TITLE: IT Specialist (Data Specialist), IS-2210, Grades 7, 9; $46,198 to $70,801/yr
TYPE OF POSITION: Trust Fund (non-federal) Indefinite
DIVISION: - High Energy Astrophysics Division
LOCATION: Cambridge, Massachusetts
AREA OF CONSIDERATION: All qualified candidates

First consideration may be made 14 days after the opening date. This is a career ladder opportunity with promotion potential to grade 11. Employee may be non-competitively promoted to the next higher grade, up to grade 11, upon the recommendation of their supervisor, based on the position classification as well as their qualifications and satisfactory performance.

DUTIES: Individuals in this position will work in the Chandra Director’s Office performing a variety of computer-related duties as an IT Specialist, in support of the Chandra mission and research related Chandra data, including assistance to proposers and observers, supporting the proposal cycle, meetings and workshops and Chandra-related webpages and software.

Duties at the 7 level are in the form of assigned tasks relating to the duties described for the next higher grade level. At this level, the incumbent is in a developmental trainee level where the employee receives on-the-job-training and developmental experience.

Duties at the grade 9 level may include, but are no limited to: activities such as specifying, testing, writing, modifying, debugging, and/or documenting software, user support, proposal planning, and data analysis; running software and analyzing data output; developing and maintaining materials or pages for web sites; providing support to users via personal interaction and email; and assisting in the running of meetings and workshops.

QUALIFICATIONS : Candidates for all grade levels must possess experience in computer operations and/or software development ideally in a UNIX environment, and good communication and interpersonal skills. A background in astronomy or physics is highly desired. Knowledge of C/C++, data analysis software, and/or HTML is a plus. Specialized experience referred to below, for grade 7, is experience which has equipped candidates with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities required to successfully perform the above duties, and is typically in or related to the above described work. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for this occupation.

Candidates for the grade 7 level must also possess at least one of the following:

1. minimum of one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least grade 5, which may have been gained through work as a computer assistant, programmer, research assistant, or other position that employed the application of computer technology to carry out the basic duties. Such experience may have included translating detailed logical steps developed by others into computer code requiring understanding procedures and limitations of the programming language; interviewing subject-matter users to get facts necessary to develop specifications; operating computer consoles where this involved choosing from among various procedures in responding to machine commands or unscheduled halts; or scheduling the sequence of programs to be processed by computers where alternatives had to be considered with a view to production efficiency; or
2. one year of graduate level education in computer science, mathematics, engineering, or related field, or in a field such as physical science where course work required the development or adaptation of computer programs and systems and provided knowledge equivalent to graduate level education in a computer field; or
3. superior academic achievement as an undergraduate in one of the above cited fields; or
4. combination of successfully completed graduate level education and experience equivalent to the above.

Candidates for grade 9 must also possess at least one of the following:

1. minimum of one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least grade 7, which may have been gained through work as a computer programmer, research assistant, or data analyst, which employed the application of computer technology to carry out the basic duties. Such experience should demonstrate knowledge of and skill in: UNIX operating systems; computer scripting; software installation and configuration procedures; data processing methods and techniques; HTML: mathematics sufficient to develop and analyze algorithms; physics or astronomy sufficient to understand concepts pertaining to data; and elementary programming techniques and computer equipment and systems software; or
2. two years of graduate level education or Master's or equivalent degree in computer science, mathematics, engineering, or related field, or in a field such as physical science where course work required the development or adaptation of computer programs and systems and provided knowledge equivalent to graduate level education in a computer field; or
3. combination of successfully completed graduate level education and experience equivalent to the above.

NOTE: The appointment will be subject to the applicant’s successful/satisfactory completion of a pre-employment background check and subsequent background investigation. New employees are subject to background checks, including fingerprinting and a one-year probationary period. Relocation expenses will not be paid.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE: Please reference Job Posting #29-29 and submit resume to the address below, or via email to saoresumes@cfa.harvard.edu. Please note that this email address is for resume/application materials only. If relying on education to qualify, please furnish a copy of college transcripts.

Applicants who have experience in a research environment are encouraged to augment their resume by elaborating on their software and research experience by 1) briefly relating research projects and their objectives, and 2) describing how specific software was applied to the scientific research being conducted.

Please complete the Applicant Survey Form, which is used to collect information from candidates during the search process to evaluate the effectiveness of the Institution's search and recruit efforts. Please print all responses. The information provided is not a part of the selection process and will be used for statistical purposes only. Your voluntary responses will have no effect on your consideration.

The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity in our workplace.

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Mailing address:
Recruiter 461 (JP#29-29)
Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
60 Garden Street, MS 17
Cambridge, MA 02138