Professional Research Assistant -Data Monitoring & Super Cryogenic Dark Matter Research

Position Details
University of Colorado | Denver
Faculty Level/Title: Professional Research Assistant
Working Title: Professional Research Assistant -Data Monitoring & Super Cryogenic Dark Matter Research
FTE: Full time. (Part-time employment may be an option)
Salary Range: $54,000 - $64,000 at 1.0 FTE (pro-rated for part-time) | Hybrid or Remote
Position # 00673883 - Requisition #37763
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About the University of Colorado - Denver
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Job Description
* Applications are accepted electronically ONLY at www.cu.edu/cu-careers *
Dr. Roberts is a member of the Physics department at CU Denver and works to detect dark matter and to build tools that increase the trust in results from this discipline. This position focuses on monitoring the data quality quickly enough that shifters can intervene as issues arise. This job will requires you work with the SuperCDMS data quality monitoring software, processing software, data acquisition software, and multiple databases to deliver usable science data.

Professional Research Assistant
What you will do:
Approximately 20% of your time will be spent learning about the data quality system and related subsystems. This will involve:

• Participating in remote team meetings with PI and graduate students where the focus is debugging code and/or the computing environment
• Meeting weekly with the PI and sometimes graduate students and postdocs to learn about the MIDAS data acquisition system deployed for the experiment, the databases in use, the network underground at SNOLAB, the data quality system, the data catalog, and other systems that integrate with the data quality system.
• Attending remote training sessions to learn how to take a remote shift running the CDMS detectors.

Approximately 50% of your time will be spent developing the data quality monitoring system. This will involve:

• Individually debugging and implementing features in data quality codebase.
• Individually learning and testing the data quality system on test installation.
• Individually updating and testing data quality code on the primary installation at SNOLAB.

Approximately 30% of your time will be spent supporting facilities in run efforts. This will involve:

• Taking shifts as a data quality expert when we turn on the experiment. This will involve monitoring the slack chat for issues and checking that webpages are populating correctly. You will need to report bugs and, when they are severe, contact the PI and arrange a schedule for immediate fixes.
• The candidate may have the opportunity to take shifts at the experiment site, an active mine in Ontario.

Qualifications you already possess (Minimum Qualifications)
Applicants must meet minimum qualifications at the time of hire.

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Physics or related field
• Minimum of two years of experience in each of the following:
  • taking a lead or principal role in software projects.
  • writing and debugging both C++ and Python for medium-scale applications (larger than 75,000 lines of code). Applicants that reach the interview stage will be required to walk through one contribution in each language.
  • using distributed version control (e.g. Git, Mercurial) with a team of two or more developers.
  • Development experience in a unix/linux shell. Must include familiarity with a terminal-based text editor.
• Written at least one Dockerfile, singularity/apptainer definition file, or Nix/Guix package.
• Have built tests for a codebase of any size (unit tests or end-to-end tests).
• Used or interfaced with SQL databases for at least one project.

Preferred Qualification to possess (Preferred Qualifications)

• Experience with creating, testing, and improving technical documentation.
• Experience using a container as your development environment.
• Experience using and maintaining job schedulers (HTCondor, Slurm, etc.).
• Experience using profiling and debugging software to improve performance of C++ code
• Experience maintaining basic web applications.
• Experience with serving web content over https including setting up certificates, configuring web servers, etc.
• Experience performing analysis with ROOT files.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Excellent communication skills.
• Knowledge and understanding of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
• Knowledge and understanding of network debugging
• Familiarity with a terminal-based text editor.
• Familiarity with subsystems of the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search such as Data Acquisition, Reconstruction, Cryogenics, or Calibration.

Conditions of Employment

• Occasional work during the evening and/or weekends may be required.
• This position can be either full remote or hybrid. Candidates who wish to work fully remotely can work anywhere in the United States. Candidates who prefer a hybrid work structure can work remotely or from the office, as needed, based on demands of specific tasks or personal work preferences. Working from the office is encouraged when working on tasks that require a high degree of collaboration.
• Candidates who choose to take shifts at the experiment site (an active mine in Ontario) should be able to walk up to two miles per day and perform tasks requiring moderate physical flexibility, such as using a hose to wash down boots while worn.

Mental, Physical, and/or Environmental Requirements

• The ability to use a computer for several hours, several times a day.

CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.
The University will provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities throughout the employment application process. To request an accommodation pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, please contact the Human Resources ADA Coordinator at workplaceengagement@ucdenver.edu .

Employment Sponsorship
Please be advised that this position is not eligible now or in the future for visa sponsorship.

Compensation and Benefits
The salary range (or hiring range) for this position has been established at $54,000 - 64,000 at 1.0 FTE.
The salary of the finalist(s) selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, internal equity, experience, education, specialty, and training.
The above salary range (or hiring range) represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.
This position is not eligible for overtime compensation.
Your total compensation goes beyond the number on your paycheck. The University of Colorado Denver provides generous leave, health plans and retirement contributions that add to your bottom line.
Benefits statement to include in all benefits-eligible positions. See Eligibility Matrix.
Benefits: https://www.cu.edu/employee-services/benefits
Total Compensation Calculator: http://www.cu.edu/node/153125

Application Deadline
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Preference will be given to complete applications received by October 3, 2025. Those who do not apply by this date may or may not be considered.

Required Application Materials:
To apply, please visit: http://www.cu.edu/cu-careers and attach:

• A letter of interest describing relevant job experiences as they relate to listed job qualifications and interest in the position.
• Curriculum vitae / Resume outlining experience(s).
• Three professional references including name, address, phone number (mobile number if appropriate), and email address. (We will notify you prior to contacting both on and off-list references).

Questions should be directed to Amy Roberts, amy.roberts@ucdenver.edu.

Background Check Policy
The University of Colorado Denver strives to maintain a safe and productive educational, clinical, research and employment environment. All prospective employees and current employees must, therefore, consent to and pass background checks prior to any final appointment/employment.