Postdoctoral Position at the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology (KIPAC) at Stanford University and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

Applications are invited for several postdoctoral positions at the Kavli Institute of Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology (KIPAC) at Stanford University and the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory with a focus on Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) surveys. The positions are primarily intended to expand our work with the CMB experiments BICEP/Keck Array, the South Pole Telescope (SPT), Simons Observatory, and CMB-S4, but also to develop applications and methods in other areas of cosmology and physics.

We seek candidates with experience in data analysis, simulations, and/or instrumentation development in observational cosmology or particle astrophysics, and expect them to work in one or more of the following areas:

1. Science analyses of data from current-generation CMB experiments, and if relevant, jointly with data from surveys such as DESI, Rubin Observatory, or intensity mapping experiments.

2. Forecasts and systematics studies informing the design of CMB-S4.

3. Development of CMB-S4 instrumentation prototypes and software, especially in the area of superconducting transition-edge sensors and their SQUID-amplified readout.

4. Application of CMB detector and readout technology in new concepts for low-mass dark matter searches, THz photon sensing, and qubit-based sensors for physics.

Successful candidates will have ample opportunities to test their ideas on data from the South Pole Telescope and the BICEP/Keck Array telescopes, and to make significant contributions to the design of the next-generation CMB experiment CMB-S4. They will work with CMB scientists in the aforementioned collaborations and interact with the local CMB and cosmology groups, making connections to other exciting opportunities for measurements in cosmology and physics. KIPAC provides a stimulating intellectual environment for interactions with scientists pursuing observational, experimental, computational, and theoretical research relevant to the above areas.

Candidates must have a Ph.D. in physics or astrophysics. The positions are available starting January 1, 2022 and expected to be filled no later than Summer/Fall 2022. Review of applications will begin November 1, 2021.

Interested applicants should submit a curriculum vitae, publication list, and a description of research interests and skills using Academic Jobs Online: https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/19421. In addition, applicants should arrange for three letters of recommendation to be submitted by the reference writers through the Academic Jobs Online website.

For further information regarding the positions, please contact Dr. Zeeshan Ahmed, Dr. Shawn Henderson, and Dr. Kimmy Wu. Additionally, several faculty members and staff scientists are available to advise on this and related searches at KIPAC: Professor Chao-Lin Kuo, Professor Kent Irwin, Professor Steve Allen, Professor Risa Wechsler.

Stanford University and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory are affirmative action and equal opportunity employers, committed to increasing the diversity of their workforces. We encourage applications from candidates from groups that are underrepresented in astrophysics and cosmology or who will bring additional dimensions to Stanford and SLAC’s research and educational missions.