Postdoctoral Research Associate in Exoplanet Science

About the Role 

We are seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Exoplanet Science at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia.  You will be working with A/Prof Benjamin Pope and A/Prof Christian Schwab on a full-time, fixed term period for 3 years.

This role will develop and apply new data-driven approaches for extremely precise radial velocity studies and exoplanet spectroscopy with the NEID, HPF, and MARVEL facilities, and pursue related exoplanet and stellar science.

We are particularly seeking applicants with experience in:

• Radial velocity, stellar, and/or exoplanet spectroscopy studies; and/or astronomical instrumentation or observing programmes

• Machine learning or statistics in physical science, using Jax, PyTorch, and/or Julia, or similar tools

Essential criteria

• A Doctorate in a relevant field such as Astrophysics, statistics, or applied mathematics, with a strong background in astronomy. Candidates without prior experience in astronomy will not be considered.

• Experience in statistics and astronomy

• The ability to clearly express your ideas and communicate in a team.

• The ability to work independently on problems and motivate junior members of the team.

The role must begin before the end of the calendar year 2026.

We are recruiting for this postdoctoral position jointly with two PhD positions. You will have the opportunity to work closely with this growing team.

We strongly encourage applications from women and gender diverse researchers, who remain underrepresented in the physical sciences and astronomy. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive research environment where different perspectives, experiences and ideas are valued and supported.

About Us

The School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences is an inclusive community in scientific collaboration.  Mathematics and statistics drive breakthroughs in technology and data science, while physics and astronomy seek to understand matter and the Universe – everything from quarks to galaxy clusters.  We collaborate closely with local, national, and international organisations and companies across the diverse mathematical and physical sciences fields. Further information about our school is available here.

Across the School and the neighbouring Australian Astronomical Optics is the Astronomy and Space Technology Research Centre, one of Australia’s largest astronomy groups with more than 120 members. This is an exciting and diverse environment with active collaboration across Sydney, Australia, and the world.

We are members of the SPRIGS Stellar and Planetary Research in Greater Sydney network with active collaboration and rotating regular meetings across the city’s major universities and institutes.

We welcome international applicants.

This role will require a police/criminal history check.

For enquiries, or a confidential conversation about the role please contact Associate Professor Benjamin Pope, [email protected].

Applications Close:  Sunday 12th of April at 11:59pm (AEST). Please note the AEST timezone, which is a day ahead of countries in North America and Europe. We received a significant number of applications after the deadline in a previous advertisement, which is why this is reopened as we cannot legally accept them. Please take note of this deadline!

*** Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and we reserve the right to progress or decline an application prior to the application closing date. We also reserve the right to close the advertisement early if a sufficient number of qualified applicants is received.