Applications Developer

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

IPAC at Caltech is looking for a developer for the RAPID pipeline team. As a part of the Physics, Math, and Astronomy Division at Caltech, IPAC (www.ipac.caltech.edu) provides science operations, user support, data and archive services, and scientific vision to maximize discovery with observatories both in space and on the ground. We are partners with NASA, NSF, JPL, and the international research community to advance exploration of our Universe. Over our three-decade history, we have provided a range of support for more than 20 astronomy missions, helping each to bring forth major advances in astrophysics and cosmology. As a member of our RAPID team, you will enable scientists to explore the dynamic sky-finding supernovae, other rare cataclysmic events, variable stars, asteroids, and all other manner of time-varying phenomena from our solar system to the edges of the Universe.

Where You Fit In

RAPID is a time-domain Project Infrastructure Team (PIT) for the upcoming NASA Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. The PIT is responsible for a low-latency pipeline to discover changes between observations, then alert astronomers for follow-up with other resources. The pipeline will run within AWS, automatically processing observations on receipt, all without a human in the loop. The PIT will also provide associated resources and services to the international community, such as historical light-curves of variable sources and an on-demand forced-photometry service. The developer will help write, validate, and tune the pipeline and services, working with scientists and engineers across several Roman teams.

Essential Job Duties

• Design project architecture and interfaces.
• Independently develop Python modules for specific tasks.
• Validate performance of delivered code.
• Integrate modules into pipeline scaffolding.
• Deploy, maintain, and tune the pipeline in AWS.
• Communicate regularly with the rest of the RAPID team.
• Support off-hours activities during operations as needed.
• Participate in continuing career education, with occasional opportunities to attend industry conferences and related training.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Astronomy, Physics, Math, or a related technical field.
• At least 5 years of production experience in Python code development and maintenance in a complex environment.
• Experience with SQL.
• At least 5 years of experience with Linux/Unix operating systems.
• Good written and interpersonal communication skills, with an emphasis on the ability to share ideas in a collaborative setting.
• Qualify as a US PERSON as defined by ITAR regulations - a US person is a citizen of the United States, a lawful permanent resident alien of the US ("Green Card" holder), or an individual granted refugee or asylee status under US law.

Preferred Qualifications

Beyond these basic qualifications, there are a set of skills and experiences which will add to your ability to contribute to the roles and responsibilities. The following might give you a head start, but even if these do not describe you or your experience, we would still like to hear from you:

• Production experience with AWS & Apache Kafka.
• Development of C code (or similar) where required for performance.
• Operation of multi-component pipelines, including batch systems, monitoring, logging, and dashboards.
• Experience in automating infrastructure and code deployment, such as Terraform and GitOps.
• Familiarity with astronomical image differencing.

Required Documents

• Resume
• Cover letter

Applications will be accepted via the Caltech website only until December 12, 2025. Preferred start date is January 2026. This is an onsite role based in Pasadena, California, with some allowability for remote work.

Life at IPAC

People choose to work at IPAC for many reasons, and the casual, employee-centric culture often leads to fulfilling, long-term careers and positive relationships. Caltech's benefits program offers a quality, competitive benefits package that is affordable for you and the Institute. We also offer a 403(b) defined contribution plan to eligible staff as well as a Voluntary Retirement Savings (TDA) Plan. IPAC staff have access to the Institute's facilities, including the athletic center, libraries, on-site daycare, professional development and enrichment classes, and Athenaeum club membership.