Postdoctoral Research Fellow

The George Mason University, Department of Physics & Astronomy in the College of Science is looking for a one year Postdoctoral Research Fellow to work on a collaborative project at the U.S. Naval Observatory (USNO) in Washington, D.C. George Mason University has a strong institutional commitment to the achievement of excellence and diversity among its faculty and staff, and strongly encourages candidates to apply who will enrich Mason’s academic and culturally inclusive environment. Former applicants need not apply.

Duties:

The successful applicant will work closely with researchers on photometric data spanning visual to near-IR wavelengths of stars and galaxies. Specific duties include:

• The maintenance and further development of automated photometric data reduction and analysis code.
• Development of photometric data reduction pipelines for new visual-wavelength facilities operated by USNO.
• Further development and refinement of synthetic photometry and spectral energy distribution estimation software.
• Collaboration with researchers at USNO on ongoing visual and near-IR surveys of galaxies and active galactic nuclei.

Required Qualifications:

Applicants must have completed a Ph.D in a related field prior to the first day of the appointment. All applicants are required to be fluent in the Python programming language, and well-versed with key Python packages including NumPy, SciPy, and AstroPy. Work will be performed at the USNO facilities and GMU Fairfax campus; US Citizenship is required for access to USNO facilities.

Preferred Qualifications:

Preference will be given to applicants with experience/publications in one or more of the following areas:

• Active galactic nuclei and associated physical processes;
• Spectral energy distributions of stars and stellar populations;
• Photometric reduction and analysis techniques;
• Additional preference will be given to applicants with significant experience using TOPCAT, SQL, and other database access/manipulation tools.

Special Instructions to Applicants:

For full consideration, applicants must apply for position number F180Az at https://jobs.gmu.edu/; complete and submit the online application; and upload a cover letter, resume, and a list of three professional references with contact information.

George Mason University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, committed to promoting inclusion and equity in its community. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or veteran status, or any characteristic protected by law.