Application deadline: 30th September  2015

Competitive Salary and Flexible Benefits

Job Title:

SKA

Computing

Lead

Reference

:

CL/01

Reports To:

SKA Project Engineer

Closing Date for applications:

Closing date for receipt of completed applications is

30

th

September

201

5

. For details of how to apply please see below.

Submission of applications:

Email to

jobs@skatelescope.org

Organisation Background

The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) is a global project to build a multi

-

purpose radio telescope that

will play a major role in answering key questions in modern astrophysics and cosmology. It will be

one of a small number of cornerstone observatories around

the world that will provide

astrophysicists and cosmologists with a transformational view of the Universe.

The SKA will be

constructed in two distinct phases. The major science goals for the first phase, SKA1, will be to study

the history and role of neut

ral Hydrogen in the Universe from the dark ages to the present

-

day, and

to employ pulsars as probes of fundamental physics.

Since 2008, the global radio astronomy community has been engaged in the development of the SKA

as a major part of the ‘Preparatory

’ phase of the project. The Preparatory phase ended in December

2011 and, following a number of major changes, the international SKA project has now progressed

to the ‘Pre

-

Construction’ phase (2012

-

1

7

) with the establishment of a new legal entity, the SKA

Organisation, on 14 December 2011.

Ten

governments are now participating in the project, with

others engaged in discussions concerning possible membership. The SKA Organisation is

headquartered in a purpose

-

built building at Jodrell Bank Observatory in C

heshire, UK.

General Description

The Office of the SKA Organisation (“SKA Office”)

leads

the SKA system design and oversee

s

the

detailed design being undertaken within the globally distributed SKA work packages (WPs). To

accomplish this goal the SKA Office

employs

highly qualified scientists and engineers, project

managers and system engineers. Work packages for the major SKA

subsystems (elements)

are

contracted to a small number of work package consortia who

are

responsible for the management,

execution and delivery of the work packages. The technical strategy and philosophy of the project

are strongly based on system enginee

ring principles.

The Role

The SKA

Engineering

team

are staff with extensive experience in a particular field of interest to the

SKA. They may cross work breakdown structure boundaries and advise more than one work package

manager.

They support the SKA

Project Engineer

in the generation of the top level re

quirements

and engineering

activities. Domain specialists provide engineering performance analysis as well as

costing and other information to work package managers.

Rev B

2

The

SKA

Computing

Lead

is a domain specialist

, a technical hands

-

on leader,

but

with

additional

broader duties.

The

SKA Computing Lead

will have significant experience and expertise in

some or all

of

definition, design and implementation of common computing architectures, imagi

ng processing

and

/or

calibration algorithms

, monitoring and control systems

and data management.

The

SKA

Computing

Lead

will be the key source

of

computing knowledge and expertise within the SKA Office.

The ideal candidate will be familiar with methods an

d algorithms used in radio astronomy imaging

and/or in the real

-

time aspects of

controlling

a complex radio telescope system.

In addition to the

Key Duties outlined below, it is expected that the

SKA

Computing

Lead

will engage in design work

with the Scie

nce Data Processor and Telescope Manager consortia.

Key

Duties,

Ac

countabilities

and

Responsibilities

Under the direction of the

SKA

Project Engineer

the postholder will:

•

Provide

technical

lea

d

ership in the

ir area of domain expertise

.

•

Support the SKA Project

Engineer

in the generation of the top

-

level requirements

, design

and any re

-

baselining activities.

•

Provide engineering performance analysis as required.

•

Provide updates and reports as necessary.

•

Work with Work Package Consortia (WPC

)

, the Science Data Processor and Telescope

Manager in particular

,

as appropriate to provide guidance, advice and technical assistance in

their domain area of expertise.

•

As required,

engage in WPC and other reviews in their areas of expertise

, or if

required

,

in

other areas

.

•

As required

,

contribute significantly to the design work undertaken in their domain area of

expertise.

•

P

articipate in team projects, and to provide specialist assistance to working groups,

colleagues and WPC

s

.

•

T

ravel, as required

, to any of the SKA countries

.

•

As required, p

rovide advice and guidance to

SKA Office Project

Managers

and System

Engineers

.

•

U

ndertake training in the financial, occupational health and safety,

and

human resource

management pro

cedures applicable to the SKA

or its partners

.

•

Undertake any other reasonable duties as directed by the post holder’s line manager or a

member of SKA Organisation Senior Management Team.

Mandatory

Qualifications

, Experience

and

Knowledge:

•

Recognised u

niversity degree

-

level education/

training in engineering or physical sciences.

•

Analytical skills: e

xperience with analysis

/simulation

, design

tools and programming

languages.

•

Experience with design in the relevant field of specialty.

•

Good English oral and written communication skills

.

•

Exp

erience in presenting work orally at meetings and other forums

.

•

Specialist knowledge, encompassing design and application, of the relevant f

ield of specialty.

•

Specialist knowledge and experience in a solid subset of the following, and working

knowledge of

the others, unless otherwise specified:

o

Extensive experience in the design, definition and implementation of

§

Common computing architectures

§

Imaging processing algorithms

Rev B

3

§

Calibration techniques and algorithms

§

Data management

, data archives and data

analytics methods

o

Familiarity with m

onitorin

g and c

ontr

ol s

ystems for complex scientific instruments

o

Familiarity with

state

-

of

-

the

-

art radio telescopes

o

Familiarity with the theory and practice of radio interferometry

o

Familiarity with astronomical

observation management and observatory operations

processes

o

Knowledge and practical experience of parallel processing techniques and High

Performance Computing

and Cloud Computing

.

Desirable Qualifications, Experience and Knowledge:

•

Industry experience, a

nd/or a track record in successful collaborative links with industry.

•

Familiarity with the formalism for, and requirements of, quality control environments such

as ISO9000.

For more information on the SKA project visit

http://www.skatelescope.org

. The SKA Organisation

offers a competitive salary, a generous company pension scheme and a flexible benefits package.

The successful applicant’s workplace will be located at the SKA

Organisation’s Global

headquarters in

Jodrell Bank Observatory.

How to apply:

Please send a CV and covering letter

, including details of your current remuneration,

to

jobs@skatelescope.org

, quoting reference CL/01

. Applicati

ons should include a

summary of your

project experience

, detailing how you meet the essential and desirable

knowledge, skills and

experience

criteria,

an

d the names of at lea

st three professional referees, one of whom must be

your current employer (or most recent employer if

not currently working)

. Closing date for

receipt

of applications is 30

th

September 2015

.

When applying please state where you saw the vacancy advertised.

Equal Opportunities Statement:

SKA Organisation is committed to being an equal opportunities employer.

Our aim to is recruit and

retain the most talented inpiduals, regardless of gender, race, disability, age, sexual orientation,

religion or nationality.

At all stages of the recr

uitment process and beyond, we strive to treat applicants and employees with

a high standard of care, honesty and politeness.

Rev B

4

Women have traditionally been under

-

represented in the fields of science and engineering; SKA

Organisation welcomes and encour

ages female applicants.

Where applicants with a disability need facilities or adjustments to enable them to participate in the

recruitment process, these will be provided.

If you need equipment or adjustments to enable you to

complete you

r applicatio

n and/or attend an

interview then please let us know.