Support Astronomer position

The Instituto de Astronomía, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (IA-UNAM) is seeking a Support Astronomer (with a Technician Position) to strengthen the operations of our Observational Support team at the National Observatory of Mexico in San Pedro Martir. The Observatory manages a 2.1m telescope, a 1.5 m telescope, and several < 1m class robotic telescopes. The observatory facilities are located 4 hours by car to the city of Ensenada, in Baja California, Mexico.

The Support Astronomer will work with a team of scientists and technicians to maintain and support operation of the facilities and instruments in the Observatory at San Pedro Martir. The Support Astronomer will participate in 1) Nighttime operation of telescopes during scheduled engineering periods. 2) Helping and advising Observatory users to maximize the scientific output of their observing campaigns. 3) Carry on Astrophysical research, in agreement with his/her supervisor. 4) Contribute to the maintenance, development, and testing of new instruments or observing procedures. 5) Participate in the scheduling of robotic telescopes. Other activities include the improvement of instrument documentation and data reduction pipelines, maintenance of the Observatory web page, and characterization of the Site.

The successful candidate will spend at least 10 nights per month on site at the Observatory with the remainder of his/her time working at the Instituto de Astronomía at Ensenada, Baja California, under the supervision of the head of the San Pedro Martir Observatory.

Requirements:

1. A PhD. degree in Astrophysics.
2. Experience in operation of astronomical telescopes.
3. Experience in the installation, calibration, and operation of astronomical instrumentation.
4. 85% of English proficiency.
5. Experience in the elaboration of technical documentation, such as technical reports, manuals, and scientific articles.
6. Knowledge of the tools of reduction and analysis of astronomic data.
7. Ability to communicate and cooperate in a team environment, during full night periods, and under pressuring conditions,

It is desirable that the applicant has knowledge of Spanish, expertise in high level programming including Python and experience in Observational Astronomy.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Before applying, candidates should ensure that they meet the minimum requirements - any application not meeting these requirements is automatically rejected.

Applicants should submit the following documents:

a) Curriculum Vitae including a full list of publications

b) Two letters of recommendation

c) A letter addressed to Dr. Mauricio Reyes, Head of the Observatorio Astronómico Nacional SPM, explaining in detail previous experience and willingness to work at the Instituto de Astronomía, fulfilling in a satisfactory way all the tasks proper to the job.

All paperwork should be e-mailed to [email protected].

A full description of the Instituto de Astronomía can be found at the web page www.astroscu.unam.mx in Mexico City, and http://www.astrosen.unam.mx/ in Ensenada, Baja California. If the application is selected by the IA's internal council, the applicant will be required to submit electronically a copy of their birth certificate and PhD certificate.