Senior Backend Web Developer

Vera C. Rubin Observatory is a brand-new astronomical facility currently under construction in Chile, with staff based in Tucson, Arizona. Rubin Observatory will undertake the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) which promises to be one of the largest and most comprehensive astronomy surveys of its kind. Rubin Observatory will enable countless discoveries in almost every area of modern astronomical research—discoveries made possible by the team that built the Rubin Observatory system, and by the global science community that Rubin Observatory serves.

The Rubin Education and Public Outreach (EPO) team is a small, interdisciplinary group of astronomers, writers, designers, and developers building data visualizations and astronomy resources for students and the general public. Our goal is to make LSST data, astronomy, and science interesting and accessible to a broad audience.

Your Role:

Our education and outreach efforts focus on providing a broad international audience with online experiences that are inspiring, educational, and data-driven. As a member of our team, you will lead our backend development efforts, be involved in all decision-making processes related to delivering data and media assets to our web products, and collaborate closely with two other developers, and an astronomer.

 Rubin Observatory’s Science Platform is a data pipeline optimized for organizing and supplying vast amounts of survey data to astronomers and other scientists. Your primary responsibilities will be architecting and managing the “EPO Data Center” — a cloud-based service delivering LSST data from the Rubin Science Platform (Python + Kubernetes) to our web products (Craft 3 + React).

 As the Senior Backend Developer on our team, your primary responsibilities will include:

• Leading decision-making for backend development needs
• Architecting and managing the “EPO Data Center” — a cloud-based service delivering LSST data from the Rubin Science Platform (Python + Kubernetes) to our web products (Craft 3 + GraphQL + React)
• Integrating a Digital Assets Manager (TBD) with our CMS (Craft 3) and other web products (GraphQL + React)
• Maintaining and improving hosting and backend solutions for our existing web products
• Contributing to Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment solutions
• Helping to scale new and existing products to a large international audience
• Contributing to test coverage and documentation
• Participating in regular code reviews

About You: 

A strong candidate is excited to work on a small development team and excels at defining reasonable goals, based on a set of requirements, and reaching those goals. You will bring initiative and ownership to the development of our web products. You will have a strong voice in all matters related to our codebase. Your comprehensive documentation and test coverage elevate the quality of your code.  You are experienced in DevOps and are interested in learning more. You are interested in science, astronomy, and online education.

Here are some qualities that we will use to evaluate who makes a great candidate:

• Demonstrated experience as a lead backend developer on a long term project –– shepherding it from ideation to delivery, and coordinating effort from individual contributors
• Experience designing and interfacing with complex, large-scale, distributed data pipelines
• Ability to work independently, manage your own project, and communicate progress to technical and non-technical stakeholders
• At least 3 years of experience as a backend developer (Agile work experience is a plus)
• Diligence writing documentation and tests for your projects you own
• Hands-on DevOps experience with cloud infrastructure, CI/CD, and web hosting
• Experience with Google Cloud (or similar)
• Experience developing backend solutions for third-party CMS (Craft 3 is a plus)
• Familiarity with Python, Kubernetes, and PHP, and an interest in learning more
• Basic understanding of frontend technologies, including GraphQL and React
• Interest in science, astronomy, and online education

Above all we are looking for someone enthusiastic about contributing to data-driven web apps, creative and ambitious in their methods for doing so, and willing to work in a collaborative environment. We particularly encourage applicants with marginalized identities to apply.

The position is expected to last through construction (concluding late 2022) with the opportunity for extension. Our preference is for this position to be based in Tucson full-time. However, there is the possibility of remote working arrangements after at least one year spent on site in Tucson. The expectation of when relocation occurs is flexible given the current pandemic. This position is full-time but there is the opportunity for flexible hours or a modified work schedule.

Submission materials: Please include a CV or resume, a cover letter (pdf files preferred), and a link to your portfolio or GitHub. Also, please list 3 professional references who will only be contacted during the late stages of the interview process.

****Rubin Observatory has all staff working remotely during COVID-19 crisis. The safety of our staff and community is our top priority. We will continue to interview and screen candidates in this new virtual landscape. Offers of employment can be extended and new hires can on-board virtually and arrangements may be made for remote work. Relocation benefits will be available to those eligible when travel can be supported****

This position will remain open until filled, we anticipate beginning our review of candidates in mid November, for full consideration, please submit your application by November 12, 2020.

Preference granted to qualified Native Americans living on or near the Tohono O'odham reservation.  

Veterans, disabled individuals or wounded warriors needing assistance with the employment process should request assistance at [email protected]

The Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA), is a consortium of over 40 US institutions and three international affiliates that operates world-class astronomical observatories. AURA’s role is to establish, nurture, and promote public observatories and facilities that advance innovative astronomical research. AURA is responsible for managing the operations of the NSF’s NOIRLab, the National Solar Observatory, and the construction of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory and the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope under cooperative agreements with the National Science Foundation and operations of the Space Telescope Science Institute under contracts with NASA.  

AURA, as a leader in the astronomical community, is committed to diversity and inclusion. AURA develops and supports programs that advance our organizational commitment to diversity, broaden participation, and encourage the advancement of diversity throughout the astronomical scientific workforce. Learn more at http://www.aura-astronomy.org/diversity.asp.   

As a recipient of U.S. Government funding, AURA is considered a government contractor and is subject to Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action regulations. As an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer, AURA does not discriminate based on race, sex, color, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity/gender identity expression, lawful political affiliations, veteran status, disability, and/or any other legally protected status under applicable federal, state, and local equal opportunity laws.