Post-Doc Research Associate

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States

Updated: 4 months ago
Location: Chapel Hill, NORTH CAROLINA
Job Type: FullTime
Deadline: 01 Mar 2024

Posting Information
Posting Details


Department Physics and Astronomy - 319000
Posting Open Date 12/12/2023
Application Deadline 03/01/2024
Open Until Filled No
Position Type Postdoctoral Scholar
Position Title Post-Doc Research Associate
Vacancy ID PDS004053
Full-time/Part-time Full-Time Temporary
Hours per week 40
FTE 1
Work Location Chapel Hill, NC
Position Location North Carolina, US
Hiring Range $65,000 - $75,000
Proposed Start Date 06/01/2024
Estimated Duration of Appointment 12 Months

Position Information


Be a Tar Heel!
Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit
Our primary mission is providing instruction of the highest quality in physics and astronomy to undergraduate and graduate students at UNC-CH. Training in physics is fundamental among the natural sciences because it provides understanding of the forces governing the structure of matter, from subatomic particles to the large-scale structure of the universe.
Our departmental instructional mission spans all segments of the student community. Over 60% of all college graduates from UNC-CH have taken a course in our department. Among them: undergraduate liberal arts majors who should master the power of quantitative reasoning; undergraduates seeking a degree in another of the natural sciences, who need physics as a foundation for their advanced scientific training; the small number of undergraduates who major in physics, to whom we provide broad and rigorous training. Our graduate education and research advances frontiers of knowledge at the two extremes of space and time, from the very small) the realm of particle physics) to the very large (the realm of astronomy, while expanding the boundaries of knowledge in the many subfields spanning length scales between. Forefront physics and astronomy research requires access to well-equipped laboratories and extensive computing capabilities; it also must be supported by comprehensive and accessible library collections. Again, in research at this advanced level, the bridging aspect of physics provides basic interdisciplinary insight for many other sciences.
A strong managerial, administrative, and technical staff supports this instructional mission. Duties of these employees range from budget planning and management for the numerous research grants held by faculty in the department to maintaining course and student records. These activities are usually accomplished in a standard 40- hour week schedule.
Position Summary
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate position in astronomical data pipeline development and operations monitoring for the Argus Array. Argus will consist sssof 900 small-aperture telescopes with low-noise CMOS detectors multiplexed into a continuous 8,000 square degree field of view over 55 gigapixels (1.4 per pixel). This enormous field of view allows the Array to achieve cadences as fast as one second across the entire sky, while also conducting a deep survey by combining 6-10 hours of observations each night.
This role will work in a collaborative and cross-functional environment to develop software projects for analysis, monitoring, and distribution of data products from the Array. Depending on the science interests and background of the applicant, these projects could include transient alert generation and distribution, photometric calibration and light curve analysis, or development of data management infrastructure and interfaces for public data release. In addition, a fraction of this role is reserved for independent research, and extensive opportunities for collaboration-building within the Argus Science Team will be available, as well as access to departmental observing facilities.
Minimum Education and Experience Requirements
Applicants must have a PhD in Physics, Astronomy, Computer Science, or a related field and must have completed the requirements of their degree before the start date of the position.
Required Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience
Applicants must have a PhD in Physics, Astronomy, Computer Science, or a related field and must have completed the requirements of their degree before the start date of the position.
Preferred Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience
Experience working with cloud services, web development, and continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines in a collaborative environment preferred. Prior research experience with difference image analysis and large-scale astronomical survey datasets and databases is strongly preferred.
Special Physical/Mental Requirements
Special Instructions
For documentation, optionally, please consider sharing a publicly accessible code sample in the Other Document attachment option along with the required documents.
For information on UNC Postdoctoral Benefits and Services click here
Quick Link https://unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/271373

Posting Contact Information


Department Contact Name and Title Nick Law, Professor
Department Contact Telephone or Email [email protected]
Postdoctoral Affairs Contact Information

If you experience any problems accessing the system or have questions about the application process, please contact the University’s Equal Employment Opportunity office at (919) 966-3576 or send an email to [email protected].

Please note: The Equal Employment Opportunity office will not be able to provide specific updates regarding position or application status.
Equal Opportunity Employer Statement

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, race, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or status as a protected veteran.

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