Postdoctoral Research Associate I - Space Instrumentation

University of Arizona

life insurance, sick time

United States, Arizona, Tucson

Aug 04, 2025

Postdoctoral Research Associate I - Space Instrumentation
Posting Number	req23547
Department	Steward Observatory
Department Website Link	https://astro.arizona.edu
Location	Main Campus
Address	Tucson, AZ USA
Position Highlights	The University of Arizona (UA) Department of Astronomy and Steward Observatory (SO) are excited to invite applications for multiple Postdoctoral Research Associates interested in research related to instrumentation and techniques for ground and space-based wavefront control and high-contrast imaging. Candidates with a range of experience outside of astronomy are encouraged to apply. As a Postdoctoral Research Associate, you will have the opportunity to work closely with several faculty members: Jared Males, Ewan Douglas, Patrick Ingraham, and others within the Center for Astronomical Adaptive Optics (CAAO). You will be encouraged to integrate into the UArizona Space Astrophysics Lab, eXtreme Wavefront Control Lab, and CAAO to support an equitable scholarly environment in research, mentoring, and service. Your work will focus on problems in controls, machine learning, image reconstruction, wavefront sensing, and instrument development and test. As time permits, you will be encouraged to conduct your own independent research, and will be able to apply for time on any Steward facility directly as a PI, as well as collaborate with SO faculty and scholars in the Department of Astronomy. UA/SO offers a world-class research environment in space science and astrophysics with strong interdisciplinary programs across the Departments of Astronomy, Physics, Optical Sciences, and Planetary Sciences. We provide direct access to various world-class observational and computational facilities for ground-based radio and optical observing. Start dates range from August 2025 to August 2026. Outstanding UA benefits include health, dental, vision, and life insurance; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; UA/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; access to UA recreation and cultural activities; and more! The University of Arizona has been recognized for our innovative work-life programs. For more information about working at the University of Arizona and relocations services, please click here.
Duties & Responsibilities	Develop and lead an independent research agenda centered on adaptive optics, wavefront control, space instrumentation, and exoplanet direct imaging, disseminate work through publications and presentations; contribute to public-engagement opportunities. Develop and implement research initiatives, collaborations, publications, and/or events (e.g., talks, workshops, visitor programs, etc.) as needed and relevant to research agendas. Collaborate with faculty and scholars in support of an inclusive academic environment (including organizing collaborative meetings, supervising/mentoring graduate and undergraduate students). Additional duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications	Must have completed all the requirements for a PhD. in physical science, mathematics/ data science, or engineering at the time of hire.
Preferred Qualifications	Experience in space mission and hardware, systems engineering, testing, and operations Experience developing CubeSats or SmallSats or sub-orbital missions or payloads Experience building, operating, or testing astronomical instruments or telescopes on the ground or in space Experience contributing to open-source software or hardware projects Experience with technical communication
FLSA	Exempt
Full Time/Part Time	Full Time
Number of Hours Worked per Week	40
Job FTE	1
Work Calendar	Fiscal
Job Category	Research
Benefits Eligible	Yes - Full Benefits
Rate of Pay	NIH salary guidelines, Depends on Experience
Compensation Type	salary at 1.0 full-time equivalency (FTE)
Type of criminal background check required:	Name-based criminal background check (non-security sensitive)
Number of Vacancies	2
Target Hire Date	9/8/2025
Expected End Date
Contact Information for Candidates	Carli Chmara cchmara@arizona.edu
Open Date	7/31/2025
Open Until Filled	Yes
Documents Needed to Apply	Curriculum Vitae (CV), Cover Letter, and Two Additional Documents
Special Instructions to Applicant	Along with your application, CV and cover letter, please provide the following additional documents: Additional Document 1: 2-page Statement of Research Experience and Interest. Additional Document 2: Names and email addresses of three references.
Notice of Availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report	In compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act), each year the University of Arizona releases an Annual Security Report (ASR) for each of the University's campuses.Thesereports disclose information including Clery crime statistics for the previous three calendar years and policies, procedures, and programs the University uses to keep students and employees safe, including how to report crimes or other emergencies and resources for crime victims. As a campus with residential housing facilities, the Main Campus ASR also includes a combined Annual Fire Safety report with information on fire statistics and fire safety systems, policies, and procedures. Paper copies of the Reports can be obtained by contacting the University Compliance Office at cleryact@arizona.edu.