Support to ESA Gaia-satellite data reduction consortium to prepare Data Release 5

Organisation/Company IAA - ULB Research Field Astronomy » Astrophysics Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions Research Support Positions Application Deadline 2 Nov 2026 - 08:00 (Europe/Brussels) Country Belgium Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 35 Offer Starting Date 1 Jan 2027 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

A 2-yr position (January 2027 - December 2028) is opening at the Institut d'Astronomie et d'Astrophysique of the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) to work with the ESA Gaia satellite DPAC (Data Processing and Analysis Consortium) team on resolved pairs (binary systems with two components resolved on the sky) to pursue the effort initiated for Gaia Data Release 4 (GDR4 Dec 2026) and in prevision of Gaia Data Release 5 (December 2030). Thecandidate should improve the methodology used by the existing GDR4 code to address several issues not dealt with in GDR4, with the help of a Java-proficient programmer. He/she will be in charge of debugging the code and validating its scientific outputs, preparing for their ingestion in the Gaia DR5 archive. This will require proficiency with python environments (like vaex) to analyse, sort and plot large data sets. The candidate will work within thelocal Gaia Team (3 scientists and 1 programmer totaling 1.7 + 1 full-time equivalent).
He/she will be part of the DPAC CU4-NSS ('non-single stars') team at large.
Familiarity with Gaia data products and with inside knowledge of Gaia DPAC procedures (data models and so on) would be important assets.

This position is of the kind 'support to research', therefore PhD level is not mandatory, but basic knowledge of astronomy and of python programming is required. Therefore formal education could be in either physics / astrophysics or computer science (big data).

Requirements

Research Field Astronomy » Astrophysics Education Level Master Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

Ability to manipulate large data sets (up to 1E7 lines) within specific python environments (like vaex), to analyse and plot and sort

Specific Requirements

Knowledge of binary stars and internal Gaia DPAC procedures (data products and data models etc) are an asset

Languages ENGLISH Level Good

Research Field Astronomy » Astrophysics Years of Research Experience 1 - 4

Additional Information

Additional comments

Post-doc candidate would also be acceptable, but DPAC rules do not allow to publish scientific papers using DR5 data before 2030. Publishing papers based on Gaia DR4 is possible off duty. Salary is adapted to experience level.

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute Institut d'Astronomie et d'Astrophysique - Université libre de Bruxelles Country Belgium City Brussels Postal Code 1050 Geofield