reference_0045

Optical Engineer

Ref0045 / Deadline: June 1st, 2015. (14:00 h)

Cerrado / Closed

Offer Description

The “Centro de Estudios de Física del Cosmos de Aragón” (CEFCA) invites applications for an Optical Engineer with experience in Optical Systems for Astronomical Observatories.

CEFCA (http://www.cefca.es) is an Astrophysics and Cosmology research center located in Teruel (Spain) leading the construction and scientific operation of the “Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre” (OAJ). The OAJ, specifically designed for the development of large astronomical surveys, is equipped with two main telescopes: JST250, a 2.55m telescope with a field of view of 3 degrees (diameter) and JAST80, a 0.83m telescope with a FoV of 2 degrees. The OAJ also leverages a set of 20-40cm telescopes devoted to night sky quality monitoring: seeing, extinction, cloud coverage, etc.

The candidate will join CEFCA’s engineering department working in the optics group in charge of optical engineering services for CEFCA/OAJ.

Duties

  • Establishment of technical specifications and statement of work for design, development, and implementation of optical systems.
  • Review optical designs and interfaces definition of the OAJ telescopes and scientific instrumentation.
  • Follow up optical system's manufacturing and acceptance processes.
  • Participation in the integration, optical alignment and verification of telescopes and scientific instrumentation of the OAJ.
  • Participation in optical filters design, acceptance, characterization and long term tracking for JPCam and T80Cam.
  • Management and maintenance of CEFCA's Optical laboratories.
  • Inspect and measure optical performance of mirrors especially after aluminum coating process.
  • Create technical documentation including design updates, support guide, maintenance procedures, material lists and tooling requirements for the optical elements and systems at the OAJ.
  • Participation in reviewing, designing and definition of the OAJ standards and procedures.
  • Participation in the development of astronomical instrumentation.

Valuable knolewdge and experience

Knowledge and/or experience in:

  1. Observatory systems, Telescopes and Astronomical instrumentation.
  2. Fundamental optics: geometrical optics, ray tracing, wavefront propagation, polarization, fabrication tolerances, environmental effects.
  3. Optical design: tolerance analysis, error budgeting, geometric dimensioning, environmental effects, stray-light, materials selection, stress in optics.
  4. Optical calculation softwares: ZEMAX, LightTools or TracePro.
  5. Autoguiding systems. Wave front sensors.
  6. Optical equipment: spectrometers, monochromators, lasers, interferometers, autocollimators.
  7. Alignment procedures in optical systems for Astronomy.
  8. Experience in computer programming would be desirable. Languages: C, C++, C#, Python or Java.

Needs and conditions

Education:"Grado de Ingeniería" o "Ingeniero Superior" o "Licenciado" o "Ingeniero Técnico" o "Diplomado", according to the spanish university degree levels, or equivalent degrees in other countries.
Languages:Fluent in English and Spanish.
Work Place:CEFCA headquarters in Teruel and at the OAJ at Javalambre (Teruel).
Salary:Depending on the level of knowledge, experience and suitability for the offered position.
Contract duration:"Obra y Servicios", till the end of 2017. The position might become a permanent position after this date.
Application deadline:June 1st, 2015. (14:00 h)

Applications consisting of a cover letter with a full CV shall be submitted by email (Subject: “REF0045: Optical Engineer) to jobs@cefca.es by the above closing date. Not being a requirement, reference letters received in the same address before the deadline will be taken into account.