Job Opportunities

Dunlap Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics

University of Toronto

Email Submission and Inquiries Address: mike.reid@utoronto.ca

Closing Date for Receipt of Applications: December 15, 2015

QUALIFICATIONS:

The Dunlap Institute seeks applicants with expertise in astronomy for two (2) Outreach Support Scientist positions on a part-time casual basis. The minimum qualification for this position is a Bachelor’s degree with a specialization in astronomy. Applicants with some postgraduate education in astronomy will be strongly preferred. Applicants should have a minimum of 2 years of experience doing public outreach in astronomy or a closely related field. Strong organizational skills, an ability to work independently, and awareness of diversity and equity issues are essential. Fluency in French is an asset, but not required. This job may require occasional work after hours or on weekends; working hours are flexible and will be negotiated with successful applicants.

Applications should consist of:

* A CV that highlights accomplishments in the area of public outreach

* A brief cover letter, describing the applicant’s interests in the area of public outreach

JOB DESCRIPTION:

The Outreach Support Scientists (OSS) will support the primary outreach programs of the Dunlap Institute. These include training K-12 teachers to teach astronomy, running annual large public events, supporting the University of Toronto planetarium, running medium-scale events such as Astronomy on Tap T.O., and supporting the outreach initiatives of individual Dunlap faculty. It is expected that each OSS will focus on 1-2 of these areas. Focus areas will be determined in accordance with the skills and aptitudes of the successful applicants, in negotiation with Dunlap’s Coordinator of Public Outreach and Education. Typical duties would include some subset of:

* Developing astronomy curriculum modules for use by K-12 teachers and facilitating teacher-training sessions

* Developing planetarium shows and training planetarium presenters

* Assisting with the coordination and delivery of public outreach events

* Organizing skills-development sessions for graduate students in public outreach

*  Writing funding proposals for public outreach

* Evaluating the effectiveness of public outreach initiatives

The salary for this position will be $31/hr. Each position will be offered for a total of 100 hours, which are expected to be completed within a six-month period commencing January 1, 2016.