Temporary Technical- VTS Staff TA

The Department of Physics & Astronomy at Vanderbilt University seeks a part‑time, temporary Research Assistant to join the Karan Jani Lab. Under the mentorship of faculty and a postdoctoral researcher, the assistant will contribute to cutting‑edge gravitational‑wave data analysis, develop and maintain computational workflows, and help communicate scientific results. This role offers hands‑on experience with data‑intensive astrophysics research and the opportunity to work in a collaborative, interdisciplinary environment.

• Process, analyze, and interpret gravitational‑wave and related astrophysical data under faculty and postdoc guidance.

• Implement, execute, and maintain computational data‑analysis workflows.

• Perform quantitative and statistical analyses, verifying accuracy and consistency of results.

• Generate figures, tables, and summaries to communicate findings.

• Review scientific literature and apply established methods to research tasks.

• Maintain organized code, data products, analysis records, and documentation for reproducibility.

• Participate in research meetings, presenting updates on assigned activities.

• Troubleshoot and document computational pipelines and software tools.

• Assist with other research‑related duties supporting the laboratory’s scientific objectives.

• Bachelor’s degree in physics, astronomy, astrophysics, mathematics, computer science, engineering, data science, or a related quantitative field.

• Experience with scientific computing and statistical data analysis, preferably using Python.

• Familiarity with large scientific datasets and reproducible workflow practices.

• Knowledge of gravitational‑wave data analysis methods or computational astrophysics is a plus.

• Ability to work independently and collaborate effectively with faculty, postdocs, and team members.

• Strong analytical, problem‑solving, and organizational skills.

• Excellent written and verbal communication abilities.

• Proficiency with version control systems (e.g., Git) and software development best practices.

• Attention to detail and ability to evaluate data for accuracy.

• Ability to manage time and meet project deadlines.