Job description
Stellar Insights Labs is seeking a Senior Astronomical Data Scientist to lead astroinformatics initiatives that accelerate discoveries across optical and infrared surveys. You will build scalable data pipelines, collaborate with astronomers, and drive reproducible research from raw data to publication-ready results.
We offer a dynamic, mission-driven environment with access to state-of-the-art facilities, cloud-based compute, and a strong emphasis on open science and mentorship.
Location: Boulder, Colorado. This role combines hands-on data work with leadership responsibilities and opportunities to contribute to grant proposals and software development.
Responsibility
- Lead the design and implementation of end-to-end data pipelines for large astronomical surveys (image processing, cataloging, and quality assessment).
- Develop and optimize software tools for astrophysical data analysis using Python, C++, and modern scientific libraries.
- Collaborate with astronomers to translate scientific questions into robust computational analyses and deliver reproducible results.
- Architect scalable, cloud-based computing workflows (AWS/GCP) and manage data storage, access, and security.
- Mentor junior engineers and scientists; contribute to grant proposals and project planning.
- Ensure code quality through testing, documentation, CI/CD, and open-source collaboration.
- Publish results in peer-reviewed venues and contribute to open-source software used by the astronomy community.
Qualification
- PhD in Astronomy, Astrophysics, Computer Science, or a closely related field; or MS with substantial research/industrial experience.
- Strong proficiency in Python (NumPy, SciPy, Astropy) and C++ for high-performance scientific computing.
- Hands-on experience with astronomy data formats (FITS, HDF5) and data analysis pipelines.
- Experience with machine learning and statistical methods applicable to astronomical data; ability to design experiments and interpret results.
- Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS or GCP), distributed computing, and containerization (Docker).
- Proven track record of collaboration, excellent communication, and ability to work across cross-disciplinary teams.
- Publications, conference presentations, or significant open-source contributions in astronomy or related fields.
- Strong problem-solving skills, initiative, and ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment.