Public Data Systems / Full-time
Product Engineer, Night Watch
Own the public sky and catalog interface used by researchers, contributors, and observers.
Night Watch is a public instrument, not a campaign page. The work is to make complex review status legible without making it theatrical.
Resume or CV
Code, product, visualization, or systems portfolio
Short note on privacy, signing, accessibility, or public-data trust
Candidate exercise
A systems or interface critique with a narrow implementation discussion, not a production feature request.
Public Data Systems recruiting desk / FAL-PDS-26-003
Full-time exempt staff appointment
Continuing employee benefit tier
REC-PDS-26-003-PUB
FAL-PDS-26-003-public-notice-06
July 7, 2026
Search committee
- 01Dr. Rahul Menon
- 02Public Data Systems recruiting desk
- 03Public Systems and Security delegate
Recruiting active file plus finalist review record
How this packet is evaluated
Software and public data
Finalist review covers software supply chain, public-data trust, signing boundaries, and production access separation.
Complete packets are logged under REC-PDS-26-003-PUB, separated from public correspondence, and assigned to the Public Data Systems recruiting desk for first read.
Any exercise is bounded, redacted, and evaluated only for hiring. It is not added to the catalog, public systems, grant files, or laboratory work product.
| Criterion | Weight | Evidence reviewed |
|---|---|---|
| Public trust | 30% | Designs interfaces that keep source, uncertainty, and privacy visible. |
| Systems judgment | 30% | Builds durable services with clear failure modes and restrained scope. |
| Security posture | 20% | Respects signing, access, logging, and data-release boundaries. |
| Product finish | 20% | Can make technical tools useful without making them theatrical. |
- 01Reference check after candidate notice
- 02Work-location and access-boundary confirmation
- 03Software supply-chain and production-access review
- 04Program-office recommendation before offer
Candidate review docket REC-PDS-26-003-PUB; public posting version FAL-PDS-26-003-public-notice-06.
Responsibilities
- Improve sky-map performance, search, filters, catalog overlays, and source citations
- Design interfaces that read as scientific instruments rather than marketing demos
- Build accessible, responsive data views for catalog entries and observation reports
- Coordinate with researchers so public UI language matches internal review status
Qualifications
- Strong frontend engineering background with canvas, SVG, or WebGL experience
- Comfort with astronomical coordinates, map projections, or scientific visualization
- Taste for restrained, information-dense interfaces
- Ability to test across desktop and mobile devices
Preferred experience
- Experience with public science data tools
- Experience with accessibility in data visualization
What good work looks like
- Public users can inspect a record without needing institutional context
- Researchers trust the interface not to simplify review status into claims
- Mobile and desktop views preserve source context and coordinate detail
Continuing staff appointment
Quarterly station residency for researcher review and archive alignment
Limited public-data and research program travel
Public-data access review and accessibility work sample required
Hiring process
- 1Portfolio review
- 2Technical screen
- 3Design critique
- 4Pairing exercise
Recruiting acknowledges complete packets within five business days and routes them to the program office named on the requisition.
Access, relocation, and accommodations
No station acknowledgement required at application stage
Relocation support is reviewed after finalist stage for continuing Calder Ridge appointments.
Candidates may request accommodation support through recruiting before any timed exercise or station visit.
Public Data Systems recruiting desk, FAL-PDS-26-003
- Recruiting will not request references until the candidate is notified.
- Finalist access checks are started only after a program panel recommends continued review.
- Candidate materials are retained under the recruiting records schedule and are not used as public work product.
Candidate materials remain in the recruiting record and are not used as laboratory work product, public samples, or source material for the catalog.
Candidates may request accommodations before any timed exercise, station visit, or access-review step by contacting the recruiting desk listed on the requisition.
FAL evaluates candidates without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, age, or any other protected status.
Apply for this position
Applications are read by the relevant program. Include links to your CV, publications, or portfolio where relevant. For station roles, use the message field to note any field, access-controlled, archive, or remote-site experience that would help the review panel.