Data Processing Software Engineer

This role will be based at the SKAO Global Headquarters at the iconic Jodrell Bank Observatory, Cheshire, UK.

At the SKAO we are coordinating a global effort to deliver one of the largest science facilities on the planet. The SKAO telescopes will be next-generation instruments that will help to answer key questions in astrophysics, drive technological innovation and support human capital development.

More than a dozen partner countries and over a thousand scientists and engineers around the world are already on board, making the SKA project an international collaboration like no other, and one of the most ambitious science and engineering endeavours of the 21st century.

Headquartered in the UK, with telescope sites in Australia and South Africa, the SKAO will be one observatory operating two telescopes, an endeavour spanning three continents. Multinational by design, in early 2021 the SKAO became an intergovernmental organisation, one of only a select handful of science infrastructures to do so worldwide.

Our Global HQ is located near the buzzing city of Manchester at the historic Jodrell Bank Observatory, a UNESCO World Heritage site located in the Cheshire countryside. It is home to a rapidly expanding international team of more than a hundred, working in a highly collaborative and inclusive way, in coordination with SKAO teams in Australia and South Africa as part of a global astronomy and engineering community.

Being part of Team SKA means contributing to something extraordinary: a uniquely exciting project to advance human knowledge that will last for decades. In return, we offer a diverse multicultural working environment, 30 days annual leave plus public holidays, a generous pension scheme, visa and support with relocation (if applicable), regular social events, a family-friendly environment and much more. Come and join us!

This is an amazing opportunity for software engineers with experience in scientific data processing and a passion for high performance computing.

The Role

The SKA Computing and Software team are looking for Data Processing Software Engineers to work with our agile software engineering teams to build highly scalable reliable processing software. As a Data Processing Engineer you will be working with other developers at SKA development sites around the world (especially SKAO and SKA precursors). You will be reporting to the SKA Data Processing Architect and you will be working as part of a scrum team in our SAFe software development organisation.

In your role you will contribute to the development of the data processing control system. This means building:

• Interact with and provide observatory control system interfaces for the data processing systems
• Run scientific pipelines in a semi-autonomous fashion to allow us to perform observations, calibration and data product generation
• Monitor the scientific and computational performance of the instrument
• ensure sufficient computational resources - such as processing and storage - get allocated at the right time

All of these functions need to be implemented and integrated for both real-time and offline analysis, with a focus on reliability and efficiency within the observatory architecture. This means that the role could benefit from a broad set of skills from management of compute platforms and control systems to domain-specific data analysis. In submitting your application, the candidate should specify what area they feel they can contribute to.

In your role, we will support the development of your skills with training in the most relevant scientific and technical aspects of your role, and you will have the opportunity to work closely with more experienced software engineers. Working at SKAO also presents many chances to join conferences and industry events that relate to your role and your professional interests.

This role will be based at the SKAO Global Headquarters at the iconic Jodrell Bank Observatory, Cheshire, UK.

SKAO is committed to providing an inclusive and flexible working environment, meeting the requests of our Colleagues whilst also fulfilling the needs and objectives of the Observatory.

This role requires the post holder to work across different time zones and, in line with SKAO policy, flexible working hours will be supported in agreement with the line manager.

Key Responsibilities, Accountabilities and Duties

The main functions of this role will be to:

• Contribute to the implementation of the execution control and services components of the SKA Science Data Processor as well as support their integration with the SKA observatory ecosystem
• Work with your SKA software team to support commissioning and operations of the Science Data Processing software as a subsystem of the SKA observatory
• Collaborate with other software development teams based in the SKAO member countries
• Occasionally travel internationally as required (typically for up to one week, 2-3 times per year).
• Undertake any other reasonable duties as directed by the line manager or senior management.

Mandatory Knowledge, Skills and Experience

The successful candidate will bring to the team:

• Solid Python software engineering skills, including systematic unit and integration testing and documentation
• Experience in one of the following:
• Building control systems involving executing and monitoring processing of large amounts of data (e.g. high performance computing, real-time data streaming, data management).
• Development and end-to-end integration of automated scientific interferometry pipelines (including performance monitoring)
• Ability to work constructively with agile teams around the world towards a shared vision for SKA processing.
• Collaborative approach and ability to work effectively to meet competing deadlines.

Desirable Knowledge, Skills and Experience

The ideal candidate would also bring:

• Prior experience in working with technologies currently used within the observatory, such as Tango control system framework, Kafka streaming infrastructure, high availability databases (e.g. etcd), or the Slurm scheduling system.
• Knowledge of radio astronomy data reduction pipelines and their typical data products
• Experience of working in a multicultural environment across international boundaries and time zones.

Equality Diversity and Inclusion Statement

SKA Observatory recognises that our diversity is a strength. We aim to create a welcoming and inclusive environment where everyone feels they belong, and diverse perspectives and ideas thrive. As such, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion are at the core of SKA Observatory’s agenda.

Our aim is to recruit and retain the most talented individuals, regardless of gender, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, nationality or background.

Women have traditionally been under-represented in the fields of science and engineering; SKA Observatory welcomes and encourages female applicants.

Where applicants with a disability need facilities or adjustments to enable them to participate in the recruitment process, these will be provided.

SKA Observatory welcome all candidates, especially those from member countries.

The “How to Apply” information contained within the SKA Observatory recruitment portal provides more detail regarding our application and selection approach.