Caltech is a world-renowned science and engineering institute that marshals some of the world's brightest minds and most innovative tools to address fundamental scientific questions. We thrive on finding and cultivating talented people who are passionate about what they do. Join us and be a part of the diverse Caltech community.

Job Summary

IPAC, in the Physics, Math, and Astronomy Division at Caltech, provides science operations, user support, data and archive services, and scientific vision to enhance discovery with astronomical observatories both in space and on the ground. In addition to support for current and upcoming missions, IPAC hosts archives of petabyte-scale astronomical imaging datasets and multi-billion row databases delivered by NASA Astrophysics missions, and develops a variety of tools for accessing, visualizing, and analyzing that data in the cloud.  IPAC is inviting well-qualified individuals to apply for the position of IPAC Cloud Developer to help design and develop cloud-based systems and science tools, primarily in an AWS environment. The role is ideal for someone with a strong focus on deployment and configuration and automation of cloud infrastructure, and having experience working with large data sets in the AWS cloud.

Job Duties

As an IPAC Cloud Developer, you will help develop and support cloud-based infrastructure capable of running high-quality science tools in collaboration with engineering and scientific team members. Tasks may include:

• Designing, developing, and testing tools to deploy and automate science algorithms in cloud environments.
• Implementing and maintaining cloud monitoring and reporting capabilities.
• Writing and maintaining clear documentation and supporting day-to-day operations of cloud infrastructure.
• Participating in virtual and in-person meetings to coordinate activities within and across teams.
• Coordinating with external partners regarding the operations and oversight of IPAC cloud infrastructure.
• Providing technical advice and assistance to team members developing both hybrid and cloud-native services.
• Implementing cloud security and resource-optimization best practices.
• Performing other duties as assigned.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or equivalent degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Software Engineering, Physics, or a related technical field
• Proficiency with infrastructure-as-code tools such as CloudFormation or Terraform
• At least 5 years professional software development experience, including 3 or more years of experience with AWS services (EC2, S3, EKS, Lambda)
• Familiarity with software configuration management principles and tools, source code version control (e.g. Git/GitHub) and issue/bug tracking systems (e.g. Jira)
• Ability to work in a team environment and communicate effectively across various technical levels, including good written and verbal communication skills
• Qualify as a United States (US) person as defined by ITAR regulations – A US person is a citizen of the United States, a lawful permanent resident alien of the US (“Green Card” holder), or individuals granted refugee and Asylee status under US law.

Preferred Qualifications

Beyond these basic qualifications, there are a set of skills and experiences which will add to your ability to contribute to the roles and responsibilities. The following might give you a head start here, but even if these do not describe you or your experience, we would still like to hear from you.

• Master’s or equivalent degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Software Engineering, Physics, or a related technical field
• At least 8 years professional software development experience, including 5 or more years of experience with AWS services (EC2, S3, EKS, Lambda)
• Experience with software containerization and deployment technologies, such as Docker and Kubernetes
• Experience developing software for astronomical data analysis
• Experience in working with large data sets and databases

Required Documents

• Full Resume.
• Short Cover Letter.

Application Details

• This is an on-site position at the Caltech campus in Pasadena, California. There will be some allowability for remote work. Depending on start date, an initial remote working arrangement may be considered for up to three months.
• Applicants for this position must be a United States (US) person as defined by ITAR regulations – A US person is a citizen of the United States, a lawful permanent resident alien of the US (“Green Card” holder), or individuals granted refugee and Asylee status under US law.
• Applications are due by Jan 7, 2026.

Life at IPAC

People choose to work at IPAC for many reasons, and the casual, employee-centric culture often leads to fulfilling, long-term careers and positive relationships. Caltech’s benefits program offers a quality, competitive benefits package that is affordable for you and the Institute. We also offer a 403(b) defined contribution plan to eligible staff as well as a Voluntary Retirement Savings (TDA) Plan. IPAC staff have access to the Institute’s facilities, including the athletic center, libraries, on-site daycare, professional development and enrichment classes, and Athenaeum club membership.