Vacancies

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 3 years in the first instance.

Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Associate position to support an ambitious research programme at the University of Cambridge, focusing on modelling exoplanet interiors and atmospheres. The successful candidate will join a vibrant team led by Oliver Shorttle, the Planetary Chemistry group, dedicated to understanding the structure, processes, and habitability of exoplanets. Our research is highly interdisciplinary, combining the expertise and methodologies of the Earth and Planetary Sciences, from geophysics to geochemistry, to characterize the nature of alien worlds. These positions offer a high level of research freedom, allowing candidates to tailor the project according to their interests and expertise while leveraging the strengths of the Planetary Chemistry group at Cambridge.

The Researcher will join the wider Cambridge exoplanet community, which is part of the Leverhulme Centre for Life in the Universe. This community offers outstanding opportunities for forming new collaborations, attending and delivering talks, and joining a wider international community investigating the origin and prevalence of life.

This position is funded for three years, commencing in October 2025 or earlier. We are seeking to appoint a candidate of the highest calibre to contribute to this transformative science. The successful applicant will have a strong background in astrophysics, planetary geophysics, or a related field, and experience in atmosphere and climate modelling is highly desirable. This is an excellent opportunity to engage in pioneering research within a world-leading institution and to make significant contributions to our understanding of exoplanets.

Applicants must have a PhD in Astronomy or related field. Applicants must possess a scientific publication record and a clear outline of current/future research areas. Applicants must have excellent communication and computing skills.

The appointment will be at Grade 7 (Research Associate) £37,174 to £45,413 p.a., depending on experience/qualifications. A successful candidate not yet awarded a PhD will be appointed at Grade 5 (Research Assistant) £34,132 to £35,116 and amended to Research Associate (Grade 7) upon confirmation of PhD.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

Please indicate the contact details of three academic referees on the online application form and upload a full curriculum vitae (CV), list of publications and a statement describing of how your research expertise can be applied to the project (1 page, A4 maximum, font size 11). Please ensure that your referees are aware that they may be contacted by the Institute of Astronomy.

The University of Cambridge is a signatory of the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA). DORA recognises the need to improve the ways in which the outputs of scholarly research are evaluated. The University expects candidates to apply the principles of DORA when preparing their applications. We do not use journal level metrics when assessing the quality of research outputs. Applicants should not include journal level metrics, such as the Journal Impact Factor, anywhere in their application materials. More information about DORA, its principles and aims can be found at: https://sfdora.org/ and https://www.research-strategy.admin.cam.ac.uk/research-policy/DORA

The application deadline is 23:59 GMT on Sunday 18th May 2025. Where applicable, referees will be requested to provide references by Tuesday 27th May 2025.

Applications will be reviewed after the closing date and interviews are provisionally planned for: w/c 2nd June 2025.

The anticipated start date of the appointment is October 2025 or earlier.

Informal inquiries can be addressed via email to Prof. Oliver Shorttle : shorttle@ast.cam.ac.uk

If you have any queries regarding the application process please contact HR@ast.cam.ac.uk

Please quote reference LG45739 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University of Cambridge thrives on the diversity of its staff and students and actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available until 30 April 2027 in the first instance with good prospects for further extension subject to grant funding. The anticipated start date is 1st June 2025 or as early as possible thereafter.

This is an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic Astronomical Data Scientist to work within the Cambridge Centre of Excellence in Astronomical Data (CamCEAD) at the Institute of Astronomy (IoA) as part of its spectroscopic analysis system development team.

WEAVE, MOONS and 4MOST are major massively-multiplexed optical/NIR spectrographs currently under advanced stages of development, deployed on the 4.2-m William Herschel, ESO VLT and VISTA telescopes respectively. They will enable large, cutting-edge spectroscopic surveys to be undertaken across both hemispheres, observing millions of stars and galaxies during their initial multi-year survey periods. Our Cambridge team has developed the spectroscopic pipelines for WEAVE and 4MOST and has responsibility for the final development, commissioning and operations of the data pipelines. We are also developing the data flow system and housing the survey operations centre for MOONS.

The successful candidate will join our software development team, developing novel scientific algorithms and applications in the areas of spectroscopic analysis and mining of the science data catalogues extracted from the pipelines. Responsibilities range from monitoring instrument health and scientific quality of the data, tracking progress of the surveys, to preparing for community observing campaigns and data releases. The role's additional duties involve supporting computational infrastructure, coordinating with wider spectroscopic project teams and external science users, contributing to documentation and user manuals, and collaborating on research programs to optimise data interpretation and usage.

Applicants will have a Ph.D. in astronomy or a related field and have a strong computing and programming background. Candidates are expected to be familiar with the acquisition and reduction of data from astronomical facilities and with the use of database and web-based systems , including familiarity with developing web interfaces for data analysis and visualisation tools . Previous experience in the development of software for large-scale spectroscopic surveys is desirable. Experience and practical knowledge of Python to query databases, manipulate large datasets, visualise data and perform numerical and statistical analysis is a requirement. Experience in handling 'big data', machine learning and working in distributed teams, is useful. Familiarity with C would be beneficial. Systems engineering experience is also advantageous for this position.

Working at the crucial interface between the instrument and the scientific output, this role would encompass on-site commissioning and support for world-leading facilities such as WHT (WEAVE), VISTA (4MOST) and VLT (MOONS). The post-holder will be required to attend meetings both elsewhere in the UK and overseas.

Salary will be on the Research Associate scale (grade 7, from £37,174 to £45,413) Appointment as a Research Associate (grade 7) is dependent on having a PhD. Those who have submitted their thesis but not yet been awarded their PhD will initially be appointed as a Research Assistant and amended to Research Associate when the PhD is awarded, which must be within 6 months of appointment. The Research Assistant salary (grade 5) falls within the range £34,132 to £35,116.

The post is full-time, but applications are welcome from those who would like to work flexibly to go into the advert, to consider flexible working.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

Please upload your CV, cover letter, publications list and research statement (3xA4 pages max, 11pt font) in the Upload section. Names and contact details of 3 academic referees are essential. References will be requested for candidates following the application closing date and referees will be asked to complete references by 22nd May 2025, such contact will be direct to your referees via our recruitment system.

Informal enquiries can be addressed via email to Dr Nicholas Walton: naw@ast.cam.ac.uk. If you have any queries regarding the application process, please contact: HR@ast.cam.ac.uk .

The closing date for applications is: 23:59 BST on 4th May 2025. The anticipated interview dates are: 22nd - 23rd May 2025

Please quote reference LG45514 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University of Cambridge thrives on the diversity of its staff and students.

Applications from underrepresented groups are particularly welcome. See the further particulars for the detail of the family friendly initiatives on offer. The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.