This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/499206400. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
Selection for this position will be made at either the grade 13 or 14. If selection is made at the grade 13, the selectee may be non-competitively promoted to the grade 14 upon recommendation of the Promotion Review Committee for Engineers (PRCE).
The Submillimeter Array (SMA), located on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, is a pioneering radio-interferometer designed for astronomical observations in the major submillimeter atmospheric windows. Its eight antennas are equipped with superconducting mixer receivers operating in the 200, 300, and 400 GHz frequency bands. Back end signal processing is accomplished with the wideband SWARM correlator and phased array processor.
The SMA has embarked upon an ambitious upgrade, called the wSMA, which will enhance its sensitivity by increasing the bandwidth of its receivers, by augmenting its optical signal transmission system (possibly changing from the current analog transmission to a digital system), and by upgrading SWARM with wider bandwidth, more compact, and lower power technology
05/10/2018 to 07/06/2018
$96,411 - $148,108 per year
GS 13 - 14
1 vacancy in the following location:
Occasional travel - May travel both domestically and internationally as necessary to support assignments and to meet colleagues.
No
Permanent - Career/Career-Conditional
Full-time - Full Time
14
No
18-40
499206400
At the GS-13 Level duties include the following:
Play a leading role in implementing an upgrade path to significantly increase the SMA’s observing capacity through improvements in sensitivity. Contribute to the definition of the optimum architecture for digitally correlating and phasing the ultra-wide bandwidth output of upgraded wSMA front-ends across the array’s eight antennas.
Make key contributions to the detailed design, construction, testing and commissioning of the wide-bandwidth high spectral resolution correlator with phased array capability for Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI).
Develop Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) configuration codes (“gateware”), using hardware description languages such as VHDL or Verilog, and Matlab-Simulink. Responsibilities extend to writing high level layers of control software in object-oriented languages such as Python and C++. Also develop digital signal processing codes for GPU processors in languages such as CUDA and OpenCL.
Contribute to scientific observations using the SMA, and other instruments as appropriate. Prepare results of scientific and technical developments for publication in professional journals and for presentation at engineering or scientific conferences and technical symposia. Participate in review meetings covering technical and scientific research and development.
At the GS-14 level, duties include those at the grade 13 and:
Leading the implementation of an upgrade path to significantly increase the SMA's observing capacity through improvements in sensitivity.
Initiating key contributions to the detailed design, construction and testing and commissioning of the wide-bandwidth high spectral resolution correlator with phased array capability fr Very Long Base line Interfermotetry (VLBI).
Lead the development of Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) configuration codes (“gateware”), using hardware description languages such as VHDL or Verilog, and Matlab-Simulink.
Run review meetings covering technical and scientific research and development.
This position is open to current and former Federal employees with permanent status or reinstatement eligibility. Individuals who are eligible for a special appointing authority may also apply; such as applicants with a disability, former Peace Corps volunteers, certain military spouses, veterans seeking a VRA/VEOA appointment, or veterans who have been separated from armed forces under honorable conditions after 3 years or more of continuous active service.
Basic qualification requirements can be found at
https://www.opm.gov/qualifications/SEC-IV/A/GS-PROF.asp and
https://www.opm.gov/qualifications/SEC-IV/B/GS0800/0800.htm.
Qualification requirements must be met within 30 days after the closing date of announcement.
BASIC REQUIREMENTS: Degree: professional engineering. To be acceptable, the curriculum must:
(1) be in a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board
for Engineering and Technology (ABET) as a professional engineering curriculum; or
(2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics. OR a combination of education and experience--college-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying professional engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering.
OR
Bachelor's degree in computer science or bachelor's degree with 30 semester hours in a combination of mathematics, statistics, and computer science. At least 15 of the 30 semester hours must have included any combination of statistics and mathematics that included differential and integral calculus. All academic degrees and course work must be from accredited or pre-accredited institutions.
APPLICANT MUST LIST ALL COLLEGE COURSES.
In addition to meeting basic requirements, applicants must meet specialized experience. Specialized experience is defined below.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Your application will be evaluated first for the basic qualifications described above. The applications that meet the basic qualifications will be evaluated further against the following criteria:
GS-13:
Skills in wideband signal processing of radio-astronomy data as applied to real time correlation and phased array processing.
Ability to program advanced digital signal processing algorithms on FPGAs and GPUs using hardware description languages such as VHDL or Verilog, Matlab-Simulink, and CUDA or OpenCL.
Ability to develop advanced control programs for radio astronomy instruments under operating systems such under Linux and other Unix-like operating systems. This software controls functions such as fringe rotation, delay alignment and data collection.
Skills in preparing scientific results and instrument design details for publication in scientific and technical journals or for presentation at professional conferences.
GS-14:
Expert skills in advanced wideband signal processing of radio-astronomy data as applied to real time correlation and phased array processing.
Ability to program advanced digital signal processing algorithms on FPGAs and GPUs using hardware description languages such as VHDL or Verilog, Matlab-Simulink, and CUDA or OpenCL.
Ability to develop advanced control programs for radio astronomy instruments under operating systems such under Linux and other Unix-like operating systems.
Skills in independently preparing scientific results and instrument design details for publication in scientific and technical journals or for presentation at professional conferences.
Important Note:
Your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses to the occupational questionnaire or other assessment tool for consistency. If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is supported by your resume, you will be assigned a rating commensurate to your described experience.
Your resume should provide detailed information regarding how your education and experience relate to this position, including the major duties and qualifications criteria listed.
Your application package should include the following documents:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Click on the "Apply Online" button on the upper right side of the page.
Please Note:
At the end of the application process you will be able to create and save a PDF file that contains your responses to the assessment questions. You may save this file as receipt of your application.
The Smithsonian receives many applications for each job. Each application is reviewed carefully which may take a few weeks. We will send you an e-mail to update you as we go through phases of the application review process. You may also check your application status by logging into www.usajobs.gov and selecting the tab "My USAJOBS;" e-mailing vacancy.info@si.edu; or by contacting the Office of Human Resources Representative listed.
Additional Information:
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/499206400. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
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