Postdoctoral Research Associate in Observational Cosmology

UE07 £34,304 - £40,927 per annum

College of Science & Engineering / School of Physics & Astronomy / Institute for Astronomy   

Fixed Term position, 3 years

Start date: Flexible; ideally between 1st April 2022 and 1st Sept 2022

 

We seek applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the field of observational cosmology. The successful candidate will join the research group led by Dr Florian Beutler at the Institute for Astronomy (IfA) at the University of Edinburgh.

 

The Opportunity:

The research goal of this position is to contribute to the cosmological analysis of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) and the Euclid space-satellite mission. The successful candidate will join the group headed by Dr Florian Beutler (funded through an ERC grant) working on galaxy clustering with particular focus on Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO), Redshift-space distortions (RSD) and tests of inflation through primordial non-Gaussianity and primordial features. The applicant should be highly motivated to contribute to fundamental cosmological research.

DESI has now started regular science operations and the first datasets with more than 1 million galaxy redshifts is already available. Over the coming 5-years DESI will collect 30 to 40 million galaxy spectra, surpassing existing datasets (e.g. BOSS with 1 million spectra) by more than an order of magnitude. The experiment is expected to contribute to the detection of the sum of the neutrino masses, map the expansion history of the Universe through BAO, test early Universe (inflation) models and probe gravity on cosmic scales.

As a member of the DESI and Euclid collaborations, you are expected to attend collaboration meetings, participating in DESI observing runs (no prior observing experience needed; currently limited by COVID) and attend international workshops and meetings to present and advertise the results.

 

Your skills and attributes for success:

• PhD (or near completion) in Astronomy or related subject
• Relevant research experience in observational cosmology or related fields.
• Record of high-quality lead-author and co-authored refereed journal publications (relative to career stage).
• Capable of working independently, exercising a high degree of initiative, and with the ability to think creatively
• Good timekeeping and time-management, with effective prioritisation of tasks.
• Ability to communicate complex information clearly, orally and in writing.

 

As a valued member of our team you can expect:

A stimulating research environment, located at the Royal Observatory Edinburgh on Blackford Hill, that includes numerous researchers, fellows and students within the University’s Institute for Astronomy as well as at the co-located UK Astronomy Technology Centre and Higgs Centre for Innovation. We give you support, nurture your talent and reward success. You will be encouraged to engage in the broader career development and training opportunities provided by the University of Edinburgh. You will also benefit from a competitive reward package and a wide range of staff benefits, which includes a generous holiday entitlement, a defined benefits pension scheme, staff discounts, family friendly initiatives, flexible working and much more. Access our staff benefits page for further information and use our reward calculator to find out the total value of pay and benefits provided.

 

The School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Edinburgh is committed to creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace for all and we are looking to actively diversify our staff and eliminate discrimination. We particularly encourage applications from minority and under-represented groups. We aim to ensure that our culture and systems support flexible and family-friendly working, as evidenced by our Juno Champion and Athena SWAN Silver awards. The University is a member of the Race Equality Charter and a Stonewall Scotland Diversity Champion, actively promoting LGBT equality.

 

We welcome applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of nationality. Prior to any employment commencing with the University you will be asked to provide documents to demonstrate your right to work in the UK. Further information, including advice on visa options, is available on our right to work webpages.

 

Please include your CV, a research proposal (2 pages) and the names of two referees.

 

The University is able to sponsor the employment of international workers in this role.  If successful, an international applicant requiring sponsorship to work in the UK will need to satisfy the UK Home Office’s English Language requirements and apply for and secure a Skilled Worker Visa.  

 

About Us

As a world-leading research-intensive University, we are here to address tomorrow’s greatest challenges. Between now and 2030 we will do that with a values-led approach to teaching, research and innovation, and through the strength of our relationships, both locally and globally.

About the Team

The School of Physics and Astronomy is in the College of Science & Engineering and comprises the Institute for Particle and Nuclear Physics (IPNP), the Institute for Condensed Matter and Complex Systems (ICMCS) and the Institute for Astronomy (IfA). We have around seventy academic staff, over 100 research staff and around 50 professional services staff.

 

In the most recent Research Excellence Framework the School was ranked 2nd of the large Physics departments in UK universities and 4th overall. The submission was a joint exercise with St Andrews University (PHYESTA).

 

The School runs undergraduate programmes at BSc and MPhys level in Physics, Mathematical Physics, Theoretical Physics, Computational Physics, Astrophysics and (jointly with the School of Chemistry) Chemical Physics.  The undergraduate programme has flexible entry and exit points, creating courses of variable duration and level. The School accepts around 175 new undergraduates into its programmes each year and has current student populations of around 680 undergraduates, 55 taught postgraduates and 220 research postgraduates. 

 

We aim to ensure that our culture and systems support flexible and family-friendly working and recognise and value diversity across all our staff and students. The School has an active programme offering support and professional development for all staff; providing mentoring, training, and networking opportunities.

 

The School of Physics and Astronomy holds Athena SWAN Silver and IoP Juno Champion awards, in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality.

 

Further information about the School can be viewed at http://www.ph.ed.ac.uk