California Institute of Technology Hiring for Software Group Lead at Pasadena, CA Full Time

Job Category: Fulltime Regular
Exempt Overtime Eligible: Exempt
Benefits Eligible: Benefit Based

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

Caltech Optical Observatories (COO) is seeking a Software Group Lead to join its Optical and Infrared (OIR) instrumentation team. The OIR Group develops world-class visible and infrared astronomical spectrographs, adaptive optics systems, imaging cameras for the Palomar, Keck, and Thirty Meter Telescope Observatories, as well as other facilities and flight missions in support of Caltech faculty and student research in astronomy and astrophysics. The successful Software Lead will shape the expansion of the group, building their team and updating software development and support processes.

Applicants are expected to have a demonstrated record of successfully managing personnel developing control software for sophisticated electromechanical hardware systems. As a key member of the OIR leadership team, the Software Group Lead will work with the Associate Director for Instrumentation to set the strategic direction of the organization’s overall software capabilities, while also making significant individual technical contributions to cross-disciplinary instrument teams.

The successful candidate will possess broad software knowledge and familiarity with software/hardware interfaces spanning multiple applications. They will possess a record of effective leadership, empathy, support, conflict resolution, and career development for a diverse technical workforce. They will maintain awareness of scientific and industry trends and effectively work in close collaboration with the Caltech faculty and peer domain-area managers delivering an ambitious portfolio of leading-edge astronomical capabilities.

The position is based at and requires a routine presence on the Caltech campus, with occasional travel and possible work at high altitudes (up to 14,000 ft.)

Essential Job Duties

The successful Software Group Lead will:

• Provide senior-level guidance and oversight of development activities for an expanding group of professionals developing sophisticated control, telemetry, database, and analysis software.
• Implement modern processes for software requirements capture, architecting, configuration management, testing, and on-going software maintenance, in a multidisciplinary environment.
• Recruit and mentor software professionals in a supervisory role working alongside optical, mechanical, and electronic engineers.
• Adopt development technologies, architectures, tools, and techniques for international leadership in instrumentation software.
• Interact regularly and effectively with senior engineering and management staff, faculty, students, and administrative professionals.
• Ensure employee awareness and compliance with Institute policies, procedures, practices, and regulatory requirements.
• Interact with external stakeholders at partner observatories, universities, federal research laboratories, and private foundations.
• Maintain a welcoming, inclusive, and supportive work environment valuing respect and professional growth.

In this position, you will also be expected to:

• Provide senior-level technical software contributions as a member of multiple cross-disciplinary instrumentation development and support teams, ing to internal and external project managers.
• Design and engineer software/hardware interfaces for sophisticated state-of-the-art research instruments, apparatus, and equipment for internal and external customers.
• Lead the development of infrastructure and testing software to support instrumentation integration workflows at Caltech and partner institutions.
• Develop and implement software migration activities for legacy observatory instrumentation.
• Generate and review costs and schedules for subsystem deliverables.
• Contribute effectively to written research s, journal articles, and/or conference proceedings.
• Participate in strategic planning, proposal preparation, and acquisitions, working collaboratively with the COO Business Manager and support staff.
• ing to the Associate Director for Instrumentation, perform related technical and administrative duties as assigned.

The Successful Candidate Will:

• Demonstrate Customer Focus: Demonstrate a concern for the needs and expectations of customers (internal or external); focus efforts on identifying and meeting the needs of customers; use an understanding of customer needs as the basis for decision-making and organizational action; build strong relationships of trust with customers.
• Make Good Decisions: Apply logic and practical thinking to decision making; gather necessary input and data from multiple sources to inform decisions and make decisions based on one’s best thinking given time available; draw correct and reasonable conclusions based on data and information; make decisions in a timely manner regardless of pressure or uncertainty; make decisions quickly when called to do so; consider financial impact of decisions.
• Plan/Organize: Determine objectives and strategies required to deliver results; allocate resources collaboratively with other group leads to schedule work; determine how to use resources efficiently to accomplish a task or project; consider financial impact of decisions.
• Possess Expert Technical Knowledge and Skills: Apply technical and professional skill or knowledge in position-related areas; keep up with current developments and trends in areas of expertise.
• Build Trusting Partnerships: Develop and leverage collaborative relationships based on mutual trust to facilitate the accomplishment of work goals; work cooperatively with stakeholders to identify and meet mutual goals.
• Clearly Communicate: Clearly and succinctly convey information and ideas to individuals and groups; shape communication to the needs of the audience; convey ideas and opinions clearly to others; share relevant information and expectations openly, honestly and in a timely fashion; listen attentively to others.
• Actively Learn: Demonstrate zeal for new information, knowledge, and experiences; regularly seek and capitalize on learning opportunities; quickly assimilate and apply new information.
• Demonstrate Agility/Flexibility: Be open to changing conditions; adjust one’s own behavior in light of changing conditions; adjust effectively to work within new work structures, processes, requirements, or cultures.
• Coach and Develop Their Group and Others: Provide feedback, instruction, and guidance to help individuals expand their knowledge, skills, or abilities to accomplish tasks or fulfill their roles; plan and support the career growth of their team.

Basic Qualifications

• B.S. in computer science or related field and a minimum of 8 years of technical experience, or equivalent, including successful software team management experience.
• Enthusiasm to make impactful contributions, individually and within instrumentation teams, to human knowledge and understanding.
• Mastery of software engineering processes, including requirements capture, software architecture, quality assurance, testing, deployment, and maintenance.
• Expertise with modern programming notations (e.g., Python, C++) and development methodologies prevalent in research engineering communities.
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills and ability to lead technical peers and work collegially with astronomical faculty.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and conceptual skills, with an ability to express complex technical concepts to non-experts.
• Broad knowledge of software/hardware interactions and multidisciplinary engineering principles.

Preferred Qualifications

• M.S. in computer science or related field and minimum 12 years’ experience, or equivalent.
• Strong record of successful delivery of research instrumentation.
• National and international recognition for experimental research or instrumentation software leadership.
• Professional recognition of effective personnel management and mentorship.

Required Documents

• Resume
• Cover Letter

To be considered for this position please visit our web site and apply on line at the following link: https://hr.caltech.edu/work/job_openings

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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