Schmidt Sciences · 5 days ago
Astrophysics Institute Program Scientist [Data & Software Systems]
Baltimore, MD
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level, Lead/Staff
$200K/yr - $250K/yr
8+ years expSchmidt Sciences is a nonprofit organization focused on accelerating scientific knowledge and breakthroughs. The Astrophysics Institute is seeking a Data Management & Software Systems expert to guide the design and implementation of next-generation data management systems for astronomy, overseeing teams and partners to build data pipelines and tools for observatories.
Non-profit Organization Management
Responsibilities
Develop and refine the architecture for data management systems supporting Schmidt Sciences–funded observatories and instruments
Define system-level requirements and workflows — from raw telemetry to science-ready archives — ensuring scalability, reproducibility, and open access
Establish technical standards and documentation frameworks for data pipelines, archives, and analysis services
Advise or oversee technical teams and partner institutions implementing data infrastructure and software
Evaluate and select technologies that support long-term data operations and community access
Ensure seamless integration between data management systems, observatory operations, and user-facing science tools
Maintain high standards of reliability, transparency, and sustainability in system design
Champion best practices in data quality, provenance, and reproducibility
Represent Schmidt Sciences in community initiatives on data standards, interoperability, and open-source development
Promote alignment with community best-practices (e.g., FAIR data principles,IVOA protocols)
Act as a bridge between astronomers, software engineers, and data scientists, translating scientific needs into actionable system requirements
Mentor and advise teams on data architecture and software design practices
Convene or participate in workshops and collaborative efforts to advance community data infrastructure
Qualification
Required
Advanced degree (Ph.D. or equivalent experience) in Astronomy, Astrophysics, Computer Science, or a closely related field
Minimum 8 years of experience in the design, development, or management of large-scale astronomical or scientific data management systems
Proven ability to define and lead technical architectures for complex, distributed data pipelines and archives
Deep understanding of astronomical data life cycles, from instrument telemetry through calibration, reduction, curation, and scientific dissemination
Familiarity with software engineering best practices, including version control, testing, documentation, and continuous integration
Experience supervising technical teams (software engineers, DevOps, or data pipeline scientists) or coordinating multi-institutional collaborations
Strong communication skills with the ability to translate between software engineers and scientists
Demonstrated success working across interdisciplinary, multi-organization projects
Based at one of Schmidt Sciences' offices (New York, Baltimore), with the ability to travel periodically to partner sites and observatories
Preferred
Expertise with data pipeline and open source data management technologies, such as Apache Airflow, Kubernetes, PostgreSQL, Elasticsearch, object storage (e.g., S3-compatible)
Experience architecting systems that serve petabyte-scale datasets and support high-throughput data access or query workloads
Familiarity with cloud computing (AWS, GCP, Azure) and hybrid deployment strategies for science operations
Knowledge of astronomy data formats and standards (FITS, VO protocols, ObsCore, TAP, ADQL)
Understanding of FAIR data principles, data provenance systems, and long-term data stewardship
Experience leading open-source scientific software projects or contributing to major community codes (e.g., Astropy, LSST stack, ESA Gaia tools)
Awareness of machine learning and AI-assisted data processing trends relevant to next-generation observatories
Comfort with prototyping, evaluating, and documenting new technologies and operational models
Company
Schmidt Sciences
Schmidt Sciences is a philanthropy dedicated to fostering the advancement of science and technology.
11-50 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Schmidt Sciences has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
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Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (1)
2024 (3)
Funding
Current Stage
Early StageCompany data provided by crunchbase