Scientific Software and Operations Coordination Scientist Position in ACROSS

Cresst Ii • Greenbelt, MD

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Scientific Software and Operations Coordination Scientist will join NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s Astrophysics Cross-Observatory Science Support (ACROSS) team as an employee and faculty member of the University of Maryland, College Park, through the CRESST II cooperative agreement. The role supports time-domain and multi-messenger astronomy by helping observatories coordinate joint observing programs and by turning interoperability challenges into system requirements. It combines scientific software development with operational coordination and observer support, while offering up to 20% of the position’s time for independent research.

The position is full time and requires regular onsite work at GSFC in Maryland. A hybrid telework schedule may be considered. The nominal start date is February 2027, with flexibility for a later start. The initial appointment is for one year and may be extended depending on performance and funding availability. The scientist will hold a UMCP faculty title of Postdoctoral Associate or Assistant Research Scientist. Salary is $83,000–$110,000, commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Astronomy, Astrophysics, Physics, or a related field.
• At least two years of experience after earning the Ph.D. with time-domain and multi-messenger astrophysics observations; experience with target-of-opportunity observations across multiple facilities is preferred.
• Proven experience in software development in astronomy or astrophysics research environments.
• Strong communication skills and demonstrated ability to work effectively across organizational boundaries.
• Proficiency in Python scientific programming and data-analysis workflows.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with NASA mission operations, general observer programs, or telescope time-allocation processes.
• Familiarity with observation-planning tools, scheduling systems, or proposal-management software.
• Experience coordinating multi-facility observations or participating in large-scale astronomical collaborations.
• Technical experience with web application development, including JavaScript, Node.js, Svelte, or React.
• Background in agile software development environments with requirements-gathering responsibilities.
• Experience with proposal review processes or time-allocation committees for major astronomical facilities.
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex scientific workflows into technical requirements.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain APIs, web applications, and Python packages for ACROSS’s open-source software ecosystem, enabling multi-mission coordination and time-domain astrophysics workflows.
• Serve as the primary scientific contact for observers with approved multi-mission or joint observing programs, coordinate implementation across participating missions, and resolve scheduling conflicts.
• Identify coordination bottlenecks and interoperability challenges during operational support and translate them into software requirements and feature requests for the ACROSS data system.
• Design and execute scientific validation tests to ensure ACROSS tools meet astronomers’ needs for time-domain and multi-messenger observations across multiple facilities.
• Provide scientific and technical assistance to observers using ACROSS tools for joint program planning, implementation, and data analysis.
• Create and maintain user-facing scientific documentation, tutorials, and examples demonstrating best practices for multi-mission coordination.
• Work with mission General Observer Facility representatives to coordinate responsibilities for joint programs, establish standardized handoff processes, and maintain scientific integrity during implementation.

Benefits

• Competitive salary of $83,000–$110,000, commensurate with experience and qualifications.
• Regular Faculty benefits; details are available through the University’s benefits information.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree