Working at Astron
Working at ASTRON means working in an international environment with highly skilled professionals in a result-oriented, academic atmosphere.
Whether you're an astronomer, engineer, software developer, technician or support staff, your job at ASTRON is innovative and ground breaking.
Our culture
Working at ASTRON is working in an international scientific work environment, where you are passionate with your work, where we every day all work in making discoveries in radio astronomy and on the latest techniques for radio astronomy. We are ambitious and curious. Curious about the universe, the origin, structure and new stars and galaxies. Ambitious to make discoveries possible. Also, we are perhaps a tad stubborn or obstinate. These features connects us.
To achieve our mission we need colleagues with (specific) knowledge, expertise and skills with regard to a number of what we call core competencies. These core competencies along with the together with the previously mentioned characteristics and the stories of our employees form a good image of our culture. These ingredients are the basis for our existence.
Innovative & Courageous
If you come work with us we encourage you to be innovative and courageous to fulfil our mission. We ask you to generate solutions and new ideas by means of imagination, creativity and the ability to get things done. With us you are able to discover new methods that replace existing methods and techniques. Thereby you should dare to take calculated risks based on a focus on quality.
Global player & open communication
With us you will work within an international scientific environment. We are diverse. Our organization is currently formed by a multi-coloured palette of employees from different countries. This creates beautiful and interesting collaborations. Here within The Netherlands but also abroad. Here with us, we find it important that you take a broad outlook. Focuses on international collaboration.
We like to share our ideas and opinions with others, preferably in comprehensible language and in an approachable manner. We want to be open to our environment and each other. We give each other solicited and unsolicited feedback and we are always open to getting feedback.
ASTRON Netherlands institute for Radio Astronomy.
Marco Drost
Head Operations & Maintenance
The choice to work at ASTRON was one I could make immediate. I wanted to enjoy working in a high tech environment, but also have the opportunity to keep developing myself. The beautiful surroundings in which ASTRON is located, the Dwingelderveld, made my decision very easy. Personally I find it fascinating to realize an instrument […]
Emanuela Orrù
Telescope scientist
During my studies, I realised that I wanted to work in radio astronomy. In my second year, I decided to focus on radio astronomy. My professor pointed out to me that ASTRON build a new radio telescope in the middle of Europe. Because of this ASTRON caught my eye. After my studies and several years […]
Jurjen Sluman
Operator
Before I came to work at ASTRON, I had a job at a high-quality technology company. After that I wanted to work in a similar and challenging work environment. So I ended up at ASTRON. Here I’m dealing with a challenging and high-quality technical environment. Both in terms of hardware and software. I find the […]
Andre Gunst
Group leader
My work at ASTRON is very interesting! Mainly because I can solve many challenging and complex problems. To solve these problems, I use the latest technologies. I think it’s important that I help astronomers to unravel the puzzle of the universe. The most inspiring of my work is that I work together with colleagues from […]
ASTRON making discoveries in radio astronomy happen.
History
1949 ASTRON, SRZM was officially founded.
Prof. Jan Oort
(Franeker, 28 april 1900 – Leiden, 5 november 1992)
On 23 April 149, the forerunner of ASTRON, SRZM (stichting Radiostraling van Zon en Melkweg/ Netherlands Foundation for Radio Astronomy) was officially founded with Prof. Jan Oort as chairman of the Board, a position he held until his retirement in 1970. SRZM was set up to prepare for the design, construction and operation of the Dwingeloo Telescope.
1956
On 23 April 149, the forerunner of ASTRON, SRZM (stichting Radiostraling van Zon en Melkweg/ Netherlands Foundation for Radio Astronomy) was officially founded with Prof. Jan Oort as chairman of the Board, a position he held until his retirement in 1970. SRZM was set up to prepare for the design, construction and operation of the Dwingeloo Telescope.
1970
The WSRT (Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope) is opened by HM Queen Juliana.
1975-1980
The WSRT is expanded to include two new telescopes, increasing the baseline length to 3 km. This doubles the spatial resolution of the telescope. Cooled receivers are also introduced at 6 and 21 cm.
1988 Square Kilometre Array.
ASTRON is at the forefront of conceiving the original concept of the Square Kilometre Array – this will later emerge as one of the most ambitious global mega-science projects of the 21st century.
1993
The Joint institute for VLBI in Europe is established, hosted by ASTRON. The EVEN Correlator is formally opened in 1998.
2010
LOFAR is opened by HM Queen Beatrix.
2015
A new upgrade of the WSRT commences with the installation of the first APERTIF PAFs (Phased Array Feeds).
2020
The SKA telescope is under construction.
Terms of employment and regulations
ASTRON is an institute that is part of NWO-i, the Institutes Organisation that falls under the Dutch Research Council (NWO). NWO-i is an independent foundation belonging to NWO.
ASTRON’s terms of employment are regulated by the Collective Labour Agreement Research Institutes (CAO-OI) and in the NWO Implementing Regulations (IR). Several main points:
- Besides the monthly salary stated in the job advertisement, you will receive a holiday allowance of 8% and an end-of-year bonus of 8.33%.
- In the case of a full-time position, you will work 40 hours per week and you are entitled to 42 days of annual leave, which you can have partly paid out. In addition, there are several special forms of leave that are (partly) paid.
- NWO-I has the Tailor-made Terms of Employment (AVOM) which allows you to tailor several employment conditions to your own needs.
- NWO-I has (under certain conditions) allowances for relocation costs and supports foreign employees in applying for a visa.
- NWO-I employees, with the exception of those who receive funding from a European grant, accrue pension entitlement at the National Civil Pension Fund ABP.
- ASTRON encourages the continuous development of employees and gives generous allowances for courses that employees follow in relation to their work activities or career.
- ASTRON offers various ways to develop your career, like for example: learning on the job, commitment in challenging projects which appeals to your talents and capacities, visiting conferences, training programs and of course sharing the knowledge within the institute itself, for example by organizing colloquia. Within ASTRON several fields of expertise offer the possibility to develop from a junior to a senior level.
- ASTRON takes its responsibility for the health, safety and well-being of its employees very seriously. NWO-I considers it to be a joint task of the employer and the employee to ensure health, safety and well-being at the workplace.
- ASTRON wants to be an organisation where everybody feels welcome, can be themselves and can bring out the best in themselves and in teams. We strive to be a diverse organisation with an inclusive culture where everybody is equal, irrespective of cultural, ethnic or religious background, gender, sexual orientation, health and ag
- ASTRON believes that people have to respect each other’s personal boundaries. It therefore strives to realise a working environment in which employees feel safe. In the work relationship, NWO-I does not tolerate any form of (sexual) intimidation, aggression, violence, bullying and discrimination.
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