Job description
Join the Lumen Nebula Institute, a premier astronomy research center, to advance our understanding of the cosmos. We are seeking a motivated Research Scientist to lead data analysis, develop pipelines, and collaborate across disciplines. This full-time role offers opportunities to work with world-class telescopes, publish in top journals, and mentor the next generation of scientists.
As part of the team, you will design robust data-processing workflows, implement machine-learning techniques for anomaly detection, and contribute to instrument calibration and survey planning.
Responsibility
- Lead the analysis of astronomical imaging and spectroscopic data from ground-based and space-based facilities.
- Design, implement, and maintain data pipelines using Python, Astropy, and SQL databases.
- Develop machine-learning models to identify targets, artifacts, and transient events.
- Collaborate with instrument teams to calibrate data and optimize survey strategies.
- Publish results in peer-reviewed journals and present at national and international conferences.
- Mentor graduate students and coordinate research projects with cross-disciplinary teams.
- Contribute to grant writing and the dissemination of software tools to the astronomy community.
Qualification
- PhD in Astronomy, Astrophysics, or closely related field, or equivalent research experience.
- 3+ years of hands-on experience with astronomical data analysis and visualization.
- Proficiency in Python, with strong knowledge of Astropy, NumPy, SciPy, and Pandas.
- Experience with telescope data pipelines, calibration, and survey data management.
- Strong scientific writing and presentation skills, with a track record of publications.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary environment.
- Familiarity with Git, Linux, and high-performance computing environments; knowledge of machine learning is a plus.
- Strong problem-solving skills and a passion for astronomy and education.