ESO scientific software pipelines Research Software Engineer
Apply nowESO scientific software pipelines Research Software Engineer
The Kapteyn Astronomical Institute of the University of Groningen invites applications for a research software engineer position.The vacancy is for a temporary project-specific position with the OmegaCEN Astronomical Science Data Center, with an initial appointment until December 2028. The research software engineer will be part of a 6 person team that will perform maintenance and development of operational science data reduction pipelines for the ESO La-Silla Paranal observatories.
ESO scientific software pipelines Research Software Engineer
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What are you going to do?
The research software engineers will be part of a 6 person team that will perform for the European Southern Observatory maintenance and development of operational science data reduction pipelines for the ESO La-Silla Paranal observatories in collaboration with ATG-Europe in Noordwijk, The Netherlands. It includes imaging and spectral instruments. The work will consist of maintaining and further developing several La Silla Paranal data reduction pipelines. The data reduction pipelines will be maintained together with associated libraries, such as the High-Level Data Reduction Library based on the Common Pipeline Library, and Molecfit/Skycorr (modules for sky background corrections). The successful candidate will also be asked to assist the project manager with the day-to-day coordination of the work of the project team.
Who are you?
We are looking for the following qualifications and experience:
- a PhD degree in astronomy.
- recent experience in developing astronomical data reduction software applications.
- proven experience of astronomical data reduction pipelines for optical and near-infrared observation domain (imaging, spectroscopy, interferometry).
- Experience in developing optical/near-infrared astronomical data reduction applications in ANSI-C or C++, excellent knowledge of Python, XML and good knowledge of other scripting languages like Perl. The operating system environments are Linux and MacOS.
- software engineering experience: setting up and maintaining development environments for software prototyping and software unit & regression testing (e.g., SVN/Git, GNU auto tools).
- Familiarity with the continuous integration tool Jenkins, with software release management, RPM and MacPorts packaging and installation systems is an asset
- Knowledge of writing data reduction recipes based on the ESO Common Pipeline Library (www.eso.org/cpl) and experience with the ESO Reflex scientific workflow environment is an asset
- affinity with astronomical instrumentation.
- pro-active and independent working attitude.
- team player, communicative, experience with distributed software project teams is a plus.
- flexibility in dealing with different organisational cultures and structures.
- prepared to travel several times per year to ESO.
- mastery of the English language, both written and spoken.
What can you expect from us?
- In accordance with the collective labor agreement for Dutch universities, we offer a salary of at least € 3.706 (salary scale 10) up to a maximum of € 4.925 (salary scale 10.7) gross per month for a full-time employment contract.
- 232 vacation hours per year, based on a 38-hour workweek (1.0 FTE). You can also work more or fewer hours in exchange for more or fewer free hours. For example, with a 40-hour workweek, you save 96 extra free hours, and with a 36-hour workweek, you lose 96 hours.
- End-of-year bonus of 8.3% and 8% holiday allowance.
- Extensive opportunities for personal and professional development.
- A position for 2 years and 3 months, starting 1st October 2026.
Where will you be working?
At the University of Groningen (UG), you work at a broad top-class university that covers all fields of academia and technology. Support staff members offer a vital contribution to the effort made by lecturers and researchers toward the development of talent and a better, sustainable society. The UG aims to be an open academic community with an inclusive and safe working climate that invites you to add your value.
The Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE) provides teaching and research across a wide range of disciplines, from physics and biology to artificial intelligence, mechanical engineering, and pharmacy. In close collaboration with partners from industry, healthcare, and society, we contribute to the urgent challenges of our time, such as energy, sustainability, digitization, and medical technology. Our community is open and informal, with more than 7,000 students, 1,000 PhD students, and 1,400 staff members from all over the world. If you would like to learn more about the Faculty of Science and Engineering, visit rug.nl/fse.
The OmegaCEN Astronomical Science Data Center is the expertise center for data-intensive astronomy and astronomical information technology at the University of Groningen. It is based at the Donald Smits Center for Information Technology and the Kapteyn Astronomical Institute. The Kapteyn Astronomical Institute is the university department for research and education in astronomy, astrophysics and astronomical instrumentation. The Kapteyn Astronomical Institute is a member of the Netherlands Research School for Astronomy (NOVA). NOVA is the alliance of the astronomical institutes of the universities of Amsterdam, Groningen, Leiden, and Nijmegen. NOVA is the national homebase for hardware and software instrumentation projects with the European Southern Observatory (ESO). ATG Europe is an international service provider in the fields of space, astronomy, defence and high-tech. ATG and OmegaCEN together have set up the RAPiD team to develop scientific software pipelines for both ALMA and instruments on ESO’s Very Large Telescope.
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Application procedure
After submitting your application, you will receive a confirmation by email.
The selection committee assesses your application and you will be notified as soon as possible whether you are invited for an interview.
We would like to get to know each other better in a first interview, which can take place either online or on location.
We may schedule a second interview with you. This interview can be complemented with an assessment. We may also ask for references at this point.
After a positive interview, we will discuss the terms of employment together. When everything is completed, we are happy to welcome you at the University of Groningen! Curious about what the onboarding process at the University of Groningen looks like? On our information page for new employees, you can read what to expect.
Interested?
Does this vacancy appeal to you? If so, click on the button below and apply straightaway.
Please add the following documents to your application:
- CV.
- Cover letter.
Do you have any questions or need more information?
-
Questions about the content of the job?
Rees Williams
Project Manager
O.R.Williams@rug.nl -
Questions about your application process?
Lucia van der Voort
Policy Officer
L.van.der.Voort@rug.nl
Information about applying
When scheduling meetings, we will take your schedule into account as much as possible.
The University of Groningen considers social safety important. We strive to be a university where staff and students feel respected and at home, regardless of differences in background, experiences, perspectives, and identity. For more information, see also our page about our diversity policy.
Acquisition is not appreciated.
Our selection procedure follows the guidelines of the NVP Application Code.
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