzes of bright meteor-related events ("skyfalls") occurring in the United States.

Responsibilities:

You are responsible for the reliable and consistent development of the Washington DiFX VLBI Correlator.
You must ensure that the code correlator is up-to-date and that the hardware components are maintained.
You will be responsible for addressing data problems and improving data quality.
You must maintain reports on the management of the hardware and software components of the correlator.
You will carry out the data collection and analysis activities of the USNO as needed.
You will be responsible for identifying the technical and operational deficiencies in the correlator data flow as they may arise.
You must meet with the manager, lead the inquiries to improve the efficiency of operations and the accuracy of the findings of the correlator.
You must conduct scientific research, plan and publish the results.

Qualifications:

Must have earned a Master's degree in Astronomy, Physics or equivalent degree from an accredited institution.
Have at least 2 first author publications in a peer-reviewed journal
Have extensive experience in at least two programming languages and be willing to work in Python and/or C / C++
Have some background in computer science (multiple computer science classes preferred)
Have some experience in telescoping or observational astronomy.
Display commitment and be constructive in developing ties and building relationships with key players on tasks.
Demonstrate the ability to prepare and execute analyzes independently and within a team
Demonstrate strong technical writing and communication skills in order to deliver information to internal and external customers.
Provide strong customer relationship skills-have the ability to multi-task and switch between quick turnaround assignments.
New employees of the Navy Department will be expected to successfully pass an E-Verify job verification test. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit www.dhs.gov / E-Verify/.
Within the Department of Defense (DoD), the appointment of retired military personnel to a civilian position within 180 days immediately following the retirement date is subject to the provisions of 5 United States Code 3326.
Within the Department of Defense (DoD), the appointment of retired military personnel to a civilian position within 180 days immediately following the retirement date is subject to the provisions of 5 United States Code 3326.
You will be required to obtain and maintain interim and/or final security clearance prior to entry into duty. Failure to obtain and maintain the required level of clearance may result in the withdrawal or withdrawal of a job offer.
This role will entail travel from a regular duty station to CONUS and OCONUS and may include remote or isolated locations. You must be able to travel on military and commercial aircraft for a longer period of time.
This job is available for part-time, full-time and ad-hoc telework at the discretion of the management.
In addition to the basic qualifications for this role, your resume must also show at least one year of professional experience at or equal to the GS-12 grade or pay band level in the Federal Service or comparable experience in the private or public sector. Specialized experience shall demonstrate the following: specialized experience.
Performing astronomy and/or geodesy work, consisting of a background in physics and mathematics with a specialized study in astronomy and/or geodesy.