Postdoctoral Scholar

The Ohio State University • Columbus, OH

4d • $65,000 - $68,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The Department of Astronomy, within the College of Arts and Sciences, seeks several Postdoctoral Scholars to join our team. The Postdoctoral Scholar will work with Professor Scott Gaudi in the Department of Astronomy on the development and exploitation of science programs enabled by NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Galactic Bulge Time Domain Survey (Roman GBTDS). The department has a substantial institutional presence within the Roman Space Telescope program, including major participation in two Project Infrastructure Teams and two Wide Field Science Teams. Successful candidates will contribute to Roman Galactic Exoplanet Survey (RGES) science through the development of gravitational microlensing theory, analysis of Roman commissioning and early GBTDS data, support for event-analysis and planet occurrence-rate pipelines, and the publication of scientific results based on Roman exoplanet data. Responsibilities will also include contributing to conference presentations and collaborating closely with members of the Roman science community. In addition, successful applicants will be expected to contribute positively to the department's research environment and mentor junior researchers within both the immediate research group and the broader astronomy department. The College of Arts and Sciences is the largest college and the academic heart of the university. The College hosts 81 majors. With 38 departments, 20+ world-class research centers, and more than 2,000 faculty and staff members, students have the unique opportunity to study with the best artists, scholars, and scientists in their field. The College values diversity and offers a supportive, open, and inclusive community.

Requirements

• Doctoral degree in Ph.D. in Astronomy, Astrophysics, or a closely related field by the time of hire.
• Strong scientific programming skills using modern languages such as Python or C++.
• Expertise in statistical analysis, machine learning, and data-driven modeling applied to large astronomical datasets and time-domain surveys is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated expertise in time-domain astronomy, gravitational lensing, large-scale Galactic surveys, or synthetic Milky Way population modeling are also strongly encouraged to apply.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with microlensing and transit exoplanet searches is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to Roman Galactic Exoplanet Survey (RGES) science through the development of gravitational microlensing theory.
• Analyze Roman commissioning and early GBTDS data.
• Support for event-analysis and planet occurrence-rate pipelines.
• Publication of scientific results based on Roman exoplanet data.
• Contribute to conference presentations.
• Collaborate closely with members of the Roman science community.
• Contribute positively to the department's research environment.
• Mentor junior researchers within both the immediate research group and the broader astronomy department.

Benefits

• The target hiring range is $65,000-$68,000.
• The position is for up to 3 years.
• Expected start date in Fall 2026.
• The position will be based on the OSU main campus in Columbus, Ohio, USA.
• Applications will be reviewed until the position is filled.
• The university is an equal opportunity employer, including veterans and disability.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree