Research Fellow in Extragalactic Astronomy

Are you interested in extragalactic astronomy? Would you like to contribute to a leading international project with the goal to accurately measure supermassive black hole masses through cosmic time? Then this may be the right opportunity for you.

The Astronomy Group within the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Southampton invites applications for one or more Research Fellow positions in Extragalactic Astronomy to work as part of the SMBH FACTORY team. The SMBH FACTORY is a new project selected through the ERC Advanced Grant 2023 round (funded by the UKRI Horizon Guarantee) running from 2025 to 2030. You will be working on 4MOST TiDES-RM, an industrial scale spectroscopic reverberation mapping campaign of active galactic nuclei (AGN) that combines the power of Rubin Observatory's LSST with the new ESO 4m Multi-Object Spectroscopic Telescope. Your task will be to monitor the survey progress, lead scientific exploitation of the early data, and contribute to model development and calibration for black hole mass measurements.

The Southampton Astronomy Group provides a stimulating and collegial environment with many opportunities to collaborate with other group members. Our main research themes are galaxy evolution, compact objects, and time-domain astrophysics. We are strongly committed to diversity in the student and academic population and you will be supported in developing your career while maintaining a healthy work-life balance through family-friendly policies. This position will provide you with time and resources to explore and develop independent research.

The post is initially for 3 years, but can be extended depending on performance and funding. The appointment will be full time on University of Southampton Level 4. In addition, the University offers an attractive benefits package and relocation assistance. The starting date is flexible in 2025.

Applications submitted by 31 January 2025 will receive full consideration, but the position will remain open until filled.

Please apply through the university's job portal with a cover letter, CV, publication and a statement of research interests (2 pages max). In your application, please highlight how your experience and research interest are transferrable to 4MOST, TiDES-RM, active galactic nuclei, kinematic modelling and/or optical spectroscopy.

Informal enquiries are welcome via email to Prof Sebastian Hoenig, s.hoenig@soton.ac.uk.

Further details:

We believe equality, diversity and inclusion are fundamental to making the University of Southampton a welcoming, vibrant and successful organisation. Having a diverse workforce, inclusive of people of all ages and beliefs, from different racial backgrounds, educational and social backgrounds opens up a wealth of possibilities, makes us more creative and accelerates our impact on society. We welcome applicants that value diversity of our community and are willing to play their part in supporting the mission of inclusivity. 

Please note that applications from agencies will not be accepted unless indicated on the job. 

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