The Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) is one of the most dynamic university campuses in Europe and ranks among the top 20 universities worldwide. The EPFL employs 6,000 people supporting the three main missions of the institutions: education, research and innovation. The EPFL campus offers an exceptional working environment at the heart of a community of 16,000 people, including over 10,000 students and 3,500 researchers from 120 different countries.
Postdoctoral researcher
Your mission:
A 3-year postdoc position is available at the Laboratory of Astrophysics (LASTRO, https://www.epfl.ch/labs/lastro/) of the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland. The position is part of a SNF PRIMA project (“Magnetohydrodynamical dynamos: Astrophysical and cosmological applications and observational signatures”) of Dr. Jennifer Schober and is within the broad topics of astrophysical magnetohydrodynamics and radio astronomy.
Main duties and responsibilities include :
A motivated and talented postdoctoral researcher will be recruited for a project on the origin, evolution, and properties of magnetic fields in galaxies. Key questions within the project are:
- How does turbulence amplify magnetic fields via magnetohydrodynamical dynamo processes?
- What are the signatures of galactic dynamos?
- How can models be probed with the current and next generations of (radio) telescopes?
The research includes analytical and numerical modelling of the interstellar medium as well as analyzing observational data sets from SKA pathfinders.
Your profile :
- A formal requirement for the position is a PhD in physics/astrophysics.
- A background in (theoretical) astrophysics and cosmology as well as in magnetohydrodynamics is necessary.
- Good programming skills in python, Mathematica, and/or similar would be very beneficiary.
- Working knowledge of English is required.
We offer :
The successful applicant will join LASTRO which is led by Prof. Jean-Paul Kneib and focuses on research in extragalactic astrophysics and observational cosmology (https://www.epfl.ch/labs/lastro). The laboratory consists of approximately 15 PhD students, 10 postdoctoral researchers, and 4 professors. The successful candidate will work with Dr. Jennifer Schober.
Located at the shore of Lake Geneva, EPFL offers a unique and stimulating research environment. In 2020, EPFL became a member of the SKA Organization (https://www.epfl.ch/labs/lastro/scientific-activities/ska/) and will coordinate the contributions to this project on behalf of the Swiss academic community. Additionally, EPFL hosts world-leading research institutes for particle physics, cosmology, and plasma physics on campus and is in close vicinity to many additional research institutions like the Geneva observatory and CERN.
The position comes with very competitive salary and benefits.
Applicants should submit
- a motivation letter (pdf, up to 2 pages),
- a curriculum vitae (pdf, up to 3 pages),
- a list of publications (pdf), and
- a research statement (pdf, up to 3 pages)
through the online application system:
and should arrange for
- three reference letters
to be sent directly to estrella.briant@epfl.ch before September 30th, 2020.
Shortlisted candidates will be contacted and scheduled for an interview in October 2020. The call will remain open until an ideal candidate is found.
Applicants are invited to send an email to jennifer.schober@epfl.ch if they have any questions regarding the position.
Start date : 01.12.2020 (flexible)
Term of employment : Fixed-term (CDD)
Work rate : 100%
Duration : 3 years
Contact : jennifer.schober@epfl.ch, jean-paul.kneib@epfl.ch, estrella.briant@epfl.ch