Postdoctoral position for Cosmo

EPFL, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, is one of the most dynamic university campuses in Europe and ranks among the top 20 universities worldwide. The EPFL employs more than 6,500 people supporting the three main missions of the institution: education, research and innovation. The EPFL campus offers an exceptional working environment at the heart of a community of more than 17,000 people, including over 12,500 students and 4,000 researchers from more than 120 different countries.

Your mission :
Applications are invited for one junior or senior postdoctoral researcher position at the Laboratory of Astrophysics ( LASTRO ) at the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne ( EPFL ) in Switzerland. The successful applicants will join the Observational Cosmology group of Prof. Jean-Paul Kneib.
The group-s research topics is mostly focussed on cosmology, wide field spectroscopic surveys (with participation in 4MOST, DESI, SDSS-V and Euclid), gravitational lensing (with Euclid and JWST) and wide field radio interferometric survey (with participation in MeerKat, HIRAX and MWA).

Main duties and responsibilities include :
Project description:
The selected candidates will have the opportunity to pursue research in one or more of the following themes:

• Probing the large scale structures using correlation functions of different tracers.
• Cross-correlation of redshift surveys with lensing measurements or radio data.
• Conducting mock simulations, parameter estimation, and forecasting of future surveys.

Successful applicants are further encouraged to pursue independent research projects, to apply for further Swiss National Funding, and to collaborate with other researchers at LASTRO/EPFL and at the nearby University of Geneva. Engagement in supervision of bachelor/master students as well as co-supervision of PhD candidates will be part of the work.

Your profile :
Applicants with expertise in data science or computational research are encouraged to apply. The successful applicants will have access to high-performance computing facilities at EPFL, and to the Swiss Super-computing facility (CSCS).

We offer :
EPFL offers a unique, active and stimulating research environment and has been repeatedly highly ranked at international university evaluations. Astrophysicists at EPFL are involved in different large-scale surveys, such as 4MOST, DESi, SDSS-V, Euclid, HIRAX, MWA. In 2022, Switzerland became a member of the SKA Organisation and will coordinate the contributions to this project on behalf of the Swiss academic community. LASTRO has joined the consortium for the construction of the BlueMuse/VLT and Mosaic/ELT instrument at ESO. The spatial proximity at the Observatoire de Sauverny to astrophysicists from the University of Geneva allows for further fruitful and scientifically stimulating interactions.

Start date :
The start date is anticipated to be no later than November 2024, earlier start is possible. Appointments will be for 2 years, with possible extension depending on performance and funding availibility. Salary levels will depend on previous expertise and qualification and come with extensive social benefits, allowing for a high-level living standard in Switzerland. Equal opportunities and diversity are an integral part of personnel and organisational development at EPFL.

Term of employment :
Fixed-term (CDD)

Duration :
Application material:

A formal requirement to apply is a PhD in Astrophysics/Astronomy (or Physics); furthermore, very good computational skills and excellent knowledge of English are desirable. Applications should be submitted through the EPFL application portal and include

• motivation letter (1 page)
• curriculum vitae and publication list
• research statement, including a summary of past/current research with a proposed research project (4 pages max).

All documents should be concatenated in the order listed above in a single pdf file. Applicants should also arrange for 3 letters of reference to be sent to e strella.briantepfl.ch .
All application materials, including the 3 letters, are due by January 5th, 2024.

Application Deadline: Wednesday, January 5th, 2024

Remark : Only candidates who applied through EPFL website or our partner Jobup-s website will be considered. Files sent by agencies without a mandate will not be taken into account.

Reference :
Job Nb 3170