Job Openings

FACULTY POSITIONS

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Astronomy Department is a research-oriented unit with broad interests, from the cosmic microwave background to the origin of the Moon. 

Our faculty have joint appointments with the National Center for Supercomputing Applications, the Physics Department, the Chemistry Department, the Statistics Department, and the School of Information Sciences, and we are deeply involved in Dark Energy Survey, LSST, and the South Pole Telescope.  Although we have no faculty searches underway, we are always seeking to identify prospective faculty members at all ranks.

If you are interested in Illinois Astronomy, we are interested in learning more about you. 

Please email your CV, a list of publications, and a brief cover letter to astro-jobs@astro.illinois.edu.

 

OTHER ACADEMIC POSITIONS

No open searches.

 

RESEARCH STAFF POSITIONS

No open searches.

 

POSTDOC POSITIONS

The Department of Astronomy at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign invites applications for a postdoctoral research fellow in the area of observational astronomy to start in Fall 2021. The postdoc fellow will be working with Prof. Yue Shen on topics related to reverberation mapping, AGN variability and co-evolution of galaxies and supermassive black holes. Specifically, the postdoc fellow will work on imaging and spectroscopic data from the SDSS-V survey, the Dark Energy Survey, HST programs, as well as other dedicated observing programs on the science themes of this position (mostly UV-optical-IR data). The project will also extensively use public survey data (space- and ground-based surveys). Candidates must have a PhD in astronomy or related fields at the time of beginning this position. Candidates with expertise in reverberation mapping, AGN variability and accretion physics in general, and related imaging/spectral/time-series analysis and coding proficiency will be considered favorably.

The position is for an initial period of two years, with potential extensions depending on available funding.

Applications should include a CV (including a list of publications), a statement of research accomplishments and plans (preferably within three pages), and compile a single PDF file to send directly to Prof. Shen by email (shenyue@illinois.edu). In addition, the applicant should arrange three reference letters to send to the same email address. Applications received before Feb 14, 2021 will receive full consideration.

The University of Illinois conducts criminal background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer.  As a qualifying federal contractor, the University of Illinois System uses E-Verify (https://go.uillinois.edu/EVerifyParticipation) to verify employment eligibility (https://go.uillinois.edu/EVerifyRightToWork). The University of Illinois System requires candidates selected for hire to disclose any documented finding of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment and to authorize inquiries to current and former employers regarding findings of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment. For more information, visit Policy on Consideration of Sexual Misconduct in Prior Employment (https://www.hr.uillinois.edu/cms/One.aspx?portalId=4292&pageId=1411899).

The University of Illinois is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer. Minorities, women, veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For more information, visit http://go.illinois.edu/EEO. To learn more about the University’s commitment to diversity, please visit http://www.inclusiveillinois.illinois.edu

 

Postdoctoral Research Associate at UIUC Astronomy

The Department of Astronomy at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is seeking a postdoctoral research associate to work on the software infrastructure for the SDSS-V survey (2020-2025). The primary responsibilities include the development and maintenance of software reduction pipelines for the multi-object optical spectroscopy of SDSS-V, day-to-day coordination with mountain operations (remote), data processing, and science teams. The researcher is encouraged to perform their own science analysis using SDSS-V data, depending on the progress and status of the infrastructure work. The bulk of the work will be performed at UIUC, with on-site visits at SDSS affiliated observatories and other institutions. The research associate will work closely with the SDSS science and infrastructure teams, including Prof. Yue Shen at UIUC.

SDSS-V is the latest generation of Sloan Digital Sky Surveys that is performing all-sky, multi-object and multi-epoch optical and near-IR spectroscopy, as well as optical integral field spectroscopy from the Apache Point Observatory (New Mexico) and the Las Campanas Observatory (Chile). It will survey Milky Way stars and distant quasars with multi-object optical and near-IR spectroscopy, and perform integral field spectroscopy of the Milky Way and nearby galaxies. Following significant contributions to SDSS-V infrastructure (as expected) and related efforts, the postdoctoral research associate will become eligible for consideration for SDSS-V architect status, e.g., with broad co-authorship options on SDSS-V collaboration science papers.

 A PhD in astronomy or related fields is required for this position. The applicant must be familiar with python and IDL and can program efficiently. Previous experience with pipeline work for surveys and/or general optical spectroscopy is highly desirable.

The initial appointment is for 3 years, subject to annual review and renewals, and with further possible extensions beyond the initial period depending on funding. The likely start date will be about Fall 2021 (exact date negotiable), and the search will continue until the position is filled.

Applicants should submit a single PDF file that includes the cover letter, a CV including a list of publications, a brief (1-2 pages) statement of past research experience, and names/contact information for three references (reference letters will be solicited after the initial round of review). Please submit the application to shenyue@illinois.edu. The deadline for first consideration of applications is Feb 28, 2021. For more information regarding the position, please contact Prof. Yue Shen at UIUC (shenyue@illinois.edu).

 The University of Illinois conducts criminal background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer. As a qualifying federal contractor, the University of Illinois System uses E-Verify (https://go.uillinois.edu/EVerifyParticipation) to verify employment eligibility. The University of Illinois System requires candidates selected for hire to disclose any documented finding of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment and to authorize inquiries to current and former employers regarding findings of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment. For more information, visit Policy on Consideration of Sexual Misconduct in Prior Employment (https://www.hr.uillinois.edu/cms/One.aspx?portalId=4292&pageId=1411899).

The University of Illinois is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer. Minorities, women, veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For more information, visit http://go.illinois.edu/EEO. To learn more about the University’s commitment to diversity, please visithttp://www.inclusiveillinois.illinois.edu
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