Postdoctoral Research Associate or Fellow

Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy

The above STFC-funded, full-time post is available April 2024 for up to three years in the Faculty.

The post

The University of Exeter is recruiting either a Postdoctoral Research Associate or Postdoctoral Research Fellow to work with Prof. Tim Naylor in the Astrophysics Group at the University of Exeter.  The appointee will work searching for and characterising star formation which is outside the traditionally observed star-forming regions.  The project will use fibre spectroscopy from the WEAVE survey of the Galactic Plane that will be carried out using the 4.2-m William Herschel Telescope on La Palma.   As part of the WEAVE project the post-doc will have privileged early access to the survey data.  Candidate young stars have been selected from photometric surveys of the Galactic Plane using machine learning, and one of the aims of the project is to improve machine-learning algorithms.   The successful applicant may also be able to work with and co-supervise PhD, Masters and summer students.

The Astrophysics group is one of the largest groups in the UK studying stars and planets, with around 50 staff and PhD students contributing to a wide variety of observational, theoretical and numerical programmes. Among its academic staff active in star-formation research are Prof Matthew Bate, Prof Clare Dobbs, Prof Tim Harries, Dr Jenny Hatchell, Prof Sasha Hinkley, Prof Stefan Kraus, Dr Sebastiaan Krijt, Dr Sebastian Marino and Prof Tim Naylor.

About you

Applicants will possess a relevant PhD (or nearing completion for Associate) or equivalent qualification/experience in a related field of study.  The successful candidate is likely to have experience in one or more of optical spectroscopy, Gaia data, machine learning, young stars and star formation.

Please ensure you read the Job Description and Person Specification for full details of this role by clicking on the attachment.

What we can offer you

• 41 days leave per year
• Options for flexible working
• Onsite gyms on all of our campuses and a cycle-to-work scheme
• Sector-leading policies around maternity, adoption and shared parental leave (up to 26 weeks full pay), paternity leave (up to six weeks full pay) and a Fertility Treatment Policy
• Stunning campus environment in Exeter, in the beautiful South West of England

Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Commitment

We are committed to ensuring reasonable adjustments are available for interviews and workplaces.

Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented within our working community. 

With over 30,000 students and 7,000 staff from 150 different countries we offer a diverse and engaging environment where our diversity is celebrated and valued as a major strength. We are committed to creating an inclusive culture where all members of our community are supported to thrive; where diverse voices are heard through our engagement with evidence-based charter frameworks for gender (Athena SWAN and Project Juno for Physics), race equality (Race Equality Charter Mark), LGBTQ+ inclusion (Stonewall Diversity Champion) and as a Disability Confident employer.

For further information please contact Tim Naylor, e-mail [email protected]

The closing date for completed applications is Thursday, February 8, 2024, 23:59UT.