The CTAO Central Organisation is seeking a Cherenkov Camera Specialist for its Telescope Coordination Group. The group follows-up the work of the In-Kind Contribution (IKC) teams delivering telescopes and their Cherenkov cameras to the CTAO. The cameras are integral to the telescopes, having a complex control and data interface to the telescope mount and control system. Each telescope type (Large-Sized Telescope, Medium-Sized Telescope, and Small-Sized Telescope) has its own dedicated IKC team that is composed of engineering and scientific personnel from institutes of participating countries and is responsible for delivering the telescopes to the CTAO. The Cherenkov Camera Specialist will use their knowledge and experience in the design, commissioning and operation of Cherenkov cameras to increase the ability of the Telescope Coordination Group to provide feedback and coordinate the IKC activities.

Your key responsibilities:

• Collaborate with the Systems Engineering group on specification, requirements, requirements standardization and relevant issues related to camera performance 
• Contribute to the evaluation of camera designs and to the evaluation of prototype test reports for the cameras
• Participate in and/or organise product design and manufacturing reviews of Cherenkov cameras and camera products
• Support the testing of interface to the control system, central trigger, data acquisition, and central clock of the CTAO observatory 
• Follow-up on the technical and programmatic work of the IKC teams delivering the cameras with special emphasis on monitoring the integration and testing activities at production and later the Assembly Integration and Verification (AIV) activities at the telescopes
• Participate in formal acceptance testing of telescopes and cameras on-site
• Review and/or prepare verification plans and procedures and compliance documents
• Participate in the definition of short- and medium-term maintenance programme for the cameras; be the CTAO technical interface for knowledge transfer, assure the availability of spare parts, specific tools and equipment for the lifetime of the camera in the Observatory
• Report to the Central Organisation’s Project Office at regular progress meetings

Your qualifications and skills:

• Engineering degree in electronic engineering, experience in FPGA technologies, high speed data processing and acquisition. A degree in physics may be considered if there is sufficient and proven relevant experience in the field.
• Skills in understanding the electronic circuits used for signal detection, shaping, and processing.
• Knowledge of timing circuits and achievement of precise synchronization between various components.
• Knowledge of software tools to understand behaviour simulations of the Cherenkov cameras.
• Experience with photodetectors (e.g., photomultiplier tubes, PMTs; silicon photomultipliers, SiPMs), their operating principles and performances.
• Knowledge of the systems used to collect, process and store data from the detectors, including techniques for filtering, amplifying and digitizing the signals.
• Understanding methods for calibrating the camera to ensure accurate measurements.
• Ability to understand high-level Cherenkov specifications and their impact on specific design features of telescope and camera subsystems.
• Ability to write plans, procedures, minutes and reports.
• Excellent English, spoken and written, to work in an international and diverse environment. Any other language is a plus.
• Standard MS office tools knowledge.

You’ll be reporting to: CTAO Telescope Coordinator

Your duty station: Bologna, Italy – the position involves travel within the EU and to the CTAO construction sites.

What we offer: The contract is an open term contract subject to the successful completion of the probation period.

Apply on BambooHR: https://ctao.bamboohr.com/careers/36

Deadline for applications: 12.01.2025

For more information about the CTAO please visit www.ctao.org.  For more information on the advertised position please contact ctao-hr@cta-observatory.org.

For this job posting we would like to encourage people that comply with the Italian law 68/99 to send us their applications.

Applications are accepted and evaluated without distinction on any grounds of gender, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, gender identity, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation.