Postdoctoral Position in Theoretical Astrophysics at the University of Amsterdam

We invite applications for a 2+1 year postdoctoral research position, to begin in Fall 2018.  The successful candidate will work in the research group of Prof. Sera Markoff, and interact with an extensive network of international collaborators.   The project focuses on developing physically motivated, semi-analytical models of relativistic, magnetohydrodynamical outflows, in order to study the accretion/outflow connection in compact objects, particularly transients.   Beyond the modelling of individual sources, the postdoc will lead the development of the first MHD-consistent grid model for jets, to be implemented in standard data-analysis software packages.   Preference will therefore be given to candidates who are not only science driven, but who also have strong coding skills and an affinity for independent problem solving.   

Applicants must have a PhD in an Astrophysics-related topic.   The position comes with a competitive salary, as well as generous funding for travel and computer resources.  Interested candidates should submit via email a single PDF including a CV, a concise statement of research experience and motivation for applying, and a publication list.  Applicants should also arrange for three letters of recommendation to be sent separately via email by the deadline.  Applications received by December 15 will be given priority.   We especially welcome candidates who will contribute to the diversity of the group.

The Anton Pannekoek Institute of Astronomy (API) is a lively and international  research institute with 16 faculty (~30% female/60% foreign), ~30 postdocs (~30% female/75% foreign), and ~50 PhD students (~45% female/70% foreign).  English is the lingua franca in the Science Faculty, and the second language of Amsterdam.    Prof. Markoff’s group is also part of the Gravitation and Astroparticle Physics Amsterdam (GRAPPA; grappa.science.uva.nl) Center of Excellence, and the postdoc will be encouraged to participate actively in both institutes.   The Science Faculty is located an 8 minute train ride from the central train station on the UvA Science Park Campus, which is also the informatics/computing technology center of the Netherlands and hosts several national research institutes and a startup campus.