Postdoctoral Associate - Near-Earth Object Studies

Applications are invited for a postdoctoral position at Lowell Observatory to work on the physical characterization of near-Earth objects. This position will be supervised by Dr. Nicholas Moskovitz.

The initial appointment is for one year with the possibility of annual extensions in the case of satisfactory performance. The position is expected to be split with 80% of the time dedicated to the main program and 20% for any other research of the postdoc’s choosing. The start date is negotiable. This position is funded by active NASA grants and comes with a competitive salary with full benefits. Funding is available for computer resources, attending conferences, publication charges, and observing runs. Postdocs at the Observatory have access to our 4.3m Lowell Discovery Telescope (LDT) as well as several 1-m class telescopes. Lowell offers numerous opportunities for involvement in education and public outreach.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The postdoctoral associate will work in collaboration with Dr. Moskovitz and other project team members on the ongoing Mission Accessible Near-Earth Object Survey (MANOS). This survey is working to achieve comprehensive characterization for newly discovered NEOs using astrometric, photometric, and spectroscopic techniques. Observations will be conducted at a range of facilities including Gemini North and South, the SOAR 4m, Lowell's 4.3m LDT, and NASA’s IRTF. In addition, the MANOS team is working to develop new software tools that will facilitate rapid target selection, observation, and data dissemination.

The postdoc will contribute to some combination of the following tasks:

-- Target management.
-- Conducting regular telescopic observations (approximately 1 night per month), either remotely or on site.
-- Managing observations at queue-mode facilities.
-- Astrometric, photometric, and/or spectroscopic data reduction and analysis.
-- Software development in support of target selection, observations, and/or data curation.
-- Leading publications relevant to this work.

Review of applications will begin on January 15th, 2021.

For a complete job description and instructions on how to apply, please visit https://lowell.edu/about/employment/