Research assistant (m/f/d) full-time job limited to 3 years salary grade (Entgeltgruppe) 13 TV-L FU reference code: WiMi_PLATO-PCOTcommissioning

Bewerbungsende: 27.01.2025

Within the PLATO mission (PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars), the FU Berlin (Department of Geosciences/Planetary Sciences) cooperates with the Institute of Planetary Research of the German Aerospace Center e.V. (DLR). The PLATO mission goal is to search and characterize extrasolar planets, including Earth-like planets.

PLATO is the third of the M-class missions in the Cosmic Vision Programme of ESA. PLATO is Europe's next large-scale space mission to detect and characterize exoplanets. The primary goal of the mission is to look for Earth-like planets up to the habitable zone of solar-like stars. The aim is to determine the radius, mass and age of exoplanets with unprecedented accuracy. Together with ESA, an international consortium of research institutions is responsible for the development of the PLATO payload, consisting of 26 cameras forming a wide-field space telescope.

Job description:
The position announced is part of the work performed by the PLATO Mission Consortium (PMC) and will be performed in close cooperation with DLR, ESA, and other European PMC members. Applicants shall contribute to the work of the PLATO Calibration and Operations Team (PCOT) and take part in supporting the ESA Science and Mission Operations Centers (SOC and MOC) concerning the instrument calibration during commissioning phase and support regular instrument operations. This work is complemented by respective pre-launch preparatory activities. This includes supporting, e.g., procedures for the ESA MOC, development of the „Quick Look Analysis (QLA)“-system, „Flight Operational Procedures (FOPs)“ and related „Consortium Operational Requests (CORs)“. The applicant will actively take part in the instrument monitoring, performance checking and commanding preparations, in cooperation with and support of ESA.

The work at FU Berlin includes:
- Support in the definition of the QLA and respective instrument monitoring parameters
- Support of ESA MOC/SOC during instrument monitoring (also at ESA centers)
- Development of required data and instrument commanding procedures for instrument operations
- Delivery of inflight-calibration and configuration parameters to ESA
- Documentation and support for reviews.

Requirements:
- A Master and PhD degree in space engineering, physics, geophysics, or astronomy
- several years of experience in calibration and operation of scientific space instruments

(Professional) Experience:
- Long-term professional experience in a scientific or technical environment in the field of space sciences.

Desirable:

- Good programming skills, preferentially in Python
- Good documentation skills
- Willingness to actively take part in instrument operations, including stays at ESOC/Darmstadt
- Experience in optical payload calibration and operations and associated software systems is highly desirable.
- Experience in ground processing pipelines for space instruments (preferably optical payload), statistical methods and visualization of data.
- Knowledge of large operations and associated software systems, preferably space-based

- Very good written and spoken English language competences
- High motivation, ability to work independently as well as part of a team, excellent communication skills

For further information, please contact Stefanie Pott (plansec@zedat.fu-berlin.de / 030/838-70575).

Weitere Informationen

Applications should be sent by e-mail, together with significant documents, indicating the reference code, in PDF format (preferably as one document) to Prof. Dr. Heike Rauer: plansec@zedat.fu-berlin.de or postal to

Freie Universität Berlin

Fachbereich Geowissenschaften

Institut für Geologische Wissenschaften

FR Planetologie und Fernerkundung

Frau Prof. Dr. Heike Rauer

Malteserstr. 74-100

Haus D, 12249 Berlin (Lankwitz)

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