Waipapa Taumata Rau | The University of Auckland

The University of Auckland is New Zealand’s leading university, with more than 5400 academic and professional staff to support over 45,000 students, making us one of NZ’s largest employers.

Our mission and values place a strong emphasis on both our student body and our scholarly community, and we work with both community and enterprise to advance the well-being of the peoples of Auckland and New Zealand, with a clear commitment to pursuing sustainability.

Te Whiwhinga mahi | The opportunity

The University of Auckland is looking to hire two Research Fellows (post-docs) in gravitational wave science. One position is focused on the dynamics of possible low-frequency sources (including supermassive black holes interacting with ultralight dark matter) and one is focussed on the statistical analysis of gravitational wave time-series. Both positions will be filled from the same pool of applicants.

These positions support a larger national collaboration in gravitational wave science, centred on engagement with the LISA mission. This cross-disciplinary effort engages scientists in mathematics, statistics, physics and astronomy from five universities and has strong international linkages. The project is supported by a major grant which also funds six PhD studentships to commence in 2022. These two positions are due to run for three years and are fixed-term.  

For more detailed information, please refer to the Position Description.

He kōrero mōu | About you

These post-doctoral positions will play a key role in this programme. We seek applicants with excellent collaborative skills with the ability to effectively mentor students, and who can contribute to an environment that supports equity and inclusion.

Candidates should have a PhD in physics, statistics, astronomy or other relevant disciplines, and several years of research experience, including your PhD.

We are specifically seeking applicants who can demonstrate expertise in one or more of i) numerical simulations in astrophysical or cosmological settings, ii) fundamental physics and cosmology and iii) Bayesian inference, in particular statistical methods applied to gravitational wave detectors. In particular, this is an explicitly interdisciplinary project and we are particularly keen to encourage applications from candidates whose primary academic background is in statistics.

Mō tō mātou rōpū | About the team

The Faculty of Science at the University of Auckland strives to provide a positive and supportive environment for all staff and students and we particularly welcome applications from members of groups who are traditionally under-represented in the physical and mathematical sciences.

Ngā āhuatanga kei a mātou | What we offer

The University of Auckland is New Zealand’s leading university and maintains significant computational, laboratory and analytic facilities. Auckland itself is frequently rated as one of the world’s most liveable cities. 

The University is committed to providing an excellent working environment through:

• Flexible employment practices (including working from home, flexible hours)
• Up to 6.75% company superannuation scheme
• A competitive salary with five weeks’ annual leave

In addition, we also offer career development programmes, discounted car parking, a generous parental leave allowance, childcare and a number of other discounts on internal and external services. 

For more information please visit Staff Benefits.

Me pēhea te tuku tono | How to apply

We will consider applications as they come through and expect to be interviewing from late December into early January. The position will close on the 12 January 2022 so please include your CV, research summary and three letters of recommendation before this date, and as soon as possible.

You can also signify your interest through Academic Jobs Online, with a CV, research summary and three letters of recommendation, but full applications for candidates will need to come through our career website.

We will be happy to answer any questions about this position so please reach out to Renate Meyer ([email protected]) or Richard Easther ([email protected]) for a confidential conversation. Please note we are happy to answer your questions but we do not accept applications by email.

Covid-19 Vaccination

The University of Auckland is committed to protecting the health, safety and well-being of our staff and students.  All students, staff and visitors need to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, or medically exempt, in order to come onto our campuses or to take part in face-to-face University-managed activities. Therefore, we are only able to consider applicants who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 or have a New Zealand Ministry of Health issued medical exemption and evidence of this will be requested as part of your employment. You can read more about the University’s vaccination policy here.

Overseas Applicants

In accordance with our commitment to equitable recruitment, the University welcomes applications from all suitably qualified and experienced candidates. In response to COVID-19 the New Zealand Government has imposed a travel ban and are currently only allowing New Zealand Residents, Citizens and visa holders meeting a strict exception policy to enter the country, all of whom must currently enter Government approved quarantine for seven days on arrival.  

It is uncertain when these border restrictions will change, and this may impact the degree to which an offshore candidate can engage in the interview process; or be available to commence in a new position. For more information and updates on the border restrictions visit the Immigration New Zealand website or the New Zealand Government’s official Covid-19 website.

Equity

The University is committed to meeting its obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi and achieving equity outcomes for staff and students in a safe, inclusive and equitable environment.  For further information on services for Māori, Pacific, women, LGBTQITakatāpui+, people with disabilities, parenting support, flexible work and other equity issues go to www.equity.auckland.ac.nz