Postdoctoral Researcher - Time Domain, Multi-Messenger Astrophysics

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

• CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.

• CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.

• If you are NOT a current employee or student, please click “Apply” and complete the application process for external applicants.

Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location. For additional information on remote work at Penn State, see Notice to Out of State Applicants.

This is a term position; length of the term will be discussed during the interview process. Continuation past the term length discussed will be based on university need, performance, and/or availability of funding.

POSITION SPECIFICS

The Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at Penn State invites applicants for two Postdoctoral Researcher positions to work with Professor Jimmy DeLaunay and collaborators. The successful applicants will work with the Fermi GBM and Swift-BAT GUANO teams to search for hard X-ray to gamma-ray transients in real-time as well as archivally over the decades of Fermi’s and Swift’s lifetime. Additionally, the successful applicants will perform multi-messenger and transient population studies. Research duties will involve improving transient search pipelines, analysis of large quantities of data, transient classification, detailed studies of newly discovered, interesting transients, and publication of scientific results. 

Penn State is home to the Swift Mission Operation Center and has a significant community of researchers who study high-energy transients. Penn State is also home to the Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos and its Center for Multimessenger Astrophysics, which includes members of several experiments, such as LIGO, the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, and the HAWC TeV gamma-ray detector.

Education and Experience

A Ph.D. in Astronomy, Physics, or a related field is required. Experience with HPC systems, machine learning, and GRB monitor data analysis would be an advantage. 

Additional Information

Applications must be submitted electronically and include a cover letter, statement of research interests, a CV, and a list of publications. In addition, please arrange for three professional reference letters to be sent to [email protected].

Questions regarding the application process can be directed to Professor Jimmy DeLaunay at [email protected]. Review of applications will begin May 8, 2026, and continue until the position is filled. Applications received by May 7th will receive full consideration. The expected start date is August 2026, but is negotiable.

BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES

Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.

BENEFITS

Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being.

For more detailed information, please visit our Benefits Page. (Note: For Postdoctoral benefits, please see our Postdoctoral Benefits page.)

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