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Job Summary

Caltech Optical Observatories (COO) is inviting qualified candidates to apply for the position of Adaptive Optics Engineer within its Optical and Infrared (OIR) Instrumentation Group. The OIR Group develops innovative visible and infrared astronomical adaptive optics systems, imaging cameras, and spectrographs for the Palomar, Keck, and Thirty Meter Telescope International Observatories, as well as for other facilities and missions in support of Caltech faculty and student research.

Applicants are expected to have a demonstrated record of successfully delivering high-performance optoelectromechanical instrument systems for large telescopes or equivalent technical and managerial experience with technological innovations that meaningfully expand human scientific knowledge and understanding.

The successful candidate will contribute to the development of forefront adaptive optics systems for large telescopes, with opportunities for growth in other areas of astronomical instrumentation. You will work in close collaboration with Caltech faculty and research staff, advancing new concepts and research directions to enable new astrophysical measurements.

Essential Job Duties

The successful AO Engineer will:

• Develop and promote AO system designs via systems engineering tasks such as performance simulations, error budget construction, and flow-down, interface definitions, and user engagement.
• Lead AO system and subsystem implementation within multi-disciplinary teams, providing guidance to expert optical, mechanical, and controls engineers.
• Provide AO expertise leadership for distributed teams developing both soft- and hard-real-time AO system software and related instrumentation and observatory infrastructure.
• Identify and pursue opportunities for advanced technology developments, such as new wavefront sensing techniques and components, novel AO telemetry data utilization, and advanced tomography algorithms. 
• Bring excellent written and verbal communications and teaming skills to an interdisciplinary, inter-institutional collaborative setting.
• Perform instrument engineering at a senior level in one or more of the following disciplines: optical design, mechanical design, controls engineering, software architecture and development, real-time computer implementation, laser guide star systems engineering, and calibration system design.
• Occasional travel and work at high altitudes (up to 14,000 ft.) are required, including daytime and nighttime schedules. The Adaptive Optics Engineer will at times need to drive to observatories to work on instruments, as well as provide expert guidance. 

As a member of the OIR Instrumentation group, the successful AO Engineer is expected to demonstrate:

• Creativity and innovative development of new instrumentation techniques and component technologies for furthering precision, grasp, multiplex, and efficiency across a wide domain of astrophysical measurements.
• Excellent communications and working relationship with astrophysics faculty and research staff at Caltech and partner institutions.
• Recognized technical excellence in one or more of the following instrumentation sub-disciplines: optical, photonic, mechanical, electrical, or detector engineering; cryo-vacuum systems; adaptive optics; controls; software engineering; or robotics.
• Broad knowledge of experimental physics and multidisciplinary engineering principles.
• Familiarity with effective systems engineering disciplines, including requirements engineering, error budget analysis, requirements flow-down, formal interface control, and risk assessment and mitigation strategies.
• Leadership of instrument and/or data pipeline software development teams, with emphasis on efficiency, automation, maintainability, and extensibility.
• Effective project planning and management of innovative/prototypical scientific equipment.

Basic Qualifications

• Ph.D. in astronomy, physics, engineering, or related field and 4 years of experience, or equivalent (Master’s with 8 years or Bachelor’s with 10 years in the same fields).
• Enthusiasm to make impactful contributions, individually and within instrumentation teams, to human knowledge and understanding.
• Demonstrated strong laboratory integration and testing skills, including, but not limited to, proper understanding of cryogenics, alignment and assembly tolerances, metrology systems, automated data acquisition systems, statistical analysis, and computer/hardware interfaces.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills and ability to lead technical peers and work collegially with astronomical faculty.
• Occasional travel and work at high altitudes (up to 14,000 ft.) are required, including both daytime and occasional nighttime schedules.
• Ability to lift 25 lbs. and see in low-light-level conditions. 
• Must possess a valid driver’s license and maintain it throughout employment.
• Successful pre-employment physical, DMV, and background checks.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ph.D. and 8 years’ experience, or equivalent.
• Expertise in adaptive optics systems design and performance optimization, high-contrast imaging techniques, and/or high-resolution spectroscopy.
• Strong independent publication record in astronomical instrumentation and international recognition of past achievements.
• Proven publication record in advanced optical/photonic instrument component development for new generations of spectrographs and adaptive optics systems.

Required Documents

• Resume
• Cover Letter