Job Title

Job No.

Center

Location

Date Posted

SOAR Postdoctoral Fellow              Updated

963

SOAR

La Serena, Chile

09/252009

The Southern Astrophysical Research (SOAR) consortium invites applicants for a three-year postdoctoral fellow position at its facilities in Chile. The 4.1-m SOAR Telescope is a state-of-the-art observatory located on Cerro Pachón adjacent to Gemini-South.  It is equipped with a large suite of instruments including the SOAR Optical Imager, the Spartan near IR camera, the OSIRIS near IR imager/spectrograph and the Goodman Optical Spectrograph. The SOAR Adaptive-optics module (SAM) a ground layer adaptive optics module and an IFU-fed optical spectrograph (SIFS) will be commissioned in the coming year, while it is anticipated that a high resolution optical spectrograph (STELES) will be delivered during 2011. SOAR is owned by a consortium, whose members are the Federative Republic of Brazil, the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Michigan State University, and is operated on their behalf by NOAO.

The position has equal components of research and functional time.  Functional duties will include assisting the Director and other SOAR staff, with monitoring and optimizing the performance of the telescope, maintaining and calibrating the existing instruments, commissioning new instruments and telescope capabilities, and helping develop plans to maximize the scientific productivity of the facility.  The successful candidate will be expected to spend 50% of their time pursuing an active program of research, preferably including use of SOAR and its instruments. Every effort will be made to align the scientist’s functional duties with his or her research interests, and scientific support includes a modest annual research budget and coverage for page charges. 

The ideal candidate will be an observational astronomer with hands-on experience of instrumentation.  Specific interest in optical spectroscopy, infrared imaging and spectroscopy, and/or adaptive optics is advantageous, but all skill sets relevant to SOAR will be considered.  Familiarity with modern observatory operations and scientific data management, as well as experience in the use and development of data reduction procedures will also be favorably considered in the selection process. 

The position is based at the AURA campus in La Serena, Chile, which includes the offices of NOAO-South and Gemini-South, as well as SOAR, and with astronomers from Las Campanas Observatory and the University of La Serena located close by, providing opportunities for scientific and technical collaborations with more than forty scientific staff working on  a variety of research topics, including large-scale structure, supernovae, stellar populations, galaxy evolution, stellar evolution, interstellar medium, chemical evolution of galaxies, and active galaxies. We also benefit from a continuous flow of visiting astronomers using the various international facilities. 

The working language is English. Staff members have excellent benefits and living conditions, a cost-of-living allowance, an educational stipend for dependent children, support for Spanish lessons, international health care benefits, and annual travel to point of hire. Bilingual (English/Spanish) education for children is available at the International School of La Serena which was co-founded by and still supported by AURA. The city of La Serena is a major seaside tourist destination in South America, with a mild maritime climate.

Applications received prior to October 15, 2009 are assured of full consideration; however, the position is open until filled.  The position is open to candidates from all countries and AURA is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. We actively support efforts to broaden participation in all Observatory activities. Women and candidates from underrepresented minorities are particularly encouraged to apply.

Applicants should submit electronically (preferred) to hrnoao@noao.edu, or by mail to the address below: a curriculum vita; a statement of current research interests, details of experience, and the name of three references.

Further details can be obtained from the Director of SOAR, Dr. Steve Heathcote, sheathcote@ctio.noao.edu

Send resume to:

Human Resources Office
National Optical Astronomy Observatory
P.O. Box 26732
Tucson, Arizona 85726-6732
Email: hrnoao@noao.edu
FAX: 520-318-8494

NOAO and NSO are affirmative action and equal employment opportunity employers. Preference granted to qualified Native Americans living on or near the Tohono O'Odham Reservation.

NOAO actively support efforts to broaden participation in all Observatory activities. Women and candidates from under represented minorities are particularly encouraged to apply.