Accelerator Control Specialist

   

Overview
The Cornell Laboratory for Accelerator-Based Sciences and Education (CLASSE) carries out research on the frontier of accelerator physics and engineering. CLASSE supports the operation of the Cornell Electron Storage Ring (CESR) for photon science through the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS). The CHESS organization provides X-ray experimental facilities and welcomes users from around the world.

The CESR accelerator group controls and maintains the particle beam accelerator complex required for the CHESS program. This includes creation of an electron beam, converting it to anti-matter positrons, accelerating those positrons to 6 billion electron volts, and storing that beam for production of x-rays.

The Accelerator Control Specialist will bring technical expertise in accelerator modeling, control systems, beam physics, and scientific computing to the busy CESR group.

Key Responsibilities
Control System Software Development, Modernization, and Sustainability

• Collaborate on the development and implementation of the new XBUS system - a microprocessor driven, distributed signal control and acquisition framework

• Acquire deep knowledge of the CESR control system’s infrastructure, including the Multi-Port Memory (MPM) and XBUS systems, to contribute to their improvement, maintenance, troubleshooting, and documentation

• Maintain existing software programs and libraries written in Fortran and C, ensuring they remain functional, reliable, and efficient

• Lead efforts to modernize software components, ensuring compatibility with contemporary technologies and practices

• Refactor legacy code to improve maintainability, extensibility, and alignment with evolving project needs

• Contribute to long-term strategic planning for sustainable software infrastructure

• Maintain and expand the accelerator-related code libraries, keeping them functional and relevant to current and future research and applications

• Evaluate new programming languages or frameworks to ensure reliability and sustainability in the control system's software ecosystem

• Identify synergies with existing or planned synchrotron x-ray data frameworks and collaborate with x-ray operations staff on lab-wide strategic initiatives

Systems Administration and Operational Excellence

• Serve as a key maintainer of CESR cluster services, ensuring system reliability and availability

• Contribute to operating system upgrades, including planning, execution, and post-upgrade system maintenance

• Remain available to respond to emergencies or system interruptions, ensuring minimal downtime and effective resolution

• Provide support for and lead in the development of compute resources critical to CESR operations, analysis, and simulation – including the CLASSE Compute farm which supports batch, parallel, GPU, and interactive workflows across a cluster of high-performance machines and the CLASSE Ceph storage cluster supporting raw data collection, and online and offline simulation and analysis 

Scientific Computing and Machine Operations Support

• Offer scientific computing expertise to researchers and developers, addressing complex technical needs in the lab

• Provide software support for the instrumentation group and other CESR systems, including specific tools such as CBPM3

• Provide technical guidance and software solutions for machine studies experiments

• Support the development and application of advanced machine optimization techniques, such as genetic and machine learning algorithms and other innovations

• Partner with the accelerator physics group on research endeavors, such as wakefield calculations and electron cloud studies

Control Software Group Leadership, Mentorship, and Team Coordination

• Assist with project management tasks, including planning, tracking progress, and ensuring deliverables are met on schedule

• Act as a project lead on designated initiatives, driving project execution from inception to completion

• Enforce programming standards and best practices, ensuring software development aligns with organizational guidelines

• Mentor and onboard new team members, fostering growth, knowledge-sharing, and integration within the group

• Contribute to the logistical operations of the software group, providing support to keep workflows efficient and cohesive

Essential Qualifications

• Ph.D. or equivalent, preferably in computer science, physics, engineering, or a relevant field

• 5 or more years of relevant work experience

• Experience using and/or administering computer farms (such as Grid Engine), storage (such as Ceph), and high-availability service (such as Pacemaker / Corosync) clusters

• Experience working in a mission-critical enterprise environment with a distributed and centralized software, storage, and networking infrastructure

• Proficiency in C and Fortran

• Experience leading teams with respect

Preferred Qualifications

• Proficiency in Python, Julia, Rust or bash

• Working experience in an accelerator field

• Working experience with a control system

• Strong communication skills, both oral and written

Compensation and Appointment Term
The position is fully onsite on the Ithaca, New York campus. It is a full-time position with benefits with an initial appointment term of one year with the possibility for renewal based on satisfactory performance and availability of funds. The anticipated starting salary for this position is $90,000-$110,000 annually. For further information about the position, please contact Mike Forster (michael.forster@cornell.edu). The posting will remain open until the position is filled.

Application Instructions
External applicants should apply using this link: https://cornell.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/CornellCareerPage/job/Ithaca-Main-Campus/Accelerator-Control-Specialist_WDR-00052139-2
Current Cornell employees should apply using this link: https://www.myworkday.com/cornell/d/inst/15$392530/9925$94433.htmld

All applicants should submit the following materials in the resume section of the application:

• Cover letter

• Curriculum vitae

• Three letters of recommendation

If you have challenges attaching materials, please reach out to Kathy McKee (kem342@cornell.edu).

   

University Job Title:

Research Associate

Job Family:

Research

Level:

No Grade - Annual

Pay Rate Type:

Salary

Pay Range:

Refer to Posting Language

Remote Option Availability:

Onsite

Company:

Endowed

Contact Name:

Kathy McKee

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• Education level to the extent education is relevant to the position

• Unique applicable skills

• Academic Discipline

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2025-03-28