Genesis - CH Senior Reseach Assistant (Pos. 2 & 3)

Open Positions at the Astronomical Institute of the University of Bern

The Astronomical Institute of the University of Bern (AIUB) is receiving funding from the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) for the national initiative Genesis-CH to support the preparation of the Bernese GNSS Software for the rigorous data processing of ESA's co-location in space mission Genesis, which is currently scheduled for launch in 2028. In the frame of Genesis-CH, funding will be available for two Senior Research Assistants (Positions No. 2 and 3)

Objective

The main objective of ESA's Genesis mission is to contribute to the achievement of the accuracy and stability goals of the Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS) concerning the realization of the International Terrestrial Reference System (ITRS), aiming for 1 mm and 0.1 mm/year, respectively. To this aim, the Genesis mission will provide in-orbit co-location of the four space geodetic techniques, Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR), Doppler Orbitography and Radiopositioning Integrated by Satellite (DORIS), Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI), on a highly calibrated and stable platform. This requires significant upgrades and developments in scientific software packages to consistently process and
combine the Genesis data of all four space geodetic techniques together with the data of the respective terrestrial ground networks.
The Senior Research Assistant (Position No. 2) is scheduled for three years and will focus on the implementation of the DORIS processing capability into the Bernese GNSS Software maintained at AIUB. The activity will be based on existing developments in collaboration with the Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie (BKG), Germany, and the Research Institute of Geodesy, Cartography and Topography (VUGTK), Czech Republic. The planned developments will be performed in close exchange with ESA's Genesis Science Exploitation Team and the IAG/IERS Joint Working Group on Genesis.
The Senior Research Assistant (Position No. 3) is scheduled for two years and will coordinate the significant amount of software developments on VLBI, DORIS, SLR, and GNSS in the Bernese GNSS Software maintained at AIUB that will be carried out in the frame of the Genesis-CH initiative. The developments will also involve external partner institutions such as the Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie (BKG), Germany, the Research Institute of Geodesy, Cartog-raphy and Topography (VUGTK), Czech Republic, and the Technical University of Munich (TUM), Germany. The planned developments will be performed in close exchange with ESA's Genesis Science Exploitation Team and the IAG/IERS Joint Working Group on Genesis.

Education

The candidate for Positon No. 2 is expected to have successfully completed a Ph.D. thesis in astronomy, geodesy, physics, or a related topic. Experience in DORIS data processing or other space geodetic data, or using the Bernese GNSS Software package, and in computer science (coding in modern Fortran, C++, Python, or Perl) are not a requirement, but an advantage.
The candidate for Position No. 3 is expected to have successfully completed a Master or Ph.D. thesis in computer science, astronomy, geodesy, physics, or a related topic. Experience in computer science (coding in modern Fortran, C++, Python, or Perl) is mandatory, a background in space geodetic data analyses, ideally using the Bernese GNSS Software package, is beneficial. Candidates should bve able to speak and write English fluently.
Candidates should start working in Bern preferably by July 1, 2026.
Position No. 2 is scheduled for three years.
Position No. 3 is scheduled for two years, with a possible extension of one more year.
The salary for both positions follows the guidelines of the University of Bern and depends on the qualification of the successful candidate.