Context

    The European Gravitational Observatory (EGO) seeks an experienced person for insertion in the context of the project ESCAPE.
    EGO is a French-Italian consortium, founded by INFN and CNRS to foster European collaboration in gravitational-wave research. EGO is located in Cascina, near Pisa – Italy, and hosts and operates the gravitational-wave detector, Virgo, a 3 km-long laser interferometer. The Virgo project involves the participation of about 130 institutions with nearly 700 scientists, engineers and technicians from France, Italy, the Netherlands and other 13 European countries.

    EGO welcomes applications from all suitably-qualified candidates, irrespective of gender, disability, marital or parental status, racial, ethnic or social origin, colour, religion, belief, or sexual orientation.

    ESCAPE (European Science Cluster of Astronomy and Particle physics ESFRI research infrastructures) is an EU funded project in the context of the Horizon 2020 Work Program. The chief objective of ESCAPE is to establish a single collaborative cluster of next generation ESFRI (European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures) facilities in the area of astronomy-and accelerator-based particle physics in order to implement a functional link between the concerned ESFRI projects and the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC).

     

    Assignment

    The successful candidate would will be part of the innovation group which will exploit new data processing approaches for Multi Messenger Astronomy, taking advantages of the Machine and Deep Learning techniques. She/he has also to work on customized processing and workflows, interfaces with the underlying distributed, large-scale computing infrastructure tuned to the needs of the Gravitational Wave Antennas (GWA) (EGO/Virgo, LIGO, KAGRA etc) and other related ESFRI projects, in particular those related in the multi-messenger study of the Universe (e.g. CTA, KM3Net, LLST, etc.).

    The candidate will work on GW data analysis pipelines using innovative solution for data analysis based on Machine Learning approaches.

    All those tasks will require coordination with the projects and activities already ongoing in the LIGO-Virgo Collaboration in particular in the fields of: bulk data handling, multi-messenger astronomy, data-analysis tools, low latency pipelines and public data dissemination for open science.

    Place of work will be EGO in Cascina but the candidate will have the possibility to work also at the Scuola Normale Superiore for a certain period of time.

    This position require ability to work in a team within an international and multidisciplinary environment.

     

     Essential required qualifications and experience

    • Master degree in one of these fields: Physics, Astrophysics, Computer Science or Data Science;
    • 36 months of post-graduate activity in public and private institutions or PhD in Physics or Astrophysics or Cosmology;
    • Two years of work experience related to computing and analysis aspects of Physics, Astrophysics, Cosmology or related subjects;
    • Good knowledge of English;
    • No criminal convictions.

    Desired qualifications and experience

    One or more of the following will be an asset:

    • Knowledge of Italian;
    • Expertise on time series processing;
    • Knowledge of Machine Learning, Deep Learning;
    • Python programming expertise required;
    • Containerization (such as Docker or Kubernets);
    • C++ programming expertise;
    • Software development supporting tool such as:

            – The CMake build and test toolchain;

            – The Conda package and environment manager;

            – The GitLab collaborative toolchain including Continuous Integration (CI);

            – Knowledge of GPU programming.

     

    Place of work
    EGO – European Gravitational Observatory – via E. Amaldi 5, 56021 Loc. S.Stefano a Macerata – Cascina (Pisa) ITALY. Given the lack of public transport to reach EGO, a driving license and a personal vehicle are strongly recommended.

    Type of contract

    The contract is related to the project (therefore it will end on 30/01/2023) as “Tecnologo” (Technologist), according to the “Contratto Collettivo di Lavoro del Personale EGO” (EGO personnel collective bargaining agreement). The gross monthly salary, paid in thirteen instalments, is established by the aforementioned collective bargaining agreement according to the professional profile. Additional benefits include severance pay and yearly performance bonus.

    Selection procedure

    Only candidates who meet the above essential requirements are admitted to the selection procedure.
    The evaluation of the candidates admitted to the procedure is assigned to a Selection Board appointed by the Director of EGO. The Selection Board will determine the evaluation criteria in the first meeting.
    The first phase of the selection will be based on a review of the Application Forms and other documents received in line with the above-mentioned essential and desired requirements.
    Only candidates who have obtained the minimum score established by the Selection Board in the first meeting will be able to access to the second phase of the selection, which will consist of an interview.
    During the interview the Selection Board will verify the knowledge of the English and Italian languages and two years of work experience related to computing and analysis aspects of Physics, Astrophysics, Cosmology or related subjects.
    At the end of the interviews the Selection Board will draw up a ranking of the candidates who obtained the minimum score established during the first meeting.

    The EGO Consortium has the free right not to proceed with the recruitment.

     

    Privacy policy
    Controller: European Gravitational Observatory – email: ego-gw@pec.it
    Responsible for data – email: privacy@ego-gw.it

    Under Article 13 of UE Regulation (EU) 2016/79 of the European Parliament and of the Council, required personal data will be exclusively collected and treated for purposes strictly connected to the selection procedure also with the use of computerized procedures, according to current law and regulations concerning the implementation of this kind of activity.
    Providing such data to EGO is necessary for the evaluation of participation requirements and of the holding of titles: failure to provide these data may compromise such evaluation.
    Data will be kept only for the period required by the selection, evaluation and audit procedures.
    EGO guarantees each person the right of access to personal data, as well as the rectification, or erasure or restriction of them, as well as the right to object to their processing; such requests shall be addressed to privacy@ego-gw.it.

     

    How to apply?
    Candidates can send their CV and the EGO Application Form (to be found here) together with a cover letter and eventual reference letters, to jobs@ego-gw.it quoting the reference number of this vacancy notice.

    Closing date for applications
    May 5, 2022

    Start of contract
    The earliest possible