Pre-Doctoral Researcher

Submission Information
Publish Date: 
Friday, February 11, 2022
Archive Date: 
Friday, April 1, 2022
Job Summary
Job Category: 
Pre-doctoral/Graduate Positions
Institution Classification/Type: 
Small Academic
Institution/Company: 
California Institute of Technology
Department Name: 
Astronomy Department
City: 
Pasadena
State/Province: 
California
Country: 
United States of America
Announcement
Job Announcement Text: 

The Astronomy Department in Caltech's Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy is seeking a Pre-Doctoral Researcher to work with Dr. Luke Bouma and Prof. Lynne Hillenbrand on observational analyses of young stars and the exoplanets that transit them. The work will involve analyzing images from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), in tandem with data from the Gaia satellite and ground-based photometric and spectroscopic programs.

The successful candidate will be expected to lead a research project in one of the following areas: i) Detecting young transiting planets using data from TESS, and/or characterizing them with ground-based spectroscopy; or ii) Homogenizing the census of young stars within the nearest few hundred parsecs by combining TESS stellar rotation periods with astrometric information from Gaia. The candidate will also be encouraged to develop and pursue independent projects according to their interests and will benefit from an ability to adapt and quickly learn new skills.

The discoveries from the work are expected to help shed light on the evolution of planets, stars, and open clusters. The work will be carried out as part of the NASA TESS GI Program "Difference Imaging of Stars In Clusters", in collaboration with a team of astronomers that includes Luke Bouma (Caltech), Lynne Hillenbrand (Caltech), Joel Hartman (Princeton), Joshua Winn (Princeton), and Gáspár Bakos (Princeton). The ground-based analyses will be facilitated through the LCOGT telescope network, in combination with the instruments at Palomar and Keck. The opportunity is best suited for a candidate who might be interested in graduate study in astrophysics, and who wishes to pursue an intensive program of research for one year before joining a graduate program.

Position Requirements:

* Bachelor’s degree in astronomy, physics, or a related science or engineering discipline by the time the position starts;

* Experience in scientific programming (Python is preferred);

* Availability to work on-site at Caltech for 40 hours/week. Hybrid working arrangements can be discussed as part of the hiring process.

Application Materials:

To apply, each applicant should send the following via email to Judy McClain <[email protected]>.

* A cover letter (typically 1-1.5 pages);

* Curriculum vitae;

* Unofficial transcript;

* A work sample (report, poster, or publication), along with any associated source code;

* Two letters of reference, sent directly from your recommenders to Judy McClain, by the application deadline.

Applications received by April 1, 2022 will receive first consideration.

Wages will scale commensurate with experience and qualifications, beginning at $25/hour at a full-time work effort of 40 hours per week. As Caltech staff, the Researcher will qualify for standard benefits including the Caltech health and dental plans. They will also be provided with a travel allowance to present their work at professional meetings, a computing allowance, and a modest relocation allowance. The employment term is one (1) year. Extensions are not expected, given that the position is envisioned to be an intensive and short-term research opportunity.

The desired start date is in the range June - September 2022.

Caltech has implemented a mandatory vaccination policy effective October 15, 2021, requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for all employees (with Institute-approved exemptions for religious or medical contraindications only). At present, an individual is deemed “fully vaccinated” when that person has received, at least 14 days prior, either the second dose in a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine series (e.g., Pfizer or Moderna) or a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine (e.g., Johnson & Johnson). Upon eligibility, employees are required to receive the COVID-19 booster as part of the vaccine mandate. As a condition of employment, employees must submit official COVID-19 vaccine documentation. More information may be found here.”

Caltech is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.


 

Application Deadline: 
Friday, April 1, 2022
Selection Deadline: 
Friday, May 6, 2022
Current Status of Position: 
Accepting Applicants
Apply to Job
Attention To: 
Judy McClain
Inquiries About Job
Attention To: 
Luke Bouma
Subject: 
Pre-Doctoral Researcher