Research Fellow on the analysis of Cosmological Galaxy Surveys Full-time

Research Fellow on the Analysis of Cosmological Galaxy Surveys

UCL is one of the world's top universities based in the heart of London. It is a modern, outward-looking institution. UCL's staff and former students have included 33 Nobel prizewinners. It is a truly international community: more than one-third of our student body – more than 51,000 strong – come from 150+ countries and nearly one-third of staff are from outside the UK.

You will become part of a research group that has internationally leading roles in large galaxy surveys, including the ESA Euclid mission, the DESI spectroscopic survey, the Rubin Observatory, the Dark Energy Survey, and the ESO Kilo-Degree Survey. You will work in a vibrant environment with close links to experts in other areas of fundamental physics, astronomy, and space science, machine learning and data-intensive science, as well as advanced research computing.

About the Role

The primary purpose of the position is to take on a significant role in the cosmological analysis of weak gravitational lensing and galaxy clustering with Euclid and other leading galaxy surveys. We are particularly encouraging applications demonstrating expertise in one or more of the following priority areas: analysis and validation of galaxy imaging surveys, simulation-based inference, creation of cosmological simulations and synthetic galaxy surveys.

This position is funded through an ERC-selected UK Research and Innovation grant until September 30, 2028. The start date is October 1, 2026, but earlier or later start dates may be considered.

Candidates will need to upload a CV (including a brief description of the applicant's up to 5 most relevant publications, and links to the applicant's relevant software projects), a statement of research experience and interests (1 page maximum), and the contact information for two references. A cover letter should be included. Applicants should arrange for two letters of reference to be emailed to c.boateng@ucl.ac.uk by the application deadline, stating the applicant's full name in the subject line.

Informal enquiries regarding the vacancy can be made to: Prof Benjamin Joachimi on b.joachimi@ucl.ac.uk

About You

The successful applicant will have a PhD in Astrophysics or related areas by the time of the post start date. They will be able to demonstrate that they can conduct original research in cosmology to the highest standards and develop scientific code to a high standard. They should be knowledgeable of the fundamentals of physical cosmology and be proficient in Python-based scientific computing.

Candidates should also have excellent written and verbal communication, and work productively in a collaborative research environment. Experience with the analysis and validation of galaxy imaging surveys, simulation-based inference, and/or the creation of cosmological simulations and synthetic galaxy surveys is desirable.

Appointment at Grade 7 is dependent upon having been awarded a PhD; if this is not the case, initial appointment will be a Research Assistant Grade 6B (salary £39,148 – £41,833 per annum, inclusive of London Allowance) with payment at Grade 7 being backdated to the date of final submission of the PhD thesis.

What We Offer

At UCL, we offer a competitive benefits package including 27 days annual leave plus six days (bank holidays are in addition), hybrid and flexible working, pension scheme, season ticket loan, cycle to work scheme, enhanced maternity/ paternity/ adoption pay, workplace nursery, employee assistance programme and much more! For more information on our benefits, please visit our staff benefits webpage.

Our Commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

We know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world's talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL's workforce or in the Physics & Astronomy department. These include people from Black and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and women.

You can read more about our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion here: