It Systems Engineer

The USRA Science and Technology Institute (STI) is seeking a full-time IT Systems Engineer to join the Physical Sciences Informatics (PSI) team at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, AL. The Candidate will work with an interdisciplinary team to design, implement and maintain systems supporting PSI. https://www.nasa.gov/PSI).

NASA's Physical Sciences Research Program has conducted significant fundamental and applied research in the physical sciences. The International Space Station (ISS) is an orbiting laboratory that provides an ideal facility to conduct long-duration experiments in the near absence of gravity and allows continuous and interactive research similar to Earth-based laboratories.

This enables scientists to pursue innovations and discoveries not currently achievable by other means. NASA's Physical Sciences Research Program also benefits from collaborations with several of the ISS international partners and foreign governments with space programs.

NASA's Physical Sciences Research Program offers the PSI data repository, in fulfillment of the Open Science model, for physical science experiments performed in reduced-gravity environments such as the ISS, Space Shuttle flights, and Free-flyers. PSI also includes data from some related ground-based studies.

The PSI system is accessible and open to the public. This provides the opportunity for researchers to data mine results from prior flight investigations, expanding on the research performed. This approach will allow numerous ground-based investigations to be conducted from one flight experiment’s data, exponentially increasing our body of knowledge. PSI is an Open Data initiative.

USRA Science and Technology Institute supports PSI through a Cooperative Agreement with NASA, providing science and engineering expertise to implement NASA’s goals on several Earth and Space Science programs at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC).

Essential Duties/Responsibilities:

• Advise and recommend improvements. The Data Systems Scientist/IT Lead should be cognizant of comparable systems, Digital Transformation, Open Science, FAIR data, etc.
• Lead PSI data and system planning and communicate objectives and requirements to the system implementation team
• Serve as lead PSI data curator, leading data curation and archival and communicate to the PIs and Project Scientists participating for each investigation.
• Participate in HQ-led Open Science Initiative Working Group (OSSIWG) to complete objectives for improving BPS data systems.
• Provide guidance to PIs to plan for data delivery and assessment. Identify additional processing or support that could improve and increase the science return.
• Receive and process science images/videos - perform image processing and delivery.
• Ensure science data review, participate in investigation reviews, and provide system metrics.
• Co-author papers and presentations and reports

Required Qualifications:

Education: MSc in computer science, engineering, math, earth science, or related fields.

Experience:

• 5 or more years on:
  • Systems design, implementation, and operation
  • Data management
  • Technology infrastructure management

• Relevant technologies:
  • AI/ML
  • SQL
  • Programming languages: Python, C#, JavaScript
  • Data formats: JSON, XML, HTML, NetCDF/HDF
  • WordPress

Desired:

• Graduate of ALA accredited library/information science master’s program
• Familiar with the application of core archival functions, including preservation, arrangement, and description, and with conducting reference information services.
• Experience working with audio/visual media.
• Experience processing scientific digital collections.
• Familiarity with archival standards, including Describing Archives: A Content Standard and ISO 14721:2012, the reference model for an Open Archival Information System (OAIS).

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Excellent verbal and written communications skills.
• Willingness to work closely with others in a team environment.
• Discipline and initiative.
• Planning/organization.

 Working Conditions: Work will be performed in an office or computer lab environment.  Typing for large time spans each day may be a significant part of this position. Telework is permitted up to 2 days per week.