Description Grade UE07: £40,247 to £47,874 per annum School of Physics and Astronomy / College of Science and Engineering Full time: 35 hours per week Fixed term: for 3 years The Opportunity: Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Fellowship in galactic archaeology to work with Prof. Sergey Koposov at the Institute for Astronomy, which is part of the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Edinburgh. The aim is to work on the DESI Milky Way Survey data and specifically use the measurements of radial velocities and abundances to constrain the Milky Way accretion history and the dark matter distribution in the Galaxy. Applicants with a strong background in galactic archaeology, galactic dynamics, stellar streams, stellar chemistry being able to deal with large datasets, including spectroscopic ones would be a particular advantage. The main theme of research is galactic archaeology using DESI and possibly WEAVE data. The main effort will be in the analysis and modelling of the spectroscopic samples from DESI to make inferences about the Milky Way potential/accretion history and it is meant to be broad and open. Candidates are encouraged to take their initiatives to come up with new ideas and steer their own research directions, making use of the stimulating work environment at the IfA and the broader research community. This post is full-time (35 hours per week); however, we are open to considering part-time or flexible working patterns. We are also open to considering requests for hybrid working (on a non-contractual basis) that combines a mix of remote and regular on-campus working. The salary for this post is £40,247 to £47,874 per annum. Starting date is flexible, but no later than 1st September 2025 Contract is 3 years Your skills and attributes for success: A PhD or equivalent experience in astrophysics Strong analytical and programming skills Good level of independence and creativity Excellent written and oral scientific communication skills Record of high-quality lead-author refereed journal publications Click to view a copy of the full job description (opens new browser tab) Application Information Please ensure you include the following documents in your application: - CV - Cover letter As a valued member of our team you can expect: A competitive salary. An exciting, positive, creative, challenging and rewarding place to work. To be part of a diverse and vibrant international community. Comprehensive Staff Benefits, such as a generous holiday entitlement, competitive pension schemes, staff discounts, and family-friendly initiatives. Check out the full list on our staff benefits page (opens in a new tab) and use our reward calculator to discover the total value of your pay and benefits. Championing equality, diversity and inclusion The School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Edinburgh is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce, and eliminating discrimination. The School strives to create a more diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace for all and we are looking to actively diversify our staff. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates and in particular encourage applications from people of colour, women, people with disabilities, LGBTQ people and other minority and under-represented groups. We aim to ensure that our culture and systems support flexible and family-friendly working, as evidenced by our Juno Champion and Athena SWAN Silver awards. The University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher education. We are members of the Race Equality Charter and we are also Stonewall Scotland Diversity Champions, actively promoting LGBT equality. Prior to any employment commencing with the University you will be required to evidence your right to work in the UK. Further information is available on our right to work webpages (opens new browser tab) The University is able to sponsor the employment of international workers in this role. If successful, an international applicant requiring sponsorship to work in the UK will need to satisfy the UK Home Office’s English Language requirements and apply for and secure a Skilled Worker Visa. Key dates to note The closing date for applications is 10 th January 2025 Unless stated otherwise the closing time for applications is 11:59pm GMT. If you are applying outside the UK the closing time on our adverts automatically adjusts to your browsers local time zone. Interviews will be held February 2025