Research Assistant/Associate in LSST Survey Science

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 2 years in the first instance.

Applications are invited for an STFC funded postdoctoral researcher to undertake important preparatory work for the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) as part of the LSST:UK consortium. The post will be held at the Institute of Astronomy (IoA), located at the West Cambridge site and will focus on developing tools to optimally combine LSST survey data with near infrared photometric surveys, leveraging in particular UK expertise in ground-based near infra-red surveys being conducted using the ESO VISTA telescope. The project will provide the essential framework to ultimately combine LSST data with future infrared survey datasets such as Euclid and WFIRST, thus enabling a range of new science including research into the high-redshift Universe.

The successful candidate will work with Dr. Manda Banerji and be expected to interact with the wider LSST:UK and international LSST communities, including work package co-Is: Prof. Richard McMahon (IoA, Cambridge), Prof. Matt Jarvis & Dr. Rebecca Bowler (Oxford) and Prof. Graham Smith (Birmingham). They will be expected to develop a high degree of interaction with the faculty, postdoctoral researchers and research students; to conduct a highly competitive programme of scientific research, prepare proposals to secure research resources (for example, access to high-performance computing, telescopes, or other international facilities) and write scientific articles for publication in peer-reviewed journals.

Candidates should have or be expected to shortly obtain a PhD (or equivalent) in astrophysics or a closely related subject, and should possess strong programming skills. Previous experience with photometric survey datasets will be considered an advantage.

The University of Cambridge thrives on the diversity of its staff and students. Applications from underrepresented groups are particularly welcome. We have an active Equality and Diversity Committee which continually works to further the aims of the Athena SWAN charter. The University has a number of family- friendly policies and initiatives, including a returning-carer scheme, childcare costs support, university workplace nurseries, university holiday play-schemes, and a shared parental-leave policy. As part of its commitment to providing a family-friendly environment for researchers, the IoA ensures that should parental leave be needed during the course of employment, there is provision for extension to contract to compensate for the parental leave taken.