Exoplanet Exploration Program Postdoctoral Research Associate

Responsibilities

The NASA Exoplanet Exploration Program (ExEP) Office at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory invites applications for a postdoctoral research scholar interested in exoplanet-related research and programmatics.

The successful candidate will work with the Program Chief Scientists to support the definition and implementation of current & future exoplanet space observatories and their required precursor work, and will be expected to interface with the science community and the general public. Preferred research areas are defined by the ExEP Science Gap List (link below) and include: analyses of exoplanet demographics, host star properties, exozodiacal dust, simulations of mission science return and signal extraction, methods to mitigate stellar jitter in RV datasets, instrumentation for high contrast imaging or precision RV work, or modeling of exoplanetary atmospheres and biosignatures. The appointee will be expected to divide their time between program-related and independent exoplanet research. 

The ExEP Office works with NASA HQ to implement the Agency's science vision for exoplanets with a portfolio of science analyses, technology development, mission concept development, and supporting ground-based observations. ExEP is a unique environment at the intersection of NASA science, policy, technology development, engineering, and public engagement, all focused on the goals of discovering exoplanets, characterizing their properties, and identifying candidates that could harbor life. For further information on current ExEP activities and staff expertise, visit https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to do collaborative research with scientists at JPL and the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute (NExScI; http://nexsci.caltech.edu/) on the Caltech campus. The exoplanet research environment in Pasadena also includes an interdisciplinary Exoplanet Science Initiative group at JPL (https://exoplanetary.jpl.nasa.gov/), and also academic researchers in the Caltech Astronomy and Planetary Science Departments. JPL scientists have access to observing time on the Palomar 5-m telescope including an upcoming AO-fed precision radial velocity spectrograph.

ExEP Program Scientists Drs. Karl Stapelfeldt and Eric Mamajek, will serve as JPL postdoctoral advisors to the selected candidate with Dr. Karl Stapelfeldt as primary advisor. The appointee will carry out research in collaboration with the JPL advisors, resulting in publications in the open literature. The selected candidate will be hosted within the NASA ExEP Office, but have an organizational home in the Astrophysics & Space Sciences Section of the JPL Science Division.

Qualifications

Candidates should have a Ph.D. in astronomy or planetary science. Candidates with an interest in science management are especially encouraged to apply. Candidates should familiarize themselves with ExEP Program Science Gap list (https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/system/presentations/files/84_ExEP_SciGapList2018.pdf) and propose a research plan congruent with these science priorities and the candidate's independent exoplanet research. Candidates who have received their PhD within the past five years since the date of their application are eligible. Postdoctoral Scholar positions are awarded for a minimum of one-year period and may be renewed up to a maximum duration of three years.

Applicants should submit their CV and other relevant materials to this site and arrange for three letters of recommendation to be sent to [email protected].