Research Associate - Theory Division

We Are:

Fermilab is America’s premier laboratory for particle physics and accelerator research, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.  We support discovery science experiments in Illinois and at locations around the world, including deep underground mines in South Dakota and Canada, mountaintops in Arizona and Chile, CERN in Europe and the South Pole.

We are strategic risk takers, innovators, and collaborators. We are engineers, scientists, technicians, administrative professionals. We are over 2,000 employees advancing knowledge for the benefit of humankind. Fermilab has been at the forefront of particle physics for more than 40 years. We build world-leading accelerators and detectors to conduct some of the most advanced particle physics experiments possible. We collect and analyze the data from those experiments with some of the most powerful computers in the world. We conduct this research on a 6,800-acre prairie, 35 miles outside Chicago, a treasure that has been designated a National Environmental Research Park.

The Fermilab Theory Division invites applications for one or more postdoctoral research appointments starting in the fall of 2025. Postdoctoral Research Associates in the Fermilab Theory Division are appointed for a three (3) year term. We are seeking candidates with a doctorate in theoretical physics or theoretical astrophysics who have demonstrated outstanding creativity and a high level of competence in conducting their research.

Research Associates are expected to perform self-directed theoretical physics research on topics of their own choosing and are encouraged to work with members of the senior scientific staff and other postdocs within the Division. The Fermilab Theory Division research program includes collider phenomenology, dark matter and dark energy, the early universe, lattice QCD, large-scale structure and evolution, Higgs & flavor physics, high-energy particle astrophysics, neutrino physics, numerical cosmology, perturbative QCD, physics beyond the standard model, quantum simulation of quantum field theories describing strongly coupled systems, quantum sensing and technology for probing fundamental physics, and quantum algorithms for traditional computational problems in HEP. 

The senior scientific staff of the Division consists of Asher Berlin, John Campbell, Bogdan Dobrescu, Scott Dodelson, George Fleming, Patrick Fox, Walter Giele, Nick Gnedin, Roni Harnik, Stefan Hoeche, Gordan Krnjaic, Andreas Kronfeld, Henry Lamm, Pedro Machado, Stephen Parke, Noemi Rocco, Albert Stebbins, Ruth Van de Water, and Michael Wagman. 

The Division has strong connections to the Fermilab experimental program as well as Fermilab’s Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems center (SQMS), Fermilab’s National Quantum Initiative (NQI) center, the University of Chicago, and the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics. Further details can be found on our website: http://theory.fnal.gov/.

Qualifications:

• Candidates should have obtained a Ph.D. in theoretical physics, or a closely related field, or expect to earn a Ph.D. in the same fields, by September 1, 2025.
• Demonstrated experience in theoretical physics research.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Contributes effectively within a diverse workforce and upholds Fermilab’s commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.
• Performs other duties as assigned by supervisor.
• Abides by and is responsible for performing all duties in accordance with all environmental, health and safety regulations and practices pertinent to this position.

Application Instructions:

Candidates should submit applications via Academic Jobs Online (https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/29216):

Curriculum Vitae, List of publications, Statement of research interests, and Three or more letters of recommendation, submitted to AJO by the reference writers.

To learn more about members of the Particle Theory Department and the Theory Division, please visit https://theory.fnal.gov/.

For other general information about these positions, please contact the Theory Division Administrator Olivia Vizcarra at olivia@fnal.gov.

Fermilab is an Equal Opportunity Employer and believes a diverse and inclusive environment based on mutual respect is essential to our mission. Fermilab is committed to recruiting and developing the most hardworking people and does not discriminate in employment on the basi