Senior Research Scientist

Caltech; Louisiana; Presencial; USD 92 000 - 155 000; Tempo integral

Vantagens oferecidas por esta oferta de emprego

Health insurance

Tuition reimbursement

Paid time off

Resumo da oferta

Caltech’s LIGO Livingston Observatory seeks a Science Team member to lead calibration efforts, collaborate across sites, and advance detector instrumentation. You will mentor researchers, coordinate with international partners, and contribute to R&D for future gravitational-wave detectors.

The role emphasizes precision calibration, data handling, and active participation in scientific publications with travel to collaborating institutions.

Qualificações

• Ph.D. in Physics, Engineering, Optics, or related field or 6 years of relevant experience in lieu of degree.
• 8+ years of relevant experience with interferometers, optical systems, data analysis, or control systems.
• Proven leadership of technically advanced instrumentation initiatives.
• Strong communication skills and ability to work in a multidisciplinary team.

Responsabilidades

• Lead LLO’s detector calibration team and maintain calibration accuracy.
• Co-chair the LIGO calibration group and coordinate with partners across collaborations.
• Serve as the science-team expert on CDS, data handling, and instrumentation challenges.
• Mentor visiting scientists and early-career colleagues in calibration techniques.
• Collaborate on R&D for future gravitational-wave detectors and write papers.

Conhecimentos

Leadership

Communication

Team Player

Multi-disciplinary

Project management

Formação académica

Ph.D. in Physics, Engineering, Optics, or related field

Ferramentas

Python

Scientific computation

Data analysis

Descrição da oferta de emprego

Caltech is a world-renowned science and engineering institute that marshals some of the world's brightest minds and most innovative tools to address fundamental scientific questions. We thrive on finding and cultivating talented people who are passionate about what they do. Join us and be a part of the diverse Caltech community.

Job Summary

LIGO Livingston Observatory (LLO) relies on continuing efforts by scientists and engineers to maintain and improve the 4-km detector’s displacement sensitivity (and thereby its astrophysical range) and its duty cycle. Together, these goals lead to more frequent observations of gravitational waves recorded by the network of detectors that includes LIGO (USA), Virgo (Europe), and KAGRA (Japan) interferometers.

LIGO seeks a new member of its Science Team at LIGO Livingston. The successful candidate will collaborate closely with the operations team and commissioning scientists at LIGO Livingston Observatory and LIGO Hanford Observatory, together with colleagues at Caltech and MIT. The LLO Science Team tracks and reduces the noise sources that limit the current detector sensitivity; models optical subsystems of the interferometer and compares to data; calibrates the interferometer length sensitivity; investigates and eliminates noise couplings from the external environment of the detector; devises and implements operational methods to improve duty cycle; and carries out R&D projects for future gravitational-wave detectors. In addition to their detector-related roles, Science Team members often contribute to scientific activities of our worldwide collaboration and gravitational-wave network (LSC and IGWN), including next-generation instrument R&D, gravitational-wave observational science, and associated astrophysics. There are continuing opportunities to build new skills and knowledge as the field and LIGO’s leading role in it develop.

• Lead LLO’s detector calibration team, maintaining the LLO calibration through deep understanding of the detector. Serve as a subject matter expert for calibration fiducials like the photon calibrator system. During commissioning periods, ensure calibration is up to date and correct to allow proper assessment of detector improvements. During and after observing runs, ensure the uncertainty budgets and the final scientific calibration product we release with the gravitational-wave strain data are correct and accurate.
• Co-Chair (there is no overall chair) the LIGO Scientific Collaboration’s calibration group, a ~15-member international team primarily responsible for providing LIGO calibration data products to the collaboration and astrophysical community. Lead calibration planning and task specification. Coordinate between the calibration group and other LSC groups such as search groups (e.g., CBC, CW, stochastic), parameter estimation, and GWOSC, and make regular reports to the LSC operations division. Coordinate with counterparts in Virgo and KAGRA collaborations.
• Serve as LLO’s science-team expert in the LIGO detector instrumentation, control, and data handling system (CDS), maintaining capability to solve unusual or tricky challenges.
• Mentor and train visiting scientists and early-career colleagues in calibration and instrumentation/analysis techniques.
• Serve as LLO’s detection scientist/run coordinator as needed, responding to source detections and leading the rapid response team at LLO.
• Initiate or collaborate in R&D leading to near- and long-term improvements to interferometric gravitational-wave detectors.
• Initiate or collaborate in writing research papers and technical presentations. Serve as a reviewer of papers and proposals, internally and externally.
• Present research results and highlights at national and international conferences.
• Contribute to the overall program of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration and the international network (IGWN) as it develops.
• After-hours and weekend work is occasionally required to support commissioning efforts. This position requires occasional travel to other LIGO installations and collaborating institutions in Richland, Washington, Pasadena, California, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and possibly internationally.
• Other duties as assigned.

Basic Qualifications

• A Ph.D. degree in Physics, Engineering, Optics, or a related field. In lieu of a Ph.D., we will consider 6 years of relevant experience.
• A minimum of 8 years of relevant experience (not including time spent earning a Ph.D.) working with interferometers/optical systems, and/or scientific data analysis, and/or feedback control systems, and/or signal processing.
• Successful experience leading technically cutting-edge initiatives to implement or improve high-precision instrumentation.
• Experience working in a multi-disciplinary research environment.
• Possess good verbal and written communication skills, a team attitude, and a high degree of professional discipline.

Preferred Qualifications

• Proficiency with scientific computation, simulation, and data analysis in Python or a similar language.
• Hands-on experience with precision mechanical, optical, and electronics used in ultra-high-vacuum low-contamination experiments.
• Successful experience in the design, commissioning, calibration, and optimization of length and angular sensing and control systems in kilometer-scale gravitational-wave detectors.
• Experience with precision electronic circuit design and/or characterization; with precision electro- and opto-mechanical system design and/or characterization; and with precision optical system design and/or characterization.
• Experience writing and reviewing papers for scientific journals and internal studies.
• Familiarity with good practice in mentoring students and/or staff.

Required Documents

• Resume.

Hiring Range

$92,000 - $155,000 Per Year
The salary of the finalist(s) selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, internal equity, experience, education, specialty and training.
As one of the largest employers in Pasadena, CA, Caltech is committed to providing comprehensive benefits to eligible employees and their eligible dependents. Our benefits package includes competitive compensation, health, dental, and vision insurance, retirement savings plans, generous paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick time, parental leave, bereavement, etc.), tuition reimbursement, and more. Non-benefit eligible employees will have access to some benefits such as onsite counseling and sick time. Learn more about our benefits and staff perks .

EEO Statement

Caltech is an equal opportunity employer and, as a federal contractor, takes affirmative action to employ qualified individuals with disabilities and protected veterans. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Disability Accommodations

Caltech complies with the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). We consider reasonable accommodation measures that may be necessary for eligible applicants and employees to perform the essential functions of a position.

If you would like to request an accommodation to complete this application, interview, or otherwise participate in the employee selection process, please contact Caltech Recruiting at [e-mail] .

Additionally, if you do not meet the basic qualifications of a role but believe you can perform the essential functions of the job with reasonable accommodation, please reach out to Caltech Recruiting at [e-mail] .