Job Overview

This job announcement will be accepting candidate submissions until 13 Dec 2024.
Duties for the Physicist (Astronomer) position include, but are not limited to:

• Serves as an Astronomer for the AMOS Novel Technologies and Advanced Research program.
• Leads as the 15th Space Surveillance Squadron’s spectral exploitation and astronomy instrumentation subject-matter expert and liaison to numerous U.S. Space Force and external partners.
• Provides technical oversight and analysis in the realm of spectral exploitation, optics, and astronomy instrumentation for new/on-going Space Domain Awareness (SDA) research leveraging a vast array of telescopes, sensors, and computer systems.
• Implements decisions on investments of research funding toward developing novel SDA technology.
• Applies expert knowledge and/or develops new methods to support validation, improvements, and application of current spectral techniques and optical hardware in space surveillance and space object acquisition and characterization.
• Conducts reduction and analysis of collected data from telescopes and instrumentation to validate system performance and capabilities.
• Collects day and/or night observations from ground-based telescopes.
• Performs astronomical instrumentation development to improve SDA capabilities.
• Leverages expertise to research novel techniques in the astronomical community; develops, implements, installs, and/or tests new optical sensors, cameras, and other telescope instruments.
• Evaluates contractor and in-house/outside laboratory programs, ensuring the technical accuracy of proposed solutions.
• Develops briefing materials to inform leadership, contractor partners, and stakeholders of program status and plans.
• Provides insight into development of annual execution & programmatic requirements, while maintaining far-sighted vision of future site capability needs.
• Delivers inputs into programmatic metrics such as cost, schedule, performance, and risk-opportunity management.
• Relocation costs or other incentives may be available and considered by the organization.

Telework

Yes, this position is eligible for telework opportunities; as determined by agency policy

Remote Work (CONUS)

No, this position is not approved for remote work.

Required Qualifications

• United States Citizenship
• Must possess a professional science or engineering (S&E) degree from an accredited academic institution
• Must have at least one year of specialized experience at the DR-02/GS-13 or equivalent grade level.
• Specialized experience is experience providing the capacity and skills for working independently, leading collaborative events, working in teams and using these approaches to find and solve complex problems.
• Such experience may also include training, collaborative process facilitation, innovation design practice, writing background, editing job roles, continuous process improvement credentials, multi-agency liaison work, published work in refereed technical journals, and/or briefings to large groups.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Special Sensitive security clearance

Desired Qualifications

Experimental Physicist:

• A MS or PhD (preferred) in Physics (with a focus on Astronomy), Astronomy, Astrophysics, Optical Engineering, Planetary Science or similar.
• Experience in optics, spectral analysis, ground-based telescope observations, imaging sciences, and/or astronomy instrumentation development are highly desired.

(Req No: 51791)

Series

1310

Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) employs approximately 11,500 military, civilian and contractor personnel, and manages a $7 billion portfolio of investments. The lab supports external customers and partners with industry while investing in basic research, applied research and advanced technology development. As one integrated lab, AFRL seamlessly supports the Science & Technology needs of two services: the Air Force and the Space Force.