Postdoctoral Research Fellowship: Vera C. Rubin Observatory LSST

The South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) and the Astronomy Department of the University of Cape Town (UCT) invites applications for a 3 year joint postdoctoral position related to the Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), with a focus on cataclysmic variables, compact binaries or related objects.  

The Fellow will join the research group involved in transient follow-up as a Junior Affiliate on the South African LSST transient program. The candidate should have observational experience, ideally associated with discoveries or follow-up studies from survey data of the above targeted objects. There will be ample opportunities to lead research programs using the SAAO optical/IR facilities, including the 10-m SALT, and to collaborate on transient follow-up projects involving other multi-wavelength facilities (e.g. MeerKAT). Involvement in student supervision, teaching and outreach, is also possible, if desired.

Minimum requirements:

• A PhD in astronomy with expertise in accreting binaries
• A good publication record, commensurate with career stage
• Python coding and/or related software development experience

Desirable experience

• Some familiarity or interest in software associated with the LSST (e.g. Operations Simulators, Metrics Analysis Framework)
• Experience with polarimetric observations, modeling and interpretation

The salary package is competitive and funding support will be provided for computing resources and travel.

The filling of this position will be in line with the NRF's Employment Equity Policy.

Applicants should apply on https://ess.nrf.ac.za/Account/Recruitment, attaching a cover letter that includes a statement outlining their research and broader interests and experience (no more than 3 pages), their CV plus the contact details of 2 potential references, by 10 December 2021.