Schmidt Observatory System Postdoctoral Fellow
Nonpartisan nonprofit policy initiative producing recommendations on U.S. competitiveness in AI and other emerging technologies.
Funding history
Investors
About Special Competitive Studies Project
Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP) is an Arlington, Virginia private operating foundation focused on how AI and emerging technologies affect U.S. national security, the economy, and society. It publishes policy work and operates programs, assessments, and convenings.
Skills
Candidate Availability
Required and preferred rules are kept separate and reflect the wording in the original posting.
About the Role
You will develop and evaluate observatory system architectures, calibration methods, simulations, and analysis tools. You will translate scientific goals into technical requirements, support design reviews and integration, contribute to commissioning, and publish scientific and technical results.
Requirements
- PhD in Astronomy and Astrophysics, Physics, or a closely related field
- Demonstrated research excellence and a strong publication record
- Technical expertise in instrumentation, data systems, simulation, AI and machine learning, or observational astronomy
- Ability to connect scientific questions with technical implementation across disciplines
- Strong communication and collaboration skills
- Interest in system-level problems and observatory-scale challenges
- Must be a U.S. person or obtain U.S. Government approval to access U.S. export-controlled information
Responsibilities
- Contribute to system-level analyses that improve observatory performance, calibration, and readiness
- Develop simulations, models, and tools that inform instrument design, observing strategy, and scientific yield
- Translate technical system behavior into quantified scientific impact
- Contribute to design reviews and cross-observatory integration efforts
- Produce technical reports, performance forecasts, and peer-reviewed publications
- Build software tools and analysis frameworks supporting observatory capabilities
- Collaborate with instrumentation, operations, and data systems teams
- Participate in science-definition discussions and observing-strategy development
- Present work at internal meetings and external conferences
- Contribute to commissioning planning and on-sky verification of instrument and system performance
Benefits
- Support for travel, conference attendance, publications, computing, and access to advanced AI and data resources