Astronomy Laboratory Instructor and Observatory Manager

The Astronomy Department of Wellesley College, a highly selective liberal arts college devoted to educating women who will make a difference in the world, invites applications for a non-tenure track, renewable faculty position as Laboratory Instructor in Astronomy and Observatory Manager, beginning in July 2018.

The Astronomy Department is dedicated to providing outstanding classroom and research opportunities in astronomy for students of all levels and backgrounds, from non-science majors to budding planetary scientists and astrophysicists. We seek a colleague who shares our passion for the education of undergraduate women, with demonstrated experience in hands-on astronomical observations and instrumentation, a desire to collaborate, a zest for public outreach, and strong leadership and communication skills. An advanced degree in astronomy or a closely related field is required. We strongly encourage applications from candidates who share our goal of building a diverse community.

The successful applicant will be responsible for:
● Laboratory instruction and support for astronomical observations across the Astronomy Department curriculum, making use of both historical and research grade observing facilities at the College’s on-campus Whitin Observatory
● Management and maintenance of the Whitin Observatory’s laboratory and research instrumentation and facilities
● Curricular innovation to help shape hands-on, discovery-based learning, from introductory courses for non-majors to advanced opportunities for upper-level students 
● Training and management of the nighttime student staff, and supervision of community outreach activities at the Whitin Observatory

The appointment as Instructor in Science Laboratory/Observatory Manager (ISL/OM) is renewable upon successful review. It is a full-time position during the nine months spanning the academic year (September – May), with an additional stipend during the summer to support the management of the Observatory during the annual summer research session, and to maintain equipment for the upcoming academic year. 

For more information about the Astronomy Department, our on-campus Whitin Observatory, and our curriculum we invite you to visit our webpage at http://www.wellesley.edu/astronomy. The Astronomy Department is a founding member of the Keck Northeast Astronomy Consortium (http://astro.swarthmore.edu/knac/). For more information about Wellesley College, please visit http://www.wellesley.edu.

To apply for this position, please submit a letter that describes your relevant teaching, public outreach, and instrumentation skills, a CV, and three letters of recommendation at http://career.wellesley.edu/postings/1855. The deadline for applications is December 19, 2017. For more information, feel free to contact Richard French, Chair of the Astronomy Department, at  rfrench_at_wellesley.edu.