The Joint ALMA Observatory (JAO) is seeking a senior engineering manager to lead the ALMA Department of Engineering (ADE), which is responsible for leading a large, multidisciplinary engineering team at the Joint ALMA Observatory in Chile consisting of over a hundred staff. The Head of ADE also plays a key role in supporting the scientific mission of ALMA by ensuring engineering systems meet the observatory's high availability and precision requirements.

The department's primary mission is to ensure the reliable operation and long-term sustainability of ALMA's technical infrastructure, including the upkeep, oversight, and improvement of high-technology systems and infrastructure such as antennas, power systems, scientific instrumentation, and site facilities with a strong focus on sustainable operational performance and effective risk management and mitigation.

The position also entails proactive risk management in response to aging systems through implementation of sustainability-driven mitigation strategies in partnership with the ALMA Integrated Engineering Team (IET) to optimize maintenance plans, establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs), and continuous assessment of risks.

This role demands strategic leadership to guide the department through the next 5-10 years, a critical transition period for the observatory as a major upgrade, the Wideband Sensitivity Upgrade (WSU), of the complete ALMA signal chain is installed and brought to full operation. This requires strong coordination across departments, particularly with Science Operations and Computing, to maintain operational continuity and to coordinate effective management through the transition to the fully operational WSU system.

The position also requires commitment to effective team leadership and staff management to build a high-performance team in a multi-cultural, multi-national environment at the observatory, and maintaining strong collaborations with ALMA's international partners.