The Role
Lead scientific and operational support for Keck's precision radial velocity capabilities (Keck Planet Finder). Monitor system health, develop and run data-quality checks in the PRV data reduction pipeline, coordinate with instrument scientists, developers, vendors, and users, support instrument maintenance and upgrades, and contribute to scientific research and documentation to maximize exoplanet science output.
Summary Generated by Built In
Help Discover New Worlds from One of the World's Leading Observatories
At W. M. Keck Observatory, we are driven by a shared mission: to advance the frontiers of astronomy while inspiring discovery, innovation, and stewardship. We are seeking a Precision Radial Velocity (PRV) Operations Scientist to help lead scientific operations and advancement of Keck's precision radial velocity capabilities, with a focus on the Keck Planet Finder instrument, enabling groundbreaking exoplanet science and supporting the next generation of astronomical discovery.
This position offers a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of telescope operations, instrumentation, data quality, and scientific research. The successful candidate will collaborate with Observatory scientists, engineers, software developers, and the broader exoplanet radial velocity community to optimize precision radial velocity observations and maximize the scientific impact of Keck's world-class facilities.
The PRV Operations Scientist serves as a scientific and operational expert supporting high-precision radial velocity observing programs. This scientist will work closely with instrument teams, observing astronomers, and researchers to ensure operational excellence, data quality, and continuous improvement of PRV-related observing capabilities.
The role combines scientific expertise, operational leadership, user support, and collaborative research in support of Keck's mission and strategic goals.
Our Mission & Values
Our Mission & Values
At Keck Observatory, our work is driven by a shared commitment to advancing scientific discovery while honoring our responsibility to people, place, and community.
We are guided by core values rooted in:
- Stewardship – We care for our people, facilities, environment, and community with integrity and long-term responsibility.
- Service – We prioritize collective impact, supporting one another, the global astronomy community, and our local Hawaiʻi community to achieve shared goals.
- Collaboration & Inclusion – We work across disciplines and perspectives to solve complex challenges and advance discovery together.
- Excellence & Safety – We deliver high-quality work while maintaining a strong commitment to operational excellence and safety in everything we do.
- Competitive starting annual compensation ranging from $94,966 to $114,760.
- Generous benefits package, including 4 weeks of annual paid vacation.
- Robust 403(b) retirement plan featuring an 8% employer contribution with a 4% mandatory employee contribution.
- Tuition assistance for dependent children grades K-12 attending private school on Hawai’i Island.
- Comprehensive employer-provided health insurance, with a variety of coverage options available to employees.
- Opportunity to be part of a dedicated team advancing the frontiers of astronomy
Key Responsibilities
- Establish routine checks of Precision Radial Velocity Instrument (PRVI) system health and performance at the full system (RVs) and subsystem level. This will include development of software algorithms executed in the PRVI data reduction pipeline to assess various aspects of PRVI data quality.
- Provide continuous monitoring of PRVI system health and performance using automated checks and manual inspections based on a detailed understanding of instrument and subsystem requirements as well as calibration data quality.
- Work closely with the PRV Instrument Scientists, the PRVI DRP development teams, and the PRVI instrument development teams to take leadership on technical and scientific instrument support.
- Serve as the primary conduit between the instrument/observatory and the PRVI users on technical issues not under the purview of the PRVI Instrument Scientists.
- Provide technical and scientific leadership in instrument maintenance activities, responsive and preventative, for all PRVI subsystems.
- Interact with vendors of PRVI components (e.g., the laser frequency comb) to maintain regular performance within specifications.
- Support PRVI system upgrades that are endorsed by WMKO management.
Skills, Knowledge and Expertise
Education
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) or equivalent degree in astronomy, physics, or engineering; relevant professional experience may be substituted for a degree.
Experience
- Experience with high resolution spectroscopic data, data reduction pipelines, and data processing techniques
- Expertise with radial velocity measurement techniques, including precise wavelength calibration and stellar Doppler measurements.
- Expertise in the use of astronomical instrumentation, preferably spectroscopic systems
Skills
- Ability to prioritize tasks, plan activities, and meet deadlines
- Microsoft Office Proficiency.
- Ability to effectively deliver impactful presentations to a technical and non-technical audience.
Technical Competencies
- Ability to interpret complex data, solve problems, and make predictions based on empirical evidence.
- Proficiency in programming languages for data analysis and simulations (e.g., Python, C/C++, IDL, R, Bash/Shell scripting).
- Ability to create or use data processing pipelines to handle large volumes of data, including calibration, cleaning, and extraction of useful information.
- Knowledge of cloud computing and data storage solutions to manage large datasets.
- Ability to write scientific papers and produce technical documentation.
About
At the W. M. Keck Observatory, we approach our work with wonder about the mysteries of the universe and with deep respect and care for Maunakea – a mountain revered in Hawaiʻi and unlike any other in the world. For more than three decades, astronomers using Keck Observatory’s twin 10-meter telescopes have vastly expanded our understanding of the cosmos through astonishing findings about our solar system, exoplanets, supermassive black holes, the evolution of the universe, and more. We are dedicated to the values of service and stewardship, while advancing the frontiers of astronomy, sharing our discoveries, and inspiring the imagination of all.
Skills Required
- Ph.D. in astronomy, physics, or engineering (or equivalent experience)
- Experience with high-resolution spectroscopic data, data reduction pipelines, and data processing techniques
- Expertise with radial velocity measurement techniques, including precise wavelength calibration and stellar Doppler measurements
- Expertise in the use of astronomical instrumentation
- Experience with spectroscopic systems (preferred)
- Proficiency in programming languages for data analysis and simulations (e.g., Python, C/C++, IDL, R, Bash/Shell scripting)
- Ability to create or use data processing pipelines handling large datasets (calibration, cleaning, extraction)
- Knowledge of cloud computing and data storage solutions to manage large datasets
- Ability to write scientific papers and produce technical documentation
- Ability to prioritize tasks, plan activities, meet deadlines, and deliver presentations to technical and non-technical audiences
- Experience providing technical/scientific leadership in instrument maintenance and interacting with vendors (e.g., laser frequency comb vendors)
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The Company
What We Do
The W. M. Keck Observatory telescopes are among the most scientifically productive on Earth. The two 10-meter optical/infrared telescopes atop Maunakea on the Island of Hawaiʻi feature a suite of advanced instruments including imagers, multi-object spectrographs, high-resolution spectrographs, integral-field spectrometers, and world-leading laser guide star adaptive optics systems. Keck Observatory is a private 501(c) 3 non-profit organization operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation. We wish to recognize and acknowledge the very significant cultural role and reverence that the summit of Maunakea has always had within the Native Hawaiian community. We are most fortunate to have the opportunity to conduct observations from this mountain
