Science Instruments Group Leader

Job Summary
 
The TMT International Observatory, LLC is a non-profit corporation managing the development and construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope, an extremely large optical-infrared telescope to be built by an international partnership consisting of the California Institute of Technology, Canada, China, India, Japan, and the University of California. For more information, please see www.tmt.org. The TMT Instrumentation Department is responsible for overseeing the design, fabrication and test of the three first light science instruments for TMT and the associated adaptive optics (AO) systems, as well as formulating future science instruments with inputs from the science community.
 
Reporting to the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) Project Manager and Instrumentation (INS) Department Head, and working closely with the Adaptive Optics (AO) Group Leader, the Science Instruments (INST) Group Leader will serve as a strong connection to the science community at large, be an advocate on TMT for the community’s current and future interests in science instrumentation and technology. The Group Leader will lead the science instrument activities for the design and implementation of the Thirty Meter Telescope and support the Project Manager’s execution of the TMT project. The incumbent will supervise an instrument design group that consists of scientists and engineers responsible for design studies and implementation of TMT science instruments. Design studies and implementation will be carried out by members of the TMT Project and community-based instrument teams working under contract with TMT.
 
Job Duties 
 
The Science Instruments (INST) Group Leader will lead a group that is working with partner/community teams to:

• Working with the TMT Observatory Scientist, serve as a conduit to the science community at large; understand and advocate for the community’s current and future interests in TMT science instrumentation and technology.
• Support external funding proposals for on-going efforts and new technology development and instrumentation feasibility studies by partner institutions and ensure they are (and remain) consistent with TMT goals.
• Assist the TMT Science Advisory Committee (SAC) in examining scope options and establishing priorities on a continuing basis.
• Investigate concepts that respond to the scientific requirements and are feasible on TMT, as well as to provide estimates of the scientific performance expected from the overall system.
• Develop initial specifications and ROM costs for future instruments.
• Issue announcements of opportunity and oversee RFP process.
• Select/foster instrument teams across the partnerships for design studies for a new instrument or a major upgrade or the development of a new instrument.
• Provide oversight for and manage design studies for each instrument.
• Working with the Systems Engineering team, conduct design reviews and negotiate results with teams.
• Working with the TMT Project business team, establish contractual requirements and costs for instruments, negotiate ``value”, conditions and schedule.
• Working with the TMT Project Office, negotiate and manage work packages for all instrumentation efforts.
• Monitor progress through monthly reports, telecons/videocons and interim visits.
• Participate in the development milestones of the TMT instruments from design, manufacturing to integration at the builder site, and assembly, integration and verification at Observatory site.
• Prepare for and participate in progress reviews of the Project by funding agencies.