Start your new year off with an amazing career at STScI! The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) is a multi-mission science and flight operations center for NASA’s flagship observatories on the Johns Hopkins University Homewood campus in Baltimore, Maryland. Learn more about our missions.
This position can support hybrid work. Candidates must reside in or be willing to relocate to our local market. (MD, DE, VA, PA, DC & WV).
This position requires US Citizenship or Permanent Residence in order to meet ITAR requirements.
Compensation is commensurate with education and experience. Salary range – $130,000 -150,000
STScI is hiring a Senior Data Cloud Engineers for our Catalog Science Branch to focus on data infrastructure and processing using use big data processing tools and data storage solutions to advance our state-of-the-art, astronomical data archive, the Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (MAST). MAST is the public data archive for more than 20 missions spanning more than 30 years, including HST, JWST, Roman, GALEX, PanSTARRS, Kepler, K2, and TESS.
Catalog Science Branch- CSB is responsible for the development, design, support and operational maintenance of astronomical catalogs, high-level science products (HLSPs), and the Common Archive Observation Model (CAOM) for our missions.
The Role:
Design, build, and manage data infrastructure for processing, storing, and analyzing large volumes of data in the cloud. This includes data pipelines, ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) processes, and ensuring data quality and integrity. Use big data technologies (e.g., Spark), SQL databases, data warehousing, data lakehousing and cloud data services. Focus on Data processing, storage, and analysis, ensuring data is accessible and usable for data exploration.
Key Responsibilities:
- Design, construct, install, test, and maintain robust, highly scalable, flexible and cost-effective cloud-based data management systems: data store, data backup, data integration, data governance, data recovery and data retrieval
- Design, develop and maintain scalable data ingestion and data migration pipelines and build out to support increasing mission data volume and complexity
- Design, develop and maintain cloud-based scientific catalog data exploration tools/services
- Design, install, deploy and support of hybrid environments with mixture of legacy and active mission astronomical data
Your Experience, Skills & Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, or a related field. 8+ years industry experience. Preferred certifications include AWS Certified Solutions Architect, or equivalent experience.
Targeted Skills:
- Strong SQL programming skills and experience with cloud SQL databases (e.g., Amazon RDS).
- Extensive knowledge of ETL/ELT processes and cloud data Lakehouse solutions (e.g. Trino, Iceberg)
- Familiarity with big data tools and frameworks. Experience with distributed database platforms (e.g. Massive Parallel Processing database clusters)
- Familiarity with data modeling, data architecture, and data governance.
- SQL and database tuning expertise.
- Hands-on experience with cloud platforms, especially Amazon Web Services (AWS), including building and deploying cloud applications to automate processes.
- Proficiency in cloud data storage and access strategies.
- Strong programming skills in languages such as Python.
- Knowledge in machine learning
- Experience with containerization and orchestration tools (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes)
Our excellent benefits include:
- Employer retirement contribution – direct STScI contribution of 10% of your salary from your first day
- 12 days sick leave, 24 days’ vacation, and 10 paid holidays
- Comprehensive medical/dental/vision/prescription plans, and more!
TO APPLY: Please upload a resume, cover letter and online application. Applications received by January 3, 2025 will receive full consideration. Applications received after this date will be considered until the position is filled.
STScI offers a flexible and welcoming workspace for all. STScI embraces the diversity of our staff as a strategic priority in creating a first-rate community. We strongly encourage women, ethnic minorities, veterans, and disabled individuals to apply for these opportunities. Veterans, disabled individuals, or wounded warriors needing assistance with the employment process can contact us at careers@stsci.edu EOE/AA/M/F/D/V.
As a leader in the astronomical community, AURA 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 workforce www.aura-astronomy.org/diversity.asp
As a recipient of U.S. Government funding, AURA is considered a government contractor subject to Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action regulations. As an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer, AURA and all of the centers do not discriminate based on race, sex, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity/gender identity expression, lawful political affiliations, veteran status, disability, and any other legally protected status under applicable federal, state, and local equal opportunity laws. The statements below, as well as the requests for self-identification, are required under these regulations. We encourage your participation in meeting these federal reporting requirements for protection and assisting us in our record-keeping and reporting. Your responses are kept strictly confidential.
Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)
