Research Assistant – Gaia Variable Star Machine Learning

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Chapel Hill (NC); On-site; USD 30,000 - 42,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Discounts at local retailers

Child care discounts

Special rates for performing arts

Job summary

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Department of Physics and Astronomy, seeks a part-time Research Assistant to support the Gaia in Technicolor project using machine learning to map variability of stars. You will work under Dr. Barlow and Dr.

Zikry on classification of Gaia DR3 photometry and HR diagram motions, with 30 hours per week and a 10:00 AM–4:30 PM schedule. This temporary role runs 1–6 months, starts January 4, 2027, and offers the opportunity to gain hands-on experience

Qualifications

• Experience with Gaia DR3 multi-epoch photometry or HR diagram analysis.
• Experience with functional data analysis, smoothing splines, or unsupervised clustering methods.
• Familiarity with high-performance computing (e.g., UNC Longleaf) or GPU cloud computing resources.
• Experience with time-domain survey data (e.g., TESS, ZTF, ASAS-SN) or variable star astrophysics.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary day-to-day researcher for the Gaia in Technicolor project, under supervision of Barlow and Zikry.
• Support discovery, characterization, and dissemination of results.
• Collaborate to develop interactive data visualizations and analysis workflows.

Skills

Gaia DR3 data analysis

Functional data analysis

Time-domain astronomy

Tools

Longleaf HPC

GPU cloud computing

Interactive web visualization tools

Job description

Department:

Physics and Astronomy - 319000

Career Area :

Research Professionals

Posting Open Date:

11/01/2026

Application Deadline:

11/15/2026

Position Type:

Temporary Staff (SHRA)

Position Title :

Research Assistant – Gaia Variable Star Machine Learning

Position Number:

20079171

Vacancy ID:

S028189

Full-time/Part-time:

Part-Time Temporary

Hours per week:

30

Work Schedule:

Monday – Friday, 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM

Position Location:

North Carolina, US

Hiring Range:

$26.00 per hour

Proposed Start Date:

01/04/2027

Estimated Duration of Appointment:

1 to 6 months

Be a Tar Heel!:

A global higher education leader in innovative teaching, research and public service, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill consistently ranks as one of the nation’s top public universities. Known for its beautiful campus, world-class medical care, commitment to the arts and top athletic programs, Carolina is an ideal place to teach, work and learn.One of the best college towns and best places to live in the United States, Chapel Hill has diverse social, cultural, recreation and professional opportunities that span the campus and community.University employees can choose from a wide range of professional training opportunities for career growth, skill development and lifelong learning and enjoy

• exclusive perks that include numerous retail and restaurant discounts, savings on local child care centers and special rates for performing arts events.

Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit:

Our primary mission is providing instruction of the highest quality in physics and astronomy to undergraduate and graduate students at UNC-CH. Training in physics is fundamental among the natural sciences because it provides understanding of the forces governing the structure of matter, from subatomic particles to the large-scale structure of the universe. Our departmental instructional mission spans all segments of the student community. Over 60% of all college graduates from UNC-CH have taken a course in our department. Among them: undergraduate liberal arts majors who should master the power of quantitative reasoning; undergraduates seeking a degree in another of the natural sciences, who need physics as a foundation for their advanced scientific training; the small number of undergraduates who major in physics, to whom we provide broad and rigorous training. Our graduate education and research advances frontiers of knowledge at the two extremes of space and time, from the very small) the realm of particle physics) to the very large (the realm of astronomy, while expanding the boundaries of knowledge in the many subfields spanning length scales between. Forefront physics and astronomy research requires access to well-equipped laboratories and extensive computing capabilities; it also must be supported by comprehensive and accessible library collections. Again, in research at this advanced level, the bridging aspect of physics provides basic interdisciplinary insight for many other sciences. This instructional mission is supported by a strong managerial, administrative, and technical staff. Duties of these employees range from budget planning and management for the numerous research grants held by faculty in the department to maintaining course and student records. These activities are usually accomplished in a standard 40- hour week schedule.

Position Summary:

The Department of Physics and Astronomy seeks a temporary (30 hours/week) Research Assistant to support the CAS Seed Program project ‘Gaia in Technicolor: A Novel Approach for Mapping the Variability of Stars through H-R Diagram Motions’ (PI: Dr. Brad Barlow; Co-I: Dr. Tarek Zikry). The project uses machine learning and functional data analysis to classify millions of variable stars from their motions through the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram in European Space Agency Gaia DR3 multi-epoch photometry. The Research Assistant will serve as the primary day-to-day researcher during the discovery, characterization, and dissemination phases of the project, working under the supervision of Drs. Barlow and Zikry and meeting with them bi-weekly.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements:

Demonstrated possession of the competencies necessary to perform the work.

Management Preferences:

• Research experience with Gaia DR3 multi-epoch photometry or H-R diagram/color-magnitude diagram analysis
• Experience with functional data analysis, smoothing splines, or unsupervised clustering methods
• Experience using high-performance computing (e.g., UNC Longleaf) or GPU cloud computing resources
• Familiarity with time-domain survey data (TESS, ZTF, ASAS-SN) or variable star astrophysics
• Experience building interactive web-based data visualization tools

Campus Security Authority Responsibilities:

Not Applicable.