13474 - Postdoctoral Research Associate in Cosmology

University of Edinburgh; City of Edinburgh; Hybrid; GBP 41,000 - 49,000; Full time

Job summary

A prestigious academic institution in Edinburgh is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate in large-scale structure cosmology. The role aims to tackle key challenges relevant to the Euclid mission, focusing on data analysis techniques for weak gravitational lensing. Successful candidates will possess a PhD, relevant research experience, and a strong publication record. This full-time position offers flexibility for hybrid working and is fixed-term for 3 years with a salary ranging from £41,064 to £48,822 per annum.

Qualifications

• Possess, or about to be awarded, a PhD in astronomy or a related scientific discipline.
• Relevant research experience in cosmology or related fields.
• Demonstrated record of high-quality lead-author and co-authored publications.

Responsibilities

• Join the research group led by Dr. Alex Hall at the Institute for Astronomy.
• Contribute to cosmological analysis of data from the Euclid mission.
• Develop and apply analysis techniques for weak gravitational lensing and photometric galaxy clustering.

Skills

PhD in astronomy or related discipline

Research experience in cosmology

High-quality publications

Independent working abilities

Clear communication skills

Job description

Overview

Grade UE07: £41,064 to £48,822 per annum

CSE / School of Physics and Astronomy

Full-time: 35 hours per week

Fixed-term: 3 years

The Opportunity

We seek applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the field of large-scale structure cosmology. The successful candidate will join the research group led by Dr Alex Hall at the Institute for Astronomy (IfA) at the University of Edinburgh.

The research aims of this position are to tackle key challenges in cosmology relevant to the Euclid mission and to contribute to the scientific analysis of data from Euclid. The position will have a particular focus on developing and applying analysis techniques for weak gravitational lensing and photometric galaxy clustering to enhance the cosmological science returns from Euclid.

The Euclid space telescope was launched in July 2023, and the Euclid Consortium is currently preparing its first major data release, DR1, and cosmology analysis. The second cosmological data release, DR2 is scheduled for March 2029, aligning well with the timeline of this 3-year position. The successful applicant will be expected to become an active member of the Euclid Consortium (https://www.euclid-ec.org/).

This post is full-time (35 hours per week). We are open to considering requests for hybrid working (on a non-contractual basis) that combines a mix of remote and regular on-campus working.

This post is fixed term for 3 years, with a start date no later than 1st October 2026.

The salary for this post is £41,064 to £48,822 per annum.

Your skills and attributes for success

• Possess, or about to be awarded, a PhD in astronomy or a related scientific discipline.
• Relevant research experience (including PhD) in cosmology or related fields, with excellent research-level understanding of the area.
• 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.
• Able to communicate complex information clearly, orally and in writing.