Physicist (Astronomer)

Job Overview

This job announcement will be accepting candidate submissions until 21 January 2025.
Duties for the Physicist (Astronomer) position include, but are not limited to:

• Serves as an Astronomer for the AMOS Novel Technologies and Advanced Research program.
• Leads as the 15th Space Surveillance Squadron’s spectral exploitation and astronomy instrumentation subject-matter expert and liaison to numerous U.S. Space Force and external partners.
• Provides technical oversight and analysis in the realm of spectral exploitation, optics, and astronomy instrumentation for new/on-going Space Domain Awareness (SDA) research leveraging a vast array of telescopes, sensors, and computer systems.
• Implements decisions on investments of research funding toward developing novel SDA technology.
• Applies expert knowledge and/or develops new methods to support validation, improvements, and application of current spectral techniques and optical hardware in space surveillance and space object acquisition and characterization. 
• Conducts reduction and analysis of collected data from telescopes and instrumentation to validate system performance and capabilities.
• Collects day and/or night observations from ground-based telescopes.
• Performs astronomical instrumentation development to improve SDA capabilities.
• Leverages expertise to research novel techniques in the astronomical community; develops, implements, installs, and/or tests new optical sensors, cameras, and other telescope instruments. 
• Evaluates contractor and in-house/outside laboratory programs, ensuring the technical accuracy of proposed solutions.
• Develops briefing materials to inform leadership, contractor partners, and stakeholders of program status and plans.
• Provides insight into development of annual execution & programmatic requirements, while maintaining far-sighted vision of future site capability needs.
• Delivers inputs into programmatic metrics such as cost, schedule, performance, and risk-opportunity management.
• Relocation costs or other incentives may be available and considered by the organization.

Telework

Yes, this position is eligible for telework opportunities; as determined by agency policy

Remote Work (CONUS)

No, this position is not approved for remote work.

Eligible for a Referral Bonus?

No

Required Qualifications

• United States Citizenship
• Must possess a professional science or engineering (S&E) degree from an accredited academic institution
• Must have at least one year of specialized experience at the DR-02/GS-13 or equivalent grade level. 
• Specialized experience is experience providing the capacity and skills for working independently, leading collaborative events, working in teams and using these approaches to find and solve complex problems. 
• Such experience may also include training, collaborative process facilitation, innovation design practice, writing background, editing job roles, continuous process improvement credentials, multi-agency liaison work, published work in refereed technical journals, and/or briefings to large groups.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Special Sensitive security clearance

Desired Qualifications

Experimental Physicist:

• A MS or PhD (preferred) in Physics (with a focus on Astronomy), Astronomy, Astrophysics, Optical Engineering, Planetary Science or similar.
• Experience in optics, spectral analysis, ground-based telescope observations, imaging sciences, and/or astronomy instrumentation development are highly desired.

(Req No: 51791)

Series

1310