Jobs in Baltimore, MD

About the role

This role will bring deep expertise in radio astronomy to the Center, helping guide the scientific development, commissioning, and operation of major facilities within the Schmidt Observatory System while contributing to the exploration of future opportunities in the field. The successful candidate will work closely with internal staff, external partners, and the international radio astronomy community to ensure that ambitious scientific facilities are designed, built, and operated to maximize their scientific potential. The role is well suited to an established scientist with extensive experience in radio interferometry, large survey facilities, and collaborative science programs, with a demonstrated ability to work across complex scientific, engineering, and programmatic teams in multi-institutional international collaborations. Reporting to the Director of the Astrophysics Center at Schmidt Sciences (hereafter "the Center"), the Program Scientist will join a growing multidisciplinary team supporting the Center's observatory portfolio. The role combines scientific judgment, technical insight, and collaborative stewardship across the Center's major radio astronomy activities. Working closely with internal staff, partner institutions, and the broader scientific community, responsibilities are expected to include:

What you'll bring

• Ph.D. in Astronomy, Astrophysics, or a closely related field.
• Minimum 10 years of experience in academia, industry, government, or private research laboratories following the Ph.D.
• Demonstrated scientific leadership within a major radio astronomy collaboration, observatory, or survey.
• Extensive experience with radio interferometry, including the development, commissioning, operation, or scientific exploitation of large radio arrays.
• Broad understanding of radio astronomy instrumentation, calibration, imaging, data processing, and scientific operations.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively across scientific, engineering, and multidisciplinary teams in large, multi-institutional collaborations.
• Excellent scientific judgment, communication skills, and the ability to build productive relationships with partner institutions and the broader research community.
• Based at one of the Schmidt Sciences offices (Maryland, New York, or Virginia), with the ability to travel domestically and internationally as required.
• Experience with the commissioning or early scientific operation of facility-class radio observatories.
• Experience participating in scientific advisory committees, technical review panels, or governance activities for major astronomical facilities.
• Experience working with external collaborators, partner institutions, or multi-institutional scientific teams.
• Expertise in one or more areas enabled by modern radio astronomy, such as transient astronomy, pulsars, cosmology, exoplanets, or multi-messenger astrophysics.

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