Postdoctoral Research Associate

Grade UE07: £40,247 to £47,874 per annum

School of Physics and Astronomy / College of Science and Engineering

Full time: 35 hours per week

Fixed term: for 3 years 

The Opportunity:

Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Fellowship in galactic archaeology to work with Prof. Sergey Koposov at the Institute for Astronomy, which is part of the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Edinburgh. The aim is to work on the DESI Milky Way Survey data and specifically use the measurements of radial velocities and abundances to constrain the Milky Way accretion history and the dark matter distribution in the Galaxy. Applicants with a strong background in galactic archaeology, galactic dynamics, stellar streams, stellar chemistry being able to deal with large datasets, including spectroscopic ones would be a particular advantage.

The main theme of research is galactic archaeology using DESI and possibly WEAVE data. The main effort will be in the analysis and modelling of the spectroscopic samples from DESI to make inferences about the Milky Way potential/accretion history and it is meant to be broad and open. Candidates are encouraged to take their initiatives to come up with new ideas and steer their own research directions, making use of the stimulating work environment at the IfA and the broader research community. 

This post is full-time (35 hours per week); however, we are open to considering part-time or flexible working patterns. We are also open to considering requests for hybrid working (on a non-contractual basis) that combines a mix of remote and regular on-campus working.  

The salary for this post is £40,247 to £47,874 per annum.

Starting date is flexible, but no later than 1st September 2025

Contract is 3 years

Your skills and attributes for success: 

• A PhD or equivalent experience in astrophysics
• Strong analytical and programming skills
• Good level of independence and creativity
• Excellent written and oral scientific communication skills
• Record of high-quality lead-author refereed journal publications

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