Role summary for potential applicants
Advertised Job Title : Senior Software Engineer/Architect
Reference Number :
Classification :
Salary Range:
Location
Tenure:
:
4711
CSOF6
AU $106K to AU $124K plus up to 15.4% superannuation
Kensington (Perth) Western Australia
Indefinite
Will be provided to the successful candidate if required. Relocation assistance :
Applications are open to:

Functional Area :
Australian Citizens Only
Australian Citizens and Permanent Residents Only
All Candidates
Research Projects
% Client Focus - Internal:
% Client Focus - External:
Reports to the:
Number of Direct Reports:
100%
0%
CASS/ATNF Software and Computing Group Leader
0 - 5
Role Overview:
CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science (CASS) is constructing a novel wide-field radio telescope, the Australian
Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP). ASKAP is currently in the construction and commissioning phase, and we expect to start early science in late 2015. Because of the large field of view and huge data rates, ASKAP relies upon a custom large-scale software system running on a 200TF cluster to process the incoming data into scientific data products. CASS is also part of a consortium that is designing and developing the Science Data
Processing (SDP) capabilities for the Square Kilometre Array (SKA). CASS will bring expertise developed in
ASKAP to the Square Kilometre Array SDP consortium.
The successful candidate will work in the Software and Computing Research Group leading the development of software used for radio astronomical data processing from CASS instruments, in particular ASKAP. The position will require strong communication skills with various stakeholders, including the Pawsey Supercomputing group which manages and operates the HPC facilities critical to the operation of ASKAP.
As a senior position, candidates should have an outstanding track record of achievement in leading, architecting, developing and deploying large-scale distributed and/or data-intensive software applications running in High-Performance Computing (HPC) platforms. The successful candidate will work as part or leading the Science Data Processing (SDP) team consisting of a mix of software engineers and computing research scientists of approx. 6 staff. The role will focus mainly on delivering the ASKAP data processing software system in the short to medium-term, with SKA in the long-term.
The position is based in Kensington, Western Australia. During the first 6 to 12 months of the appointment, frequent travel to the CASS Headquarters in Marsfield, NSW with some periods of residence, is expected.
Occasional international travel and other domestic travel are also requirements of the positiion.

Duties and Key Result Areas:

Manage the development lifecycle of the ASKAP Science Data Processing (SDP) pipeline software system using modern software engineering practices.

Manage the ASKAP SDP system architecture, and monitor its implementation, ensuring compliance with specified performance and functional requirements.

Communicate and coordinate software and platform support with various stakeholders of the ASKAP SDP software products, including the Pawsey Supercomputing groups, the CSIRO IM&T Scientific Applications group and other ASKAP technical leads.

Contribute to the development and maintenance of high quality C++ and Java code, running in large-scale distributed and high-performance computing (HPC) platforms, and professionally engineered environments.

Assist and manage the scalability testing of the ASKAP SDP pipeline software running on the Pawsey
Supercomputing Centre facilities and in coordination with the Pawsey staff.

Contribute to the SKA SDP in the area of software design and architecture of the calibration and imaging pipelines as needed.

Communicate effectively and respectfully in the interests of good business practice, collaboration and enhancement of CSIRO’s reputation.

Work effectively as an integral member and possibly as the leader of a multi-disciplinary, often regionally dispersed research and development team, and carry out/delegate associated tasks under broad guidance from the Software and Computing Group Leader.

Work collaboratively and honestly with internal and external colleagues, clients and partners to develop and progress challenging but realistic research plans for a range of research projects.

Adhere to the spirit and practice of CSIRO’s Values, Health, Safety and Environment plans and policies,
Diversity initiatives and Zero Harm goals.
 Other duties as directed.
Selection Criteria:
Under CSIRO policy only those who meet all essential criteria can be appointed
Pre-Requisites:
1.
Education/Qualifications: A BSc in Computer Science, Physics or Mathematics (or a related field).
2.
Communication: Exceptional communication skills, both written and oral, including the ability to anticipate the interests and knowledge level of stakeholders, colleagues or an audience, and influence critical stakeholders to gain support for contentious proposals/ideas.
3.
Behaviours: A history of professional and respectful behaviours and attitudes in a collaborative environment.
4.
Problem Solving: The ability to anticipate problems in ambiguous situations, develop appropriate solutions based on thorough evaluation and interpretation, and defend the conclusions with reasoned arguments.
Essential Criteria:
1.
Extensive experience leading and architecting large-scale distributed and/or data intensive software applications.
2.
Significant experience and proven record of developing and deploying high-quality production software in the area of distributed and data-intensive scientific applications.
3.
Practical in-depth experience with distributed systems and High Performance Computing (HPC) platforms, applications and technologies such as MPI, ZeroMQ or ICE (from ZeroC).

4.
Advanced or expert-level software programming skills in C++ and/or Java.
5.
Proven experience successfully leading and managing multi-disciplinary software development teams.
Desirable Criteria:
1.
Experience in developing software applications for Astronomy or other large physics experiments.
2.
Experience in agile software development practices such as Scrum.
CSIRO is a values based organisation. You will need to demonstrate behaviours aligned to our values of:
1.
Integrity of Excellent Science
2.
Trust & Respect
3.
Creative Spirit
4.
Delivering on Commitments
5.
Health, Safety & Sustainability
Other Information:
How to Apply
Please apply for this position via https://jobs.csiro.au/ and ‘Search by Keyword’ 4711. As part of your application, you must upload one document containing both your CV and a cover letter outlining your suitability for the position and your motivations for applying (our system is unable to forward additional separate documents to the selection panel during the initial stage of the process). At any time throughout the recruitment process, you may be asked to provide additional information (online) relevant to the selection criteria. If so, then responding will enhance your application so please take the time to provide relevant succinct answers. Applicants who do not provide the information when requested may not be considered.
Applications close Sunday 1 November, 2015 (11:59pm AEDT)
If you experience difficulties applying online please email: csiro-careers@csiro.au
or phone 1300 984 220 .
Referees: If you do not already have the names and contact details of two previous supervisors or academic/ professional referees included in your resume/CV please add these before uploading your CV.
Contact: If after reading the selection documentation you require further information please contact:
Mr Juan Carlos Guzman via email: Juan.Guzman@csiro.au
or phone: +61 8 6436 8569
Please do not email your application directly to Mr Guzman. Applications received via this method will not be considered.
About CSIRO
Australia is founding its future on science and innovation. Its national science agency, the Commonwealth
Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is a powerhouse of ideas, technologies and skills for building prosperity, growth, health and sustainability. It serves governments, industries, business and communities across the nation.
Find out more! www.csiro.au
.
CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science provides technology and services for radio astronomy, spacecraft tracking and space sciences. The A$2.5 billion Square Kilometre Array radio telescope will be deployed in
Australia and New Zealand, as well as South Africa. The SKA will consist of thousands of radio-wave antennas all linked together by high bandwidth optical fibre. The antennas will work together, acting as a single large instrument with a collecting area approximating one square kilometre.
The telescope aims to address fundamental questions about the evolution of the Universe including the formation of black holes, the origins of the first stars and the generation of magnetic fields in space.