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Job Summary

IPAC at Caltech is seeking an Applications Developer to join the Data Systems development staff of the NASA/IPAC Infrared Science Archive (IRSA). Come be a part of the team that is helping astronomers and data scientists worldwide access and explore IRSA’s petabyte archives of astronomy data.

IPAC, in the Physics, Math, and Astronomy Division at Caltech, provides science operations, user support, and data and archive services to enable discovery with observatories both in space and on the ground. IRSA (http://irsa.ipac.caltech.edu) is the steward of scientific data sets, ancillary data products, and documentation delivered by NASA's Infrared and Sub-millimeter missions, operating petabyte-scale archives, multi-billion–row databases, and a suite of tools for accessing, visualizing, and analyzing data from leading space and ground-based astronomical facilities.

This role focuses on hands-on software development with a collaborative multidisciplinary team, supporting the design, implementation, and maintenance of IRSA’s back-end services for query, processing, and retrieval of archive data. The position offers opportunities to grow technical skills, work closely with experienced developers and scientists, and gain exposure to large-scale scientific data systems within a research institution that values collaboration, sustainable workloads, and long-term professional development.

Essential Job Duties

As an IPAC Applications Developer, you will help develop and maintain back-end data and computing services, including databases, APIs, and processing services. These services support applications used by scientists to find, access, and utilize data from IRSA’s vast holdings of astronomy mission data. Candidates should demonstrate a strong analytical and engineering mindset, capable of assessing new problems, understanding constraints and tradeoffs, and designing practical, maintainable solutions.

Key responsibilities of this position include:

• Contribute to the development and ongoing improvement of IRSA archive data services and APIs in collaboration with scientific stakeholders and project team members.
• Develop and integrate efficient search and retrieval mechanisms for IRSA’s petabyte-scale on-premises and cloud data holdings.
• Improve access to IRSA’s holdings for data scientists working in notebook and cloud-based platform environments.
• Interpret and implement project requirements under guidance from senior developers and project leads, and ensure appropriate documentation of delivered work.
• Assist with maintaining up-to-date databases and archive content.
• Other duties as assigned.

Basic Qualifications

If you have the following in your background, then we want to hear about your interest in joining our team:

• Bachelor’s or equivalent degree in a technical field such as Computer Science, Engineering, Astronomy, Physics, Math, or a related field.
• 3+ years of experience as a software developer in a Unix/Linux environment using one or more of C, C++, Python or Go. Demonstrated ability to design and implement maintainable, performant systems.
• Experience developing backend services (e.g., RESTful APIs), including HTTP fundamentals, routing, middleware, JSON serialization, and performance-aware service design.
• 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.

Preferred Qualifications

Some or all of the following skills and experiences are preferred and will enhance success in this role:

• Master’s degree in a computing‑related discipline, including relevant coursework such as distributed systems, server‑side application development, databases, middleware architectures, high‑performance computing, or large‑scale data processing systems, particularly as applied to scientific research.
• Experience with web server technologies such as Apache and NGINX.
• Experience with server virtualization and cloud services such as AWS, GCP, or Azure.
• Experience with software containerization and deployment technologies, such as Docker and Kubernetes.
• Familiarity with database applications (SQL) and large-scale data processing.
• Experience working with scientific data sets and use cases.

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 (typically two days per week depending on operational needs). Depending on start date, an initial remote working arrangement may be considered for up to three months.
• Applications are due by April 3, 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. IPAC emphasizes sustainable workloads and a healthy work–life balance. Most staff work a daytime schedule, with after-hours work infrequent and typically limited to exceptional situations requiring immediate attention. We support ongoing professional development, including training, conferences, and skill development aligned with both institutional needs and individual career goals.