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New ideas are all around us, but only a few will change the world. That’s our focus at JPL. We ask the biggest questions, then search the universe for answers—literally. We build upon ideas that have guided generations, then share our discoveries to inspire generations to come. Your mission—your opportunity—is to seek out the answers that bring us one step closer. If you’re driven to discover, create, and inspire something that lasts a lifetime and beyond, you’re ready for JPL.

Located in Pasadena, California, JPL has a campus-like environment situated on 177 acres in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains and offers a work environment unlike any other: we inspire passion, foster innovation, build collaboration, and reward excellence.

JPL is unique among NASA Centers in that its staff are Caltech employees, yet can access NASA technical resources. Cross-discipline teamwork is standard here: colleagues across JPL's science and engineering organizations and on Caltech's academic campus often work together. Learning to speak and understand other disciplines' languages is a doorway to the creativity needed to do what has not been done before. JPL staff are encouraged to create mission concepts that address humanity's core questions through a combination of science and technology. They are supported in developing ideas into proposals and hardware, and in communicating funded missions' results to the scientific community and the broader public. JPL seeks to employ scientists and engineers who are passionate about lifelong learning and excited to both contribute to and lead team efforts. We emphasize the importance of partnering across discipline boundaries and creating a friendly, constructive work environment to overcome space exploration's challenges. The Postdoctoral scholars at JPL benefit from an informal mentoring network, an annual conference showcasing their results, a dedicated seminar series, exposure to diverse career paths, and social connections across the JPL and Caltech community for advice on housing, childcare, and other aspects of living in southern California.

The Center for Near-Earth Object Studies is home of the Sentry impact-monitoring system, which continuously performs long-term analyses of possible future orbits of hazardous asteroids. There is currently no known significant threat of impact for the next hundred years or more. The Center also maintains the Scout system that continually monitors brand-new potential near-Earth object detections, even before they have been confirmed as new discoveries, to see whether any of these generally very small asteroids might pose a threat of short-term (possibly imminent) impact.

The Center for Near-Earth Object Studies is seeking a postdoc to join the team to conduct the following:

• Optimize the asteroid early-warning system to prepare for an increased number of known small bodies.

• Implement various types of graphical interfaces, including orbits, large data, and user-friendly GUIs.

• Improve the modeling and estimation of physical parameters for more accurate and robust size estimates.

• Design tools and simulators for optimal survey based on multiple observation capabilities.

• Improve and support development of cloud-optimized code for various system.

• Estimate, predict, and analyze ephemerides of asteroids and comets.

• Compute high-precision orbits for all Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) in support of JPL’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) and predict their close approaches to the Earth, and compute their impact probabilities.

• Perform navigation tasks which include: collection of data and inputs, weighting and processing of these data, estimation of the spacecraft’s orbital parameters and uncertainties along with the solve-for model parameters and uncertainties that describe the perturbations on the spacecraft including the gravity field of the central body.

Required Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in Astronomy, Software Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related technical discipline.

• Wide-ranging experience and knowledge in one or more of the following areas: software architecture, asteroid survey, astronomy, and/or aerospace engineering.

• Solid understanding and wide application of advanced principles, theories, concepts and techniques in software engineering, orbit determination, and astronomy discipline resulting in contributions to the development of new theories and methods.

• Demonstrated ability to present technical results to a wide audience.

• Software design, coding, and management experience.

• Desired software languages: FORTRAN, Perl, Python, and JavaScript.

• Experience with asteroids and comets and modeling of their orbital dynamics.

• Experienced in modeling the performance of asteroid surveys.

• Knowledgeable in instrumentation and observational techniques for astrometry and photometry of small bodies.

• Background in asteroid orbit estimation problems for both short-arc and long-arc cases.

• Knowledgeable of asteroid linking algorithms to historic and recent astrometric observations.

• Extensive knowledge of statistical orbit determination and astrometry.

• Ability to apply engineering and science principles to the solution of a variety of problems.

• Highly energized, self-motivated, multi-tasking, organized, detail oriented, with the ability to work on assignments that are complex in nature using considerable practical judgment, making recommendations, juggling conflicting schedules and resolving problems.

The appointee will carry out research in collaboration with the JPL advisor, resulting in publications in the open literature.

Applicants may be subject to additional program requirements by NASA. Postdoctoral Scholar positions are awarded for a minimum of one-year period and may be renewed up to a maximum of three years. Candidates should submit the following to this site: CV, representative publications, contact information for three references, and a cover letter stating their research accomplishments and interests.

JPL has a catalog of benefits and perks that span from the traditional to the unique. This includes a variety of health, dental, vision, wellbeing, and retirement plans, paid time off, learning, rideshare, childcare, flexible schedule, parental leave and many more. Our focus is on work-life balance, and living healthy, fulfilling lives as we Dare Mighty Things Together. For benefits eligible positions, benefits are effective the first day of the month coincident with or immediately following the employee’s start date.

For further benefits information click Benefits and Perks (https://www.jpl.jobs/benefits-perks)

The hiring range displayed below is specifically for those who will work in or reside in the location listed. In extending an offer, Jet Propulsion Laboratory considers factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s job related skills, experience, knowledge, and relevant education/training. Hiring range for this job may be adjusted based on primary work location outside of Pasadena, California. This adjusted range will be provided to candidates by the Recruiter when applicable.

The typical full time equivalent annual hiring range for this job in Pasadena, California.

$82,180 - $82,180

JPL is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, color, religion, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, age, marital status, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy or perceived pregnancy, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, protected military or veteran status or any other characteristic or condition protected by Federal, state or local law.

In addition, JPL is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor.

EEO is the Law. (https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ofccp/posters)

EEO is the Law Supplement

Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision (https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ofccp/pdf/pay-transp_English_unformattedESQA508c.pdf)

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is a federal facility. Due to rules imposed by NASA, JPL will not accept applications from citizens of designated countries or those born in a designated country unless they are U.S. Citizens, Legal Permanent Residents of the U.S or have other protected status under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3). The Designated Countries List is available here (https://www.nasa.gov/oiir/export-control) .