Project Engineer - 137210

Under the supervision of Professor Brian G. Keating, the Project Engineer will be a key member of the POLITE project, an ambitious observational cosmology experiment based in Julian, California. The project is dedicated to conducting high-precision tests of Lorentz invariance, a fundamental principle of physics. Applies professional engineering expertise to a range of moderately complex assignments within this specialized research field. Plays an integral role to a major research effort and involves working on tasks of moderate scope where the analysis of situations or data requires a comprehensive review of various factors.

Responsible for a wide array of tasks, including the design and operation of a custom-built telescope, the collection and analysis of high-precision astrophysical data, and ensuring the reliability of instrumental calibrations. Incumbent plays a vital role in the development of data reduction pipelines, contribute to the interpretation of scientific results in the context of fundamental physics, and assist with the maintenance and operations of the field site. Through this multifaceted role, the incumbent provide critical support for advancing the project's experimental tests of foundational symmetries in nature.

• Bachelor's degree in a related area such as Physics, Engineering, Computer Science and/or equivalent experience/training.

• Working knowledge of engineering principles and methods in order to independently perform professional engineering design work of limited scope and complexity. Working knowledge of engineering principles and methods in astronomical polarimetry in order to independently perform professional engineering design and development of scope and complexity.

• Working knowledge necessary to begin independent application of principles, practices and procedures in the completion of assignments. Experience with and understanding of basic laboratory equipment, procedures, and practices.

• Organizational abilities and decision-making to prioritize work assignments.

• Effective written and verbal communication skills. Ability to write technical documentation in a clear and concise manner.

• Ability to work in a collaborative manner, to assist in identifying any challenges or barriers. Strong interpersonal skills to work effectively with both technical and non-technical personnel at various levels.Self-motivated and able to work independently and as part of a team, with strong problem-solving skills.

• Experience with CCD and CMOS camera operations, analysis of FITS files, and telescope optics for large instruments.

• Experience with The Sky observatory, camera, filter, rotator, and calibration control software.

• Experience in programming, especially with Python and Jupyter. Demonstrated ability to install software and troubleshoot basic problems with computing devices, peripherals, and software.

• Experience with data entry and working with data, such as performing data quality checks, updating time series figures, and generating plots of data.

This position requires a background check clearance prior to starting employment.

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