Postdoctoral Fellowship in Exoplanets and Galactic Science

Las Cumbres Observatory (LCO); Goleta (CA); On-site; USD 67,500 - 82,500; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Paid time off

Support for travel and computing costs

Job summary

Las Cumbres Observatory (LCO) in Goleta, California is looking for a Postdoctoral Fellow to advance research in exoplanets and galactic science. The position offers a two-year appointment with a starting salary of $75,000 and a generous benefits package.

Applicants should have a Ph.D. in astronomy or physics and software development experience. LCO provides a collaborative work environment with opportunities to engage in transformative astrophysical research.

Qualifications

• Experience in developing software for astronomical research is desirable.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a diverse team.

Responsibilities

• Advance research in exoplanets and galactic science.
• Join multinational networks of collaborators.
• Contribute to major surveys and missions in astrophysics.

Skills

Software development experience using Python

Astrophysics knowledge

Education

Ph.D. in astronomy, physics, or a related discipline

Job description

Postdoctoral Fellowship in Exoplanets and Galactic Science

Las Cumbres Observatory (LCO) seeks to recruit a postdoctoral fellow interested in advancing a research program centered around exoplanets and galactic science.

LCO’s global, robotic telescope network was custom‑built specifically for time‑domain astronomy. Our 25 robotic telescopes provide instant access to the sky in both hemispheres. Postdoctoral Fellows at LCO join a unique environment that is a public/private partnership conceived from some of the best ideas at companies like Google and Apple, but in an academic setting consisting of in‑house scientists and engineers. Our staff scientists lead a diverse range of research into exoplanets, galactic science and astronomical software (Dr. Rachel Street); Solar System astronomy, particularly Near‑Earth Objects (NEOs) and comets (Dr. Tim Lister) and the characterization of explosive transients, tidal disruption events, and gravitational waves (Prof. Andy Howell). They have established multi‑national networks of collaborators where the successful applicant would be welcomed as a partner.

LCO scientists are active contributors to a range of major new surveys and missions that promise to be transformative for time domain and multi‑messenger astrophysics. Members of LCO’s Exoplanets and Galactic Science group are part of the Roman Galactic Exoplanet Survey Project Investigation Team and Dr. Street co‑chaired the design committee for Galactic Plane Survey of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. The team is also an active contributor to the Transients and Variable Stars Science Collaboration of the NSF/DOE’s Vera C. Rubin Observatory, and members of the BlackGEM survey. Dr. Street leads the OMEGA Key Project at LCO, which characterizes microlensing events caused by exoplanetary and stellar remnant systems. Dr. Street also has a strong interest in astronomical software development; she is Principle Investigator of the TOM Toolkit software and the AEON+ program to optimize observatory operations for time domain science.

LCO leads astronomy in enabling responsive, real‑time observing programs for a wide range of science, and in making our advanced observing software tools available to the wider community. For example, LCO’s TOM Toolkit package is designed to make it easy for anyone to take advantage of these tools, and customise a powerful observing database system to their own science goals. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to enhance their software skills in partnership with our professional software engineers. LCO is also a founding member of the Astronomical Events Observatories Network (AEON), which aims to optimize software and operations among collaborating observatories, giving postdocs programmatic tools to access to significantly larger apertures, including facilities such as SOAR and Gemini, for time domain follow‑up.

LCO postdoctoral fellows have the opportunity to gain experience and familiarity with all aspects of these surveys, missions and projects, and will be well positioned to explore their scientific results. LCO postdocs also benefit greatly from interactions with the Astronomy group at UC Santa Barbara, and the Kavli Institute of Theoretical Physics.

• research statement of no more than 3 pages
• names and contact information for three referees that can provide letters of reference

A Ph.D. in astronomy, physics, or a related discipline is required by the start of employment. Software development experience, for example using Python, is desirable.

The postdoctoral appointment will be for a two‑year term, starting in September 2026 or earlier, with likely extension for a third year, based on satisfactory evaluations. The successful applicant will be an employee of LCO. The position comes with a generous employee benefits package including health insurance, paid time off, holidays, as well as support for travel, page charges, and computing. The starting salary is $75,000. LCO is a private, non‑profit corporation, based in Goleta, California. The position is on‑site in Goleta. US work authorization is required.

LCO is an Equal Opportunity employer. Our mission is to advance our understanding of the universe through science and education with our unique global telescope network. Our culture is global by nature and inclusive by design. Our people come from diverse backgrounds and cultures, providing the fuel that powers innovation and the success of our mission. We are actively engaged in building and nurturing a culture that is welcoming and inclusive of people from diverse backgrounds with regard to race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, disability and veteran status.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. Please let us know if you would like to disclose a need for accommodation in connection with the recruitment and hiring process. If so, you may contact us at the email address listed below.

Please direct any questions to [e-mail].