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UVEX Postdoctoral Scholar - Space Sciences Lab - UC Berkeley

Position overview
Salary range: The UC postdoc salary scales set the minimum pay determined by experience level at appointment. See the following table(s) for the current salary scale(s) for this position: : https://www.ucop.edu/academic-personnel-programs/_files/2024-25/oct-2024-scales/t23.pdf. A reasonable estimate for this position is $70,902-$79,014.

Percent time: 100%

Anticipated start: Fall 2025

Position duration: 2 years with the possibility of renewal depending on performance and availability of funding.

Application Window
Open date: November 17, 2024

Most recent review date: Monday, Jan 6, 2025 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Applications received after this date will be reviewed by the search committee if the position has not yet been filled.

Final date: Monday, Jun 30, 2025 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.

Position description

POSITION DESCRIPTION
The Space Sciences Laboratory (SSL) at the University of California, Berkeley, seeks applicants for Postdoctoral Scholar position. SSL has a long history of developing and operating space instruments and full missions and seeks to hire the next generation of scientists and engineers to continue this legacy of research in space, to advance our current capabilities and to take advantage of numerous recent developments in space science and technology that enable new scientific discoveries.

UVEX: The Ultraviolet Explorer Exploring the Dynamic Ultraviolet Universe is a new NASA Medium Explorer mission to explore the ultraviolet sky, with an expected launch date in 2030. With a wide-field, two-band imager and long, multi-width slit spectrometer, UVEX is equipped to address key scientific themes identified in Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy & Astrophysics for the 2020s (Astro2020).

This position will be involved with UVEX low-mass, low-metallicity science (LMLZ) science. A main objective of UVEX is to find and characterize millions of local (z<0.3) star-forming LMLZ galaxies that are predicted to exist, but only a small fraction of which are currently known. The UVEX science case is described in Kulkarni et al. 2021. UVEX is developing new methods for finding LMLZ galaxies using a combination of data from UVEX and optical/IR facilities such as Rubin and Euclid, and potentially spectroscopic data from facilities such as DESI and PFS. This position presents an opportunity to enter the UEX mission in the early stages and help to define LMLZ science for the next decade. The position will be supervised and mentored by Prof. Daniel Weisz, who is in the UC Berkeley Department of Astronomy, and works closely with partners at SSL.

SSL is committed to filling these positions by attracting a pool of candidates with representation along all axes of diversity. SSL invites applicants from all backgrounds and life experiences to apply.

Responsibilities of the UVEX Position Include:

• Developing new techniques to photometrically identify LMLZ galaxies (e.g., photometric redshifts)
• Modeling galaxy spectral energy distributions and expanding techniques to work on millions of objects.
• Interfacing UVEX and related data and cosmological simulations of LMLZ galaxies
• Giving presentations and writing papers to share within the team and with the broader community.

Program: https://www.ssl.berkeley.edu/

UVEX: The Ultraviolet Explorer Exploring the Dynamic Ultraviolet Universe: https://www.uvex.caltech.edu/

Qualifications
Basic qualifications (required at time of application)
PhD (or equivalent international degree) or enrolled in a PhD (or equivalent international degree) program

Additional qualifications (required at time of start)

• PhD or equivalent international degree
• No more than 3-years post PhD research experience

Preferred qualifications

• Ph.D. degree, or equivalent degree, PhD in Astrophysics/Astronomy or similar technical field

One or more of these qualifications are preferred

1. Strong background in coding (e.g., data science or computer science experience)
2. Strong knowledge of statistical inference, and/or machine learning
3. Experience in photometric redshift determination methods
4. Knowledge of low-mass galaxies,

Application Requirements

Document requirements

• Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.
• Cover Letter
• Statement of Research
• Statement on Contributions to Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - Statement on your contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion, including information about your understanding of these topics, your record of activities to date, and your specific plans and goals for advancing equity and inclusion if hired at Berkeley (for additional information go to https://ofew.berkeley.edu/recruitment/contributions-diversity).
  (Optional)
• Publication List (Optional)

Reference requirements

• 3 required (contact information only)

Apply link: https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF04695

Help contact: kimking@berkeley.edu

About UC Berkeley

UC Berkeley is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in our public mission of research, teaching, and service. These values are embedded in our Principles of Community, which reflect our passion for critical inquiry, debate, discovery and innovation, and our deep commitment to contributing to a better world. Every member of the UC Berkeley community has a role in sustaining a safe, caring and humane environment in which these values can thrive.

The University of California, Berkeley is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status.

For more information, please refer to the University of California's Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment Policy and the University of California's Anti-Discrimination Policy.

In searches when letters of reference are required all letters will be treated as confidential per University of California policy and California state law. Please refer potential referees, including when letters are provided via a third party (i.e., dossier service or career center), to the UC Berkeley statement of confidentiality prior to submitting their letter.

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.

As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct.

• "Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer.
• UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
• UC Anti-Discrimination Policy
• APM - 035: Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment

Job location
Berkeley, CA


To apply, visit https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF04695