Astronomy Data Integration Technician

California-Institute-of-Technology; Pasadena (CA); On-site; USD 35,000 - 44,000; Full time

Job summary

Caltech's Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) seeks an Associate Research Technician to develop and test tools for data processing and alert management, integrating with SkyPortal and public brokers. The role emphasizes building Python integrations and collaborating with scientists to shape requirements.

The one-year term appointment starts Oct 2026, with a focus on creating scalable data pipelines and user-centric interfaces for astronomical data streams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, or a related field and 2–4 years of relevant experience. A relevant master’s degree may substitute for up to two years of experience.
• Experience using Git/GitHub and collaborative software-development workflows.
• Experience working with SQL and/or NoSQL databases, such as PostgreSQL or MongoDB.
• Experience developing and testing user-facing software, including UI/UX design principles.
• Experience with a modern front-end framework such as React.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain Python integrations that connect relational databases with astronomical data streams and alert brokers through APIs or Kafka.
• Work with scientists to define requirements, troubleshoot moderately complex technical issues, test solutions, and improve system capabilities and user experience.

Skills

UI/UX design principles

Git/GitHub workflows

SQL/NoSQL databases

React

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science / Data Science / Engineering or related field

Tools

React

Git/GitHub

SQL/NoSQL Databases

Job description

Caltech's Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) seeks an Associate Research Technician to develop and test tools for data processing and alert management, integrating with SkyPortal and public brokers. The role emphasizes building Python integrations and collaborating with scientists to shape requirements.

The one-year term appointment starts Oct 2026, with a focus on creating scalable data pipelines and user-centric interfaces for astronomical data streams.