James Collinson
Operations Data Scientist @SKA Observatory
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WORK HISTORY
Operations Data Scientist @SKA Observatory
The Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO) will be the world’s largest radio observatory, with ~200 dishes in South Africa and ~130K antennas in Australia. Its unprecedented data volume demands new approaches to data handling, analysis, and access.Since 2019, I’ve been part of the global effort to deliver the SKA Regional Centre Network (SRCNet)- a distributed network of data centres that will provide astronomers with the tools to manage, analyse, and extract results from SKA data using next-generation high-performance cloud platforms. I now lead one of the teams building this capability, which will scale alongside the phased rollout of the telescope arrays. Our current products are in internal testing, with the next major milestone, Science Verification, targeted for 2026. Product Owner (2023–present) • Leading the roadmap for Data Management and Authentication & Authorisation products. • Collaborating with the SRCNet Architect, Product Manager, and peer POs to define epics and shape feature delivery. • Balancing technical feasibility with scientific user needs to guide product direction. Scrum Master (20••••24) • Facilitated SAFe team ceremonies (DSUs, planning, retrospectives). • Coached the team in agile practices, while contributing directly to development. • Acted as primary interface between the team and stakeholders. Software Engineer (2019-present) • Development/operations of the SRCNet Data Lake service • Delivered multiple iterations of the SRCNet science analysis platform. • Built and maintained Python-based web services and DevOps tooling (documentation, packaging, containers, Helm charts, etc). • Operated applications on Kubernetes, with ArgoCD for GitOps configuration and Cluster API for cluster lifecycle management.
EDUCATION
St Helens College
Certificate in Management
Durham University
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Physics
Durham University
Master of Physics (MPhys), Physics with Astrophysics
SKILLS
ABOUT JAMES COLLINSON
Hi there! I’m James, and I work at the Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO)- the team building the world’s largest radio telescope. The SKA will not only transform our view of the Universe, but also push the limits of technology with the enormous data volumes it produces.My background spans astrophysics and software engineering, and I now lead one of the teams developing the software for the SKA’s global network of data centres (SRCNet). Our goal is to make SKA data products accessible and usable, enabling scientists around the world to turn cutting-edge observations into new discoveries.I’m motivated by the challenge of working at the intersection of science and technology: designing systems that can handle petascale data while staying focused on the researchers who will use them.If you’re interested in big science, distributed computing, or just want to chat about the future of data-intensive research - let’s connect!
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