VLBA Operations Specialist -II

Job Description

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) is a prestigious research and development organization that plays a vital role in the study of the universe. Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI) is a nonprofit organization that manages and operates the NRAO under a cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation. The Observatory is a hub for technological and scientific collaboration, operating state‑of‑the‑art radio telescope facilities for use by the international scientific community.

The Observatory has been instrumental in the study of black holes, galaxies, and the early universe.

At NRAO, we are recruiting an Operations Specialist to join our Operations team at the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) in New Mexico. The Operations Specialist provides skilled technical assistance, under limited supervision, in the execution of astronomical observing programs, basic data analysis and correlation of observed data. The Operations Specialist operates and array of ten telescopes as one system ensuring the acquisition of data from the instrument delivers a high level of data quality while ensuring the safety of personnel and equipment.

Candidates with preferred experience and education will be considered for a higher‑level Operations Specialist ranking; duties and responsibilities increase with each level. This is a “safety sensitive” position as described in the Position Requirements below.

The location for the position will be the Domenici Science Operations Center (DSOC) in Socorro, New Mexico. Socorro is a small, historical town in the Rio Grande Valley, 75 miles south of Albuquerque.

The essential duties of an Operations Specialist I include:

• Operating and monitoring ten telescopes and supporting equipment
• Troubleshooting and taking corrective action when errors and faults occur
• Communicating with remote personnel working on the telescopes, notifying personnel of dangerous weather conditions, monitoring fire alarm systems and responding to emergencies
• Initiating telescope control and preparing the antenna, receivers, clocks, recording systems and other hardware and software for operation
• Receiving observing instructions and executing observing programs including, but not limited to, processing incoming observing files, verifying against published schedules, annotating files on the observation schedule, executing observation programs and sending results to observers
• Aiding and accommodating requests from observers, scientific staff, engineers and technicians in regards to basic commands for telescope controls and data analyses
• Monitoring readings and alerts on multiple computer screens to detect unsafe equipment conditions and ensuring all systems are configured correctly and operating normally
• Monitoring fringe amplitude readings and data flagging codes to check data quality
• Performing system tests to measure values used to finely tune each antenna, verifying antenna functionality and receiver performance and updating system parameters following major hardware upgrades, in consultation with a system expert
• Taking prescribed actions to protect telescope equipment i.e. weather conditions exceed operating parameters
• Making necessary personnel call‑outs when equipment safety is compromised and/or when major problems occur
• Maintaining an accurate observing log of failures, abnormal conditions, significant events, equipment status changes, procedural changes, or special instructions from observers or staff
• Writing detailed maintenance reports for hardware and software problems
• Documenting operational procedures and assisting with their upkeep
• Managing the correlator queue efficiently, appropriately balancing the priorities of observing and correlator functions
• Ensure data disk packs are properly handled and stores during and after usage
• Proactive compliance with all NRAO policies and procedures is required
• Other duties may be assigned

Additional responsibilities of Operations Specialist II include:

• Providing advanced troubleshooting support and corrective actions when errors and faults occur
• Performing ongoing analysis of operator tools and methods, and documenting…