Postdoctoral Research Associate - Center for Space Science and Technology

General Summary of Position:

UMass Lowell Center for Space Science and Technology seeks an experienced individual to lead the wavefront sensing and control team for the PICTURE-D mission. PICTURE-D is a NASA high-altitude balloon mission to directly image exoplanetary systems.

Minimum Qualifications (Required):

Education:

• Ph.D. in Astrophysics, Optical engineering, or related field

Experience:

• Experience with astronomical instrument development, adaptive optics, wavefront control techniques for exoplanet coronagraphs

Skills:

• Software development for real-time instrument control. Expertise in wavefront sensing and control theory.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with statistical analysis of data and astrophysics data analysis software
• Construction and operation of data collection and reduction pipelines
• Willingness to advise and lead teams of graduate and undergraduate students

Special Instructions to Applicants:

Only current UML Employees within the Grants & Contracts (MTA/GRACE) bargaining unit will be considered during the first 10 business days of the posting. All other candidates will be considered after that period.

Initial review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. However, the position may close when an adequate number of qualified applications is received.

This position is contingent upon funding. The initial appointment will be for one year with a possibility of renewal based on productivity, successful performance and the availability of funding.

Please include a resume and cover letter with your application. Names and contact information of three references will be required during the application process.