Winterover Experiment Operator

Job Summary:

Winterovers enjoy a variety of job duties during their estimated 13 month deployment at the South Pole. Technical duties include operating and maintaining the IceCube detector subsystems; operating and maintaining complex computer data systems at the South Pole; uploading the research data via satellite to the northern hemisphere; analyzing and resolving problems with the detector electronics; providing critical hardware and software support; writing and submitting weekly reports to the collaboration and monthly reports to the National Science Foundation; and participating in Wisconsin IceCube Particle Astrophysics Center outreach activities.

The winterovers will be members of a small, isolated community at the South Pole for eight months of the year. Community members participate in a wide range of activities including serving on a fire or trauma team and doing kitchen tasks, general cleaning, and station opening and closing duties. The winterovers will also attend the National Science Foundation (NSF) contractor orientation program and must pass the physical and psychological evaluations to work at polar and high-altitude sites for one year and must be vaccinated, as required by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Office of Polar Programs.

Responsibilities:

Applies computational, computer science, data science, and cyber infrastructure (CI) research and development principles to provide advanced and varied consultation on research and technology integration and development. Provides non-routine maintenance, planning, and advanced troubleshooting to ensure CI resources meet research needs. Provides guidance and training to other staff and serves as subject matter expert for internal stakeholders.

• 15% Serves as a CI domain expert, provides direct support of users, other staff providing support of users, and advanced computing systems
• 45% Provides expertise and experience in CI to lead troubleshooting, analysis, operation, and support of advanced computing systems and for research
• 10% Develops unique and custom Cyber Infrastructure solutions for research needs
• 15% Writes and updates documentation and tutorials supporting CI activities for research. May provide brief courses for internal researchers and external collaborators
• 5% Provides consultation and expertise for research proposals. May act as technical lead for cyber infrastructure projects. May serve as Co-Principal Investigator for a proposal
• 5% Participates in station emergency response team activities, general station cleaning responsibilities, and other station activities as required by ASC/NSF
• 5% Participates in IceCube/WIPAC outreach activities where possible

Institutional Statement on Diversity:

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

For more information on diversity and inclusion on campus, please visit: Diversity and Inclusion

Education:

Preferred
Master's Degree or Ph.D. in engineering, physics, computer science, or IT degree with at least 3 years of professional, job-related work experience; or Bachelor's degree with at least 5 years of professional, job-related work experience

Required
Bachelor's Degree

Qualifications:

Required:
-Experience with Linux/Unix operating systems including configuring core services and network management
-Writing scripts for system diagnostics and/or task automation (e.g. Bash, Python, Perl).
-Ability to take initiative (must be a self-starter)
-Excellent communication and organization skills.

Preferred:
-Experience with operational procedures for scientific instruments/industrial equipment.
-Knowledge of computer systems security methodology and experience with host-based security tools
-High-performing computing hardware maintenance and debugging skills.
-Experience with data storage products such as RAID disk arrays.
-Understanding of TCP/IP networking.
-Familiarity with configuration management systems (e.g. Puppet, Ansible, Chef)
-Experience with centralized IT monitoring solutions (e.g. Nagios, CheckMK, Prometheus, etc.)
-Ability to use standard laboratory equipment such as oscilloscopes, digital multimeters, etc.
-General electronics debugging and repair skills.
-Experience working at polar and/or high-altitude sites and remote locations.

Work Type:

Full Time: 100%

This position may require some work to be performed in-person, onsite, at a designated campus work location. Some work may be performed remotely, at an offsite, non-campus work location.

Appointment Type, Duration:

Terminal, 17 month appointment.
This position has the possibility to be extended or converted to an ongoing appointment based on need and/or funding

Salary:

Minimum $75,000 ANNUAL (12 months)
Depending on Qualifications
Employees in this position can expect to receive benefits such as generous vacation, holidays, and paid time off; competitive insurances and savings accounts; retirement benefits. Benefits information can be found at (https://hr.wisc.edu/benefits/)

Additional Information:

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is a research institution with an international reputation in physical sciences research and education. The Wisconsin IceCube Particle Astrophysics Center (WIPAC) is a research center in the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research with responsibility for the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, a kilometer-scale neutrino detector at the South Pole. The detector consists of more than 5000 optical sensors deployed over one kilometer deep in the Antarctic ice. A collaboration of scientists from over fifty worldwide research institutions collectively participate in a wide-ranging research program to study high energy neutrinos to learn about their cosmic sources and fundamental properties. The collaboration uses the IceCube Neutrino Observatory at the National Science Foundation's Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station for this research program. UW-Madison is responsible to the National Science Foundation and the IceCube collaboration for the Maintenance & Operation of the observatory. Details can be found at http://icecube.wisc.edu/. 

Along with a team of one additional IceCube Winterover personnel, this position will be responsible for all Winterover operations of this state-of-the-art neutrino observatory. This position is located at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station and reports to the Winterover Manager in Madison, WI.

How to Apply:

To apply for this position, click the Apply Now button on the jobs.wisc.edu website. Please submit a resume and cover letter, as well as a list of three references. Cover letters should reference job number 306467, and highlight experience, knowledge, and skills as they relate to the listed qualifications for maximum consideration.

Contact:

Christy Lowney
christy.lowney@wisc.edu
608-264-4100
Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information.

Official Title:

Research CI Spec II(RE074)

Department(s):

A34-OVCR/WIPAC/WIPAC

Employment Class:

Academic Staff-Terminal

Job Number:

306467-AS

 

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence through diversity and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, click here

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