Postdoctoral Research Associate I, Steward Observatory

Postdoctoral Research Associate I, Steward Observatory Posting Number req26390 Department Steward Observatory Department Website Link https://astro.arizona.edu Location Tucson Campus Address Tucson, AZ USA Position Highlights

Steward Observatory at the University of Arizona invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate position in Numerical Relativity and Relativistic Astrophysics. The successful applicant will work with Professor Vasileios Paschalidis on multiple topics in extreme gravity and astrophysics, including binary black hole and neutron star mergers, accretion disk dynamics, and gravitational wave source modeling. This position offers a vibrant research environment with access to world-class high-performance computing clusters and opportunities to collaborate broadly across the departments of Physics, Astronomy, and Data Science. The initial appointment is for one year, with annual renewal expected for up to three years, subject to satisfactory performance and available funding.

The postdoc will be encouraged to integrate into the Theory, Data, and Computation Group and support an equitable scholarly environment in research, mentoring, and service. Your work will focus on multi-physics simulations of massive star explosions and/or similar transient phenomena.

Throughout your postdoctoral journey with us, you will be encouraged to conduct your own independent research, as time permits, and will be able to apply for time on any Steward facility directly as a PI. You will be expected to lead high-profile, independent research in areas of theoretical and computational astrophysics, as well as collaborate with SO faculty and scholars in the Department of Astronomy.

UA/SO offers a world-class research environment in space science and astrophysics, with strong interdisciplinary programs across the Departments of Astronomy, Physics, Optical Sciences, and Planetary Sciences. We provide direct access to various world-class observational and computational facilities for ground-based radio and optical observing.

Start Date: August 2026

Outstanding U of A benefits include health, dental, vision, and life insurance; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; U of A/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; access to U of A recreation and cultural activities; and more!

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Duties & Responsibilities

• Develop and lead an independent research agenda centered on numerical relativity and relativistic astrophysics.
• Disseminate work through publications and presentations.
• Contribute to public-engagement opportunities.
• Develop and implement research initiatives, collaborations, publications, and/or events (e.g., talks, workshops, visitor programs, etc.) as needed and as relevant to the research agenda. 

Minimum Qualifications

• A Ph.D. in Physics, Astronomy, Astrophysics, Applied Mathematics, or a closely related field by the start date of the appointment.
• Strong background in theoretical physics, general relativity, or high-energy astrophysics.
• Proven experience working with high-performance computing environments and scientific programming (e.g., C/C++, Fortran, or Python).

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior research experience in numerical relativity, including familiarity with established frameworks like the Einstein Toolkit.
• Specialized expertise: Direct experience developing numerical codes for radiation transport (e.g., neutrino or photon transport schemes) in dynamical or curved spacetimes will be viewed highly favorably.
• Experience with GPU acceleration or code parallelization paradigms (e.g., MPI, OpenMP, CUDA).

FLSA Exempt Full Time/Part Time Full Time Number of Hours Worked per Week 40 Job FTE 1.0 Work Calendar Fiscal Job Category Research Benefits Eligible Yes - Full Benefits Rate of Pay NIH salary guidelines, Depends on Experience Compensation Type salary at 1.0 full-time equivalency (FTE) Type of criminal background check required: Name-based criminal background check (non-security sensitive) Number of Vacancies 1 Target Hire Date 8/17/2026 Expected End Date Contact Informati