Job Description

The Department of Astronomy invites applications for the DiRAC Postdoctoral Fellowship, a postdoctoral scholar position in the Institute for Data-intensive Research in Astrophysics and Cosmology (DiRAC), with an anticipated start date of September 1, 2027. We seek applicants who demonstrate commitment to excellence in research and service in a diverse and inclusive academic community. The successful candidates will join us on a full-time basis for a twelve-month (i.e., year-round) appointment, renewable upon mutual agreement and subject to satisfactory performance and funding availability, for up to 3 in total. Two positions are available.

DiRAC is a research institute within the Department of Astronomy at the University of Washington. Its mission is to expand the frontiers of astrophysics enabled by breakthroughs in large surveys, data-intensive algorithms, and software. The Institute comprises seven faculty and senior fellows, and over 30 postdoctoral researchers, research scientists, software engineers, and graduate students. DiRAC leads the construction of Rubin Observatory’s time domain and solar system processing pipelines, is a founding Hub of LINCC, the LSST Interdisciplinary Network for Computing and Collaboration, co-leads the LINCC Frameworks program to provide advances in software infrastructure needed to enable LSST analyses, and hosts the LINCC Science Platform.

The base salary range for this position will be $5,834 – 7,084permonth(70,008 – $85,008 per year), commensurate with experience and qualifications, or as mandated by a U.S. Department of Labor prevailing wage determination. Postdoctoral scholars are represented by UAW 4121 and are subject to the collective bargaining agreement. For more information, please visit the University of Washington Labor Relations website. Appointees solely employed and paid directly by a non-UW entity are not UW employees and are not eligible for UW or Washington State employee benefits.

The successful candidates will be expected to:

• Be ready to engage in self-directed research that complements the work done at UW’s Institute for Data-Intensive Research in Astrophysics and Cosmology (DiRAC). Active areas include: Transients and Variable Star Science, Solar System Science, Milky Way Structure, Extragalactic Science (including studies of high-redshift dust and quiescent galaxies), Cosmology, and Astronomical Software Development;
• Be excited by the prospect of leading and participating in early science with Rubin Observatory and the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) about the synergies between Rubin, Gaia, JWST Surveys, Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, and Euclid;
• Be enthusiastic about exploring and applying new statistical, computational, or machine learning/AI techniques to astronomical data sets, and extending current methodology to be applicable in the era of big data;
• Look forward to collaborating with software engineers and researchers across all areas of astrophysics, as well as in fields such as computer science and statistics;
• Be eager to participate in the Institute community and utilize the wide variety of resources available for their research, including, but not limited to, UW’s high-performance computing platforms (Klone and Tillicum) and telescopes at the Apache Point Observatory.

Candidates will be considered across a range of research interests, including these active areas: Applicants should demonstrate excellence in research that complements or builds upon ongoing research directions within the DiRAC Institute. Those with innovative research programs and ideas involving first science with LSST are especially encouraged to apply. Successful candidates will work with the current DiRAC and UW Astronomy faculty and researchers to develop their own programs of research and innovation.

Qualifications

Applicants must have earned a Ph.D. (or foreign equivalent) in Astronomy, Physics, Computer Science, or a related subject prior to the position start date. Proof of degree completion by the date of appointment is required.

Application Instructions

To be considered for this position, please submit the following materials through Interfolio:

• a cover letter detailing your interest in the position, relevant qualifications, and experiences;
• a curriculum vitae;
• a research statement of no more than three pages (references may be included on an additional page) addressing both your current work and your research ideas for the appointment. Candidates should address in their application how their work potentially complements, connects to, or extends current research efforts at DiRAC, or indicate how they would benefit from expertise available at DiRAC. Candidates are encouraged to highlight work and ideas related to science with early LSST data, as well as synergies with other ground- and space-based photometric and spectroscopic surveys (e.g., JWST, Gaia, Euclid, Roman, etc.);
• a community impact statement of no more than one page, addressing how your activities at UW could contribute to the UW, astronomy, and/or local communities in ways beyond the direct impact of your scientific research.

Please also include contact information for three references who are prepared to provide letters of recommendation upon request. In the cover letter, candidates should describe how their work complements, connects to, or extends current faculty efforts at UW.

The Department of Astronomy values equity and inclusion and encourages applications from candidates historically underrepresented in astronomy, in any area of research. Collaboration across the department, along with participation in outreach and professional development activities, will be considered positive factors.

Applications will be accepted until the positions are filled, but should be received by November 30, 2026 for full consideration. Please email James Davenport with any questions about the position or the application process: jrad@uw.edu.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Equal Opportunity

The University of Washington is committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful and welcoming community for all. As an equal opportunity employer, the University considers applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, citizenship, sex, pregnancy, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, disability, or veteran status consistent with UW Executive Order No. 81.

Benefits Information

The University is committed to providing excellent benefits to our faculty. For a summary of available benefits, please see UWHR benefits information.

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Disability Services

The University of Washington is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, activities, education, and employment for individuals with disabilities. To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 or dso@uw.edu.