Postdoctoral Fellow, Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics

Classification: Academic Level A
Salary package: $76,271 – $95,732 per annum plus 17% Superannuation
Term: Fixed Term, Full-time, 3 years
Position description & Selection Criteria: PD and PEWER – Academic Level A Postdoctoral Fellow RSAA.pdf

• Excellent employer superannuation contributions and a variety of salary packaging options
• Generous parental leave entitlements (26 weeks paid leave and 6 weeks career re-entry assistance)
• On campus childcare facilities
• Support network and mentoring program for early career academics

The Area

The ANU Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics  (RSAA) is the leading research school in Australia in the field of astronomy and astrophysics.

Our staff and students have made major contributions to astronomy, mapping the structure and formation of the Milky Way, discovering planets orbiting other stars, measuring dark matter both within our Galaxy and in the wider Universe, and discovering the accelerating expansion of the Universe.

Our astronomers include winners of the Prime Minister’s Prize for Science and the Nobel Prize.

The vibrant and diverse astronomical research community at RSAA has access to a broad array of facilities, including optical telescopes operated by ANU at Siding Spring Observatory (AAT 4m, ANU 2.3m, SkyMapper 1.3m). RSAA has also access to observing time on the SONG and LCO global network of telescopes. We host the Advanced Instrumentation and Technology Centre  which is a national facility established to support the development of the next generation of instruments for astronomy and space science. ANU is a partner in the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) project. Australia has access rights to the LSST survey and Australia is a strategic partner of the European Southern Observatory (ESO), an arrangement that provides access to all ESO telescopes at Paranal and La Silla. ANU has also a leading role in the development of the MAVIS instrument to be installed on the ESO Very Large Telescope UT4. RSAA has access to excellent computational facilities through the National Computational Infrastructure supercomputers, as well as in-house computer clusters.

The Position

RSAA invites applications for two postdoctoral positions to undertake research in the area of stellar and Galactic astronomy. Successful candidates will work under the supervision of Associate Professor Luca Casagrande on projects related to photometry, spectroscopy and asteroseismology of resolved stellar populations, Milky Way and Local Group chemistry, dynamics and evolution.

Candidates with experience in stellar structure and evolution, stellar model atmospheres and spectroscopy, stellar population synthesis, Galactic chemical evolution, photometry of resolved and integrated stellar populations, high angular resolution imaging and advanced data analysis tools are particularly encouraged to apply. The Postdoctoral Fellows will have significant opportunity for independent related research.

The Person

To excel in this role you will have:

• A PhD in Astronomy, Physics or closely related field by the time of appointment
• The ability to articulate and prosecute innovate research in the fields of stellar and Galactic astronomy
• The ability to support individual and collaborative research activities and to foster respectful and productive working relationships with staff, students and colleagues at all levels

The Australian National University is a world-leading institution and provides a range of lifestyle, financial and non-financial rewards and programs to support staff in maintaining a healthy work/life balance whilst encouraging success in reaching their full career potential. For more information, please click here .

To see what the Science at ANU community is like, we invite you to follow us on social media at Instagram and Facebook .

For further information about the position, please contact Luca Casagrande, Associate Professor,  T: +61 2 6197 0158 or E: luca.casagrande@anu.edu.au .

The University actively encourages applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. For more information on employment opportunities, contact our Indigenous Employment Consultant on indigenous.employment@anu.edu.au

ANU values diversity and inclusion and is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to those of all backgrounds and identities. For more information about staff equity at ANU, visit https://services.anu.edu.au/human-resources/respect-inclusion

Application information

In order to apply for his role, please make sure that you upload the following documents:

• A cover letter
• A curriculum vitae (CV)
• A research statement describing past research achievements and future plans (2-4 pages)
• Name and contact details of 2 – 3 referees
• Applicants are welcome to include a description of achievements relative to opportunity if they have experienced periods of academic interruption or other relevant events (1 page max).

The successful candidate will be required to undergo a background check during the recruitment process. An offer of employment is conditional on satisfactory results.

Closing Date: 29 November 2022