SKA-Low Senior Technical Officer

Acknowledgement of Country CSIRO acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land, sea and waters, of the area that we live and work on across Australia. We acknowledge their continuing connection to their culture and pay our respects to their Elders past and present. View our vision towards reconciliation . Role highlights Lead technical excellence for a world-leading telescope project Apply specialist expertise to complex operational challenges Shape maintenance, commissioning and operational strategies About CSIRO As Australia's national science agency, CSIRO is solving the greatest challenges through innovative science and technology. Many of our iconic innovations were once considered impossible until someone, just like you, joined us and took on the challenge. Visit CSIRO.au for more information. The opportunity SKA-Low is one of the world's most ambitious scientific infrastructure projects, combining advanced engineering, large-scale technology and international collaboration to deliver the world's largest low-frequency radio telescope. As the telescope progresses from construction into long-term operations, technical leaders play a critical role in establishing the systems, practices and expertise required to support a globally significant scientific facility. As a Senior Technical Officer, you will provide technical leadership across the installation, commissioning, operation and lifecycle support of SKA-Low telescope systems. Working with a high degree of independence, you will apply specialist knowledge across RF, electronics, optical and signal-processing infrastructure to address complex technical challenges and support the ongoing evolution of telescope operations. A key focus of the role will be developing and improving the technical frameworks that underpin operational success. You will establish maintenance strategies, commissioning approaches, fault-finding methodologies and technical procedures, often in environments where established precedents do not exist. Your technical judgement and recommendations will directly influence system reliability, maintainability and operational readiness. The ideal candidate will be an experienced technical specialist with strong systems thinking, advanced troubleshooting capability and a track record of leading complex technical activities. You will be confident providing technical guidance to others, sharing specialist knowledge and driving continuous improvement across multidisciplinary teams. If you're passionate about solving complex technical problems, influencing the operation of a world-class scientific facility and helping build the future of radio astronomy, this would be unique opportunity to grow your career in a multi-faceted role. Your high-level duties will include: Leading the development and periodic review of technical standards, maintenance philosophies and operational procedures adopted by the SKA-Low Operations team. Acting as the recognised technical authority for assigned telescope systems, determining technical approaches and providing specialist advice across operational, engineering and scientific teams. Developing, validating and implementing original diagnostic techniques, maintenance methodologies, commissioning procedures and operational practices where established approaches do not exist. Assuming technical ownership of assigned telescope subsystems, establishing maintenance frameworks, technical standards and lifecycle strategies, and being accountable for system reliability, maintainability and operational readiness outcomes. Leading multidisciplinary technical investigations involving uncertain failure modes, complex system interactions and cross-disciplinary technical issues. Independently planning, prioritising and coordinating major technical work packages and maintenance activities. Leading the development, governance and periodic review of technical standards, maintenance philosophies, engineering procedures and operational practices adopted by the wider SKA-Low Operations organisation. Leading development of the technical support model, maintenance regime, acceptance criteria and operational readiness activities required to transition telescope systems from construction into service. Developing and optimising spares holdings, repair strategies and lifecycle support frameworks for assigned telescope systems, using reliability, failure and maintenance data to improve availability, minimise operational risk and ensure long-term sustainability of telescope operations. Role particulars Location and office arrangements: Geraldton or Perth, Western Australia – Fly-in Fly-out (FIFO) to Inyarrimanha Ilgari Bundara, the CSIRO Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory, on 4-3 Roster (Monday to Thursday, 4 days on/3 days off) Salary: AU$118K – AU$127K per annum plus up to 15.4% superannuation + applicable allowances Tenure & work schedule: Indefinite/Specified Term of 3 years (depending on location) – Please note that appointment conditions vary by location: Candidates based in Geraldton may be appointed on an indefinite basis, while candidates based in Perth will be appointed on a 3-year specified term contract. Reference: 103851 As the successful candidate, you will bring: Qualifications or Experience: Degree in engineering or related discipline; or significant equivalent specialist experience in technically complex operational systems. Specialist Technical Expertise: Significant specialist experience in RF, electronics, telecommunications, instrumentation, digital signal processing or related disciplines, including responsibility for defining technical approaches, standards, maintenance methodologies or operational practices for complex systems. Development of Technical Methods and Practices: Demonstrated experience developing, implementing or significantly improving technical procedures, maintenance methodologies, commissioning approaches, operational practices or lifecycle support frameworks. Technical Leadership and Complex Problem Solving: Proven ability to independently lead multidisciplinary technical investigations, resolve complex and ambiguous technical problems, and provide specialist technical advice across organisational boundaries. Capability Development and Technical Influence: Demonstrated experience mentoring technical staff, transferring specialist knowledge, establishing technical standards or work practices, and influencing technical outcomes through recognised expertise. Communication, Safety and Stakeholder Engagement: Highly developed communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex technical concepts to technical and non-technical audiences, together with a demonstrated commitment to safety, environmental sustainability and the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion. For full details about this role, please review the Position Description . Not sure if you meet all the criteria? While it is CSIRO policy that the successful candidate must meet all the essential criteria, there are many ways to demonstrate this. Don’t let the list discourage you. If you are unsure about applying, please reach out to the contact person in the Position Description. Setting you up for success We are committed to providing a recruitment process that is fair, equitable and accessible to everyone. We recognise that it may be helpful for us to adjust our process to make it equitable for your individual situation. Please contact the Talent Acquisition Partner via email (see details in the Position Description) and let us know how we can support you. Eligibility Applications for this position are open to Australian Citizens, New Zealand Citizens and Australian Permanent Residents . Appointment to this role is subject to provision of a national police check and may be subject