Research Associate in Radio Software

For more information (English and French) view the poster at link: Additional Information (English & French)

The NRC Advantage

Great Minds. One Goal. Canada’s Success.

The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) is the Government of Canada’s largest research organization supporting industrial innovation, the advancement of knowledge and technology development. We collaborate with over 70 colleges, universities and hospitals annually, work with 800 companies on their projects, and provide advice or funding to over 8000 Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) each year.

We bring together the brightest minds to deliver tangible impacts on the lives of Canadians and people around the world. And now, we want to partner with you.  Let your expertise and inspirations make an impact by joining the NRC.

At NRC, we know diversity enables excellence in research and innovation. We are committed to a diverse and representative workforce, an open and inclusive work environment, and contributing to a more inclusive Canadian innovation system.

NRC welcomes all qualified applicants and encourages candidates to self-declare as members of the following designated employment equity groups: women, visible minorities, Aboriginal peoples and persons with disabilities.

Please advise of any accommodation measures required to enable you to be assessed in a fair and equitable manner. They are available to all candidates for further assessment. Related information received will be addressed confidentially.

Our Inclusive Work Environment

Your work environment and tools will enable you to collaborate with your colleagues across Canada and the globe. We are committed to ensuring that each staff member promptly receives the accommodation they need to do their job and we understand the importance of work/life balance.

NRC employees enjoy a wide range of benefits that include comprehensive medical and dental, pension and insurance plans as well as annual vacation time and other leave. The NRC also offers learning and development opportunities. For more information, please visit our website at https://nrc.canada.ca/en .

Your Challenge

Help bring research to life and drive your career forward with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), Canada’s largest research and technology organization.

We are looking for a Research Associate in Radio Software to support our Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Centre.  The Research Associate would be someone who shares our core values of Integrity, Excellence, Respect and Creativity.

The Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory (DRAO) is Canada’s national facility for radio astronomy. Astronomers and engineers work closely together to design and build innovative radio telescopes, and use radio telescopes at DRAO and elsewhere to conduct frontline research.

In the past several years, new and upgraded astronomical telescopes have increased resolution and bandwidth by significant factors. In keeping with this trend, the amount of data generated by these powerful instruments has multiplied, making the ability to manage and process large volumes of data in an organized and scalable manner a necessity.

As a software specialist, you will contribute to a diversely-skilled team of people to support the design and implementation of software systems for Radio Astronomy applications.  The projects underway at DRAO include:  employing digital signal processing algorithms, developing applications for handling large volumes of data, providing backend systems support, and implementing data pipelines for new and proposed radio astronomical instruments being developed at DRAO.

As a member of the Radio Software team at the DRAO, you will apply your software skills to many projects, providing novel and robust software backend systems for new and existing telescopes. From providing advice, consultation and guidance during the design process to the implementation and testing of front-line software applications, you will find yourself a participant in many exciting projects.

At DRAO, you will find a dynamic software team environment, working alongside engineers, researchers, technicians and technologists on world-class facilities, often in collaboration with international partners. You will also have the opportunity to contribute to the development of proposals and plans for new initiatives.

Screening Criteria

Applicants must demonstrate within the content of their application that they meet the following screening criteria in order to be given further consideration as candidates:

Education

As part of the RA Program you must have received your PhD or Masters in Astronomy, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering or a related discipline within the last five years or you expect to receive the degree within the next six months.

For information on certificates and diplomas issued abroad, please see Degree equivalency

Experience

• Significant experience working within a Linux or Unix environment;
• Basic experience with the complete software development process including solicitation of requirements, design, development, testing and integration; and
• Basic experience with digital signal processing algorithms and their application to large volumes of data.

Condition of Employment

Reliability Status

Language requirements

English

Information on language requirements and self-assessment tests

Assessment Criteria

Candidates will be assessed on the basis of the following criteria:

Technical Competencies

• Knowledge and understanding of the principles, approaches and techniques used in software design and development, including both procedural and object oriented software design and development;
• Knowledge of practises and techniques used in the organized and efficient handling of large volumes of data;
• Ability to write software in procedural and object oriented programming languages such as C, C++ or Python; and
• Ability to produce quality documentation for all phases of system and software design and development.

Behavioural Competencies

Competency Profile(s)

For this position, the NRC will evaluate candidates using the following competency profile: Research

View all competency profiles

Relocation

Relocation assistance will be determined in accordance with the NRC’s directives.

Salary Range

From $56,374 to $159,364 per annum.

The Research Associate (RA) Program is unique to the NRC. It falls under the RO/RCO classification system which uses a person-based classification system instead of the more common duties-based classification system. Candidates are remunerated based on their expertise, skill, outcomes and impacts of their previous work experience.

Notes

Application Requirements:

In order to be considered for the Research Associate program please include the following in your application. Failure to do so will result in your application being excluded from searches.

• Resume
• Transcript
• Two letters of recommendation

When submitting your application you can include the required documents in any attachment field such as «Second language evaluation results» or «Other attachments».

• NRC employees enjoy a wide-range of benefits including comprehensive health and dental plans, pension and insurance plans, vacation and other leave entitlements.
• Preference will be given to Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents of Canada. Please include citizenship information in your application.
• The incumbent must adhere to safe workplace practices at all times.
• We thank all those who apply, however only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.