Research Computing & Instrumentation Specialist

Princeton University; Princeton (NJ); On-site; USD 58,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Princeton University’s Department of Astrophysical Sciences seeks a Research Computing and Instrumentation Technician to build and maintain the Linux computing infrastructure, web applications, and databases that support the HATPI project, interfacing with telescope hardware and vacuum technology.

The full-time, benefit-eligible, 2-year term position is onsite in Princeton, NJ, with opportunities to work closely with faculty, postdocs, and graduate students on translating research needs into

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, or a related technical field.
• At least one year of professional experience developing and maintaining software in a Linux environment.
• Experience administering Debian/Ubuntu Linux systems, including shell scripting (Bash), basic networking (SSH, file transfer), and storage management (NFS/RAID).
• Proficiency in Python, including experience with a Python web framework (Flask or Django).
• Working knowledge of SQL and relational databases (MySQL/MariaDB, SQLite), including schema design and query writing.
• Experience with web technologies: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and REST APIs.
• Experience with version control (Git, SVN) and collaborative development.
• Ability to write clear technical documentation and communicate effectively with non-software specialists.
• Ability to work independently, prioritize competing tasks, and troubleshoot problems across the full software stack.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain web applications that provide researchers with access to scientific data products.
• Implement back-end logic, database queries, REST APIs, user authentication, and interactive front-end features using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
• Maintain existing applications, fix bugs, and add features based on user feedback.
• Help in administering the group’s Linux (Debian/Ubuntu) servers, including OS upgrades, package management, scheduled jobs, storage and backups (rsync, NFS), web server configuration (nginx/Apache), and network access (SSH).
• Monitor system health and respond to outages and performance problems. This includes server computers at remote sites, accessible through the internet.
• Design and maintain relational database schemas (MySQL/MariaDB, SQLite) for scientific and operational data.
• Write and maintain scripts that ingest, process, and organize large collections of image and time-series data, and generate plots, summaries, and quality-control products for the research team.
• Develop and maintain software that communicates with laboratory and remote-site hardware over serial, USB, or network protocols.
• Maintain version-controlled code repositories, automated tests, and technical documentation.
• Provide support and training to researchers using the group's software tools, and collaborate with team members on development.

Skills

Linux administration

Python development

REST APIs

Bash scripting

SQL / relational databases

Web technologies

Version control

Documentation & communication

Full-stack troubleshooting

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, or related field

Tools

Flask

Django

MySQL/MariaDB

SQLite

Job description

Princeton University’s Department of Astrophysical Sciences seeks a Research Computing and Instrumentation Technician to build and maintain the Linux computing infrastructure, web applications, and databases that support the HATPI project, interfacing with telescope hardware and vacuum technology.

The full-time, benefit-eligible, 2-year term position is onsite in Princeton, NJ, with opportunities to work closely with faculty, postdocs, and graduate students on translating research needs into