Postdoctoral Fellowship

About this position

• The UC Berkeley center for Multi-messenger Research on Astrophysical
• Transients and OutReach (Multi-RAPTOR) invites applications for a
• postdoctoral fellowship in time-domain and multi-messenger
• astrophysics, with an anticipated start date in Fall 2027. The
• successful applicant will become part of the vibrant intellectual
• communities of the UC Berkeley Astronomy and Physics departments, and
• will pursue independent research to advance our understanding of the
• dynamic universe using multi-messenger observations, theory, big-data
• analysis and/or instrumentation. Multi-RAPTOR faculty affiliates carry
• out cutting-edge research in a wide area of multi-messenger
• astrophysics including observations across the electromagnetic
• spectrum (Raffaella Margutti, Multi-RAPTOR director; Ryan Chornock,
• Alex Filippenko), AI, machine learning and big-data analysis (Josh
• Bloom), theory of multi-messenger phenomena (Wenbin Lu, Dan Kasen), as
• well as electromagnetic (Jessica Lu) and gravitational wave
• instrumentation (Victoria Xu). UC Berkeley has access to the Keck
• telescopes and Lick Observatory. Amongst other collaborations,
• Multi-RAPTOR faculty are involved with the La Silla Schmidt Southern
• Survey (LS4, a new time-domain survey in the southern skies), the
• Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF), the Legacy Survey of Space and Time
• (LSST) on the Vera C. Rubin Observatory (with focus on gravitational
• wave sources follow up), the UltraViolet EXplorer (UVEX) and the Laser
• Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO). Multi-RAPTOR
• faculty have active time-domain programs on a wide range of
• electromagnetic facilities (including Swift, Chandra, XMM-Newton,
• NuSTAR, Hubble, JWST, ATCA, VLA), and are leading the First VLBI
• Survey of Transients (NRAO Large Project). UC Berkeley researchers
• have access to high performance computing on the Savio cluster
• https://research-it.berkeley.edu/services-projects/high-performance-computing-savio
• The positions are anticipated for three years contingent on
• satisfactory performance and funding. Applicants responding to this ad
• will also be considered for grant-supported postdoctoral positions
• with Multi-RAPTOR members. Successful candidates must have a recent
• Ph.D. in astronomy/physics and the ability to work productively within
• Berkeley's diverse research environment, including the production and
• publication of original research and the effective presentation of
• research results in seminars and at scientific meetings. The position
• has a competitive salary and allowance for research and travel funds.
• Requested application materials: Please submit your CV, a publication
• list, a statement of research interests (3 pages max), and arrange for
• three letters of reference to be sent on their behalf. Materials
• should be submitted online at AJO. To ensure full consideration,
• interested candidates are requested to submit their applications
• before the deadline of December 31, 2026. The Multi-RAPTOR center is
• committed to creating and sustaining an environment that supports and
• values all members of our community and that is safe, accessible, and
• respectful of all individuals. UC Berkeley has an excellent benefits
• package as well as several policies and programs to support employees
• as they balance work and family life. The University of California is
• an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified
• applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to
• race, color, creed, religion, national origin, citizenship,
• disability, age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender
• identity or expression, or protected veteran status. For the complete
• University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action
• policy see:
• https://ucop.edu/human-resources/units/employee-and-labor-relations/employee-relations/nondiscrimination.html
• 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:
• https://apo.berkeley.edu/policies/ucb-confidentiality-policy prior to
• submitting their letters.