Astronomy Research Assistant: Observational Data & Analysis

University of California, Berkeley; Berkeley (CA); On-site; USD 57,000 - 69,000; Full time

Job summary

University of California, Berkeley's Astronomy Department seeks a Junior/Assistant Specialist to support observational astronomy research on distances to nearby galaxies. Under Professor Daniel Weisz, you will organize and process telescope imaging data and perform basic photometric analyses.

You will maintain documentation, help compare ground- and space-based observations, identify data-quality issues, and prepare figures for research meetings.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent international degree.
• Undergraduate degree in astronomy, astrophysics, or physics.
• Experience with observations and modeling of stars or stellar populations.
• Experience with developing open source stellar model packages in Python.
• Experience with time series data analysis such as pulsating stars or microlensing events.
• Familiarity with observations of stellar spectroscopy.

Responsibilities

• Organize and process telescope imaging data.
• Perform basic photometric and quality-control analyses.
• Maintain clear documentation of data products and analysis procedures.
• Prepare figures or summaries for research meetings.
• Assist with comparing ground- and space-based observations.
• Receive training in scientific computing, data management, and responsible research practices.

Skills

Observations & stellar modeling

Python open-source models

Time series analysis

Stellar spectroscopy familiarity

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Job description

University of California, Berkeley's Astronomy Department seeks a Junior/Assistant Specialist to support observational astronomy research on distances to nearby galaxies. Under Professor Daniel Weisz, you will organize and process telescope imaging data and perform basic photometric analyses.

You will maintain documentation, help compare ground- and space-based observations, identify data-quality issues, and prepare figures for research meetings.