Role Responsibility

The OM Instrument Operations and Calibration Scientist works within the Science Operations Centre (SOC) with responsibilities that may include:

• Acting as interface between the SGS and a certain number of PI Teams, in particular the Optical Monitor (OM) Team which may require deep knowledge about specific instrument functionality, performance and operations;
• Coordinating of the calibration efforts by the OM ESA IDT and the instrument principal investigator team, the latter being spread across different institutes and universities across Europe;
• Understand the functionality of the OM instrument data to be archived and support the definition of the instrument’s Archive data products in coordination with the Archive Scientist and in the data pipeline development;
• Organise and maintain up-to-date all information concerning the instrument which is deemed necessary for future knowledge preservation;
• Contribute to the SGS preparation activities including definition of operations plans & procedures and preparation of training activities;
• Contribute to the maintenance of the overall system, including configuration control and versioning;
• Installation, testing and validation of SOC tools and data analysis software for the Optical Monitor within the XMM-Newton Science Analysis System (SAS);
• Raising problem reports on tools as well as suggested improvements;
• Following up the correct fixing of any problems with the implementers;
• Follow procedures and operate systems as required;

Concerning instrument operations tasks may include:

• Generating and validating payload operations requests and other operational products for transmission to MOC;
• Aid in analysing and correcting anomalous situations and instrument behaviours on-board:
• Support the Operational Constraint Analysis;
• Monitoring instrument health and scientific performance in support of calibration and real time decision making;
• Performing calibration activities for the OM scientific instrument, following priorities as agreed internally with the Mission and following the advice and recommendations made by the Users Group through the PS;
• Contribution, if required, to the scientific mission planning, scheduling and reaction to ToO alerts;
• Provide support to the Project Scientist as required.

Additionally, the Key Person will be in charge of the following:

• Cooperate with other projects on operational matters [e.g. promote the exchange of information with missions where appropriate];
• Calibration of the scientific instruments on-board XMM-Newton: EPIC, RGS and in particular OM;
• Preparation of instrument calibration activities and analysis of calibration data;
• Preparation and maintenance of Routine Calibration Plan;
• Absolute calibration of the OM instrument;
• Implementation of calibration results into the XMM-Newton Current Calibration Files, following the verification of the calibration scientific quality, as well as of standard (“canned”) redistribution matrix files for XMM-Newton users;
• Contribution to archive release testing or related activities.

Successful Candidate

The candidate should have a Science PhD or Master’s Degree from a recognised Institution of secondary studies and at least 4 years of experience with tasks similar to the ones described above.

Additionally, the Key Person should have proved experience in large collaborative projects in an international environment. The candidate must have deep knowledge of astronomical tools and data analysis software. Knowledge of the XMM-Newton project and experience in SAS are an important asset.

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Important

Any offer of employment is contingent upon you providing documents to verify your identity and employment eligibility, as required by law.

Applicants are reminded that they will be requested to produce such documentation during the recruitment process.

Please contact a member of the recruitment team if you require further details of acceptable types of documentation required for verification of identity and work authorization. 

For positions located within the Darmstadt Support Office please note that only applicants with no family affiliation within the Company will be considered.

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You may submit a written request revoking your consent to this agreement at any time.

Package Description

Full details on application.

Relocation assistance provided (if applicable).

About the Company

Serco’s space heritage over the last 40 years has placed us in the Space News Top 50 Space Industry Manufacturing and Services Companies - We work alongside EUMETSAT and the European Space Agency, where we are the largest on-site service provider with ca. 300 staff.

What connects the ever growing Serco workforce is a passion for delivering great service – To keep ahead we have to constantly evolve and enhance the way we deliver our services and everyone in Serco has a role to play here.

Serco provide the right environment to encourage ideas and a comprehensive Best Practice support network that enables them to put their ideas into action.

If you share our values then join with over 50,000 colleagues globally who are equally as passionate about delivering great service as you.