Postdoctoral Fellowship, Gravitational Wave Astrophysics

Position Number: 0064101
Location: Parkville Campus (Melbourne, Australia)
Role type: Full-time; Fixed-Term for 3 years
Faculty: Faculty of Science
School: Physics
Salary (AUD): Level A – $83,468 – $113,262 p.a. plus 17% super (*PhD entry-level $105,518 p.a. plus super)

• Join OzGrav and build a remarkable research portfolio at the University of Melbourne, advancing research in gravitational waves and astrophysics
• Collaborate with leading researchers while developing your own independent research initiatives
• Salary packaging, subsidised health and wellbeing services, fitness and cultural clubs, Myki discounts, and a 25% discount on graduate courses to our staff and their immediate families!

About the Role
The Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery (OzGrav) invites applications for a role based at the University of Melbourne, a key collaborator among eight universities collaborating through OzGrav. Established in 2017 following the landmark detection of gravitational waves, OzGrav seeks to deepen our understanding of black holes and the extreme physics of warped spacetime, with discoveries poised to drive the next generation of scientific innovation.

This position focuses on two OzGrav Research Programs: Detection (electromagnetic follow-up of gravitational wave events) and Cosmos (astrophysics of gravitational wave sources). The successful candidate will join the OzGrav team at the University of Melbourne, led by A/Prof. Katie Auchettl and Prof. Andrew Melatos, will collaborate closely with other OzGrav nodes. The candidate will be encouraged to develop their own, innovative, independent research program as well as contribute to existing research.

Examples of existing activities include:

• Contribute to the observational program to follow-up gravitational wave events and related phenomena at multi-wavelengths (Program: Detection).
• Contribute to the observational follow-up campaigns of the progenitors of gravitational wave sources (transient and non-transient phenomena) (Program: Cosmos).
• Modelling and multi-wavelength/time-domain studies of both the stellar progenitors of the neutron stars and black holes that become the sources of gravitational waves and/or fast radio bursts, and black holes found at all scales––from Galactic black holes to Supermassive black holes (Program: Cosmos).

Your responsibilities will include:

• You are expected to significantly contribute towards the research effort of the team and to develop your research expertise with an increasing degree of autonomy.
• Significantly contribute towards the research effort of the team and develop research expertise with an increasing degree of autonomy.
• Undertake original, rigorous, scholarly research in gravitational wave discovery and astrophysics, with an emphasis on OzGrav’s Detection and Cosmos research programs.
• Collaborate on this research with members of OzGrav and, where appropriate, members of the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Scientific Collaboration or from external multi-wavelength transient collaborations.
• Contribute to and publish academic papers and other scholarly outputs to a high academic standard in accordance with the research expectations of the University of Melbourne.
• Contribute to the preparation of, or prepare individually where appropriate, research proposal submissions to internal or external funding bodies as relevant.

Who We Are Looking For
You bring a strong research background and an impressive publication record, with a clear ambition to establish a meaningful academic career. Equipped with excellent organisational skills and the capability to lead research projects independently, you excel in collaborative, multidisciplinary environments.

Your strong communication abilities and experience engaging with industry and professional organisations enable you to build valuable partnerships and collaborate effectively within diverse teams.

You will also have:

• Completion (or near completion) of a PhD or equivalent in physics, astronomy, astrophysics, or a related discipline.
• A demonstrated aptitude for research, with a sound publication record in relevant areas, commensurate with experience and opportunities.
• Demonstrated ability to prepare research reports and manuscripts for publication.
• Strong evidence of ability and desire to build an academic research career trajectory.
• Demonstrated ability to engage with relevant professional and industry bodies and stakeholders to foster collaborative partnerships.
• Demonstrated excellent organisational skills to meet deadlines and bring projects to timely completion.
• Demonstrated ability to develop, administer and see through to completion appropriately designed research projects with limited supervision.

For further information regarding responsibilities and requirements, please refer to the attached PD.

This role requires that the successful candidate must undergo and maintain an up-to-date Working with Children Check. This is essential to guarantee a secure environment for all individuals at the University. In the case the selected candidate doesn't have a valid Working with Children Check, they will be able to apply for the WWCC as part of the initial onboarding procedures.

Please note: Visa sponsorship is available for this position.

Your New Team – “The ARC Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery (OzGrav)“
OzGrav (www.ozgrav.org) is a collaborative Centre with eight partner institutions: ANU, Monash, University of Adelaide, University of Melbourne, University of Queensland, University of Sydney, and the University of Western Australia.

Research fellows benefit from significant resources, including the $5.2M OzSTAR supercomputer, and participate in multi-institutional gravitational-wave projects. They also have opportunities to collaborate in the LIGO-Virgo-Kagra and Pulsar Timing Array projects.

The University of Melbourne's School of Physics (https://physics.unimelb.edu.au/) is one of Australia's leading Physics Schools. It has achieved this status through the high quality of its research and teaching programs. The School offers a wide range of physics subjects to undergraduate and postgraduate students and performs research in the following areas: Astrophysics, Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics, Experimental Condensed Matter Physics, Experimental Particle Physics, Materials Science, Physical Biosciences, Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics and Theoretical Particle Physics.

The School also plays a major role in the Australian Synchrotron research program and in the development of the Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory.

What We Offer You!
In addition, we offer the opportunity to be part of a vibrant community and enjoy a range of benefits, including generous leave provisions, salary packaging, health and well-being services and discounts on graduate courses. For more information, check out our benefits page!

About the University of Melbourne
We’re tightly connected with the community, both at home and abroad. We take pride in our people, who all contribute to our mission to benefit society through the transformative impact of education and research. Discover more via our website and stay connected with our stories and people on LinkedIn.

Be Yourself
The University of Melbourne values the unique backgrounds, experiences and contributions that each person brings to our community and welcomes and celebrates diversity. First Nations people, those identifying as LGBTQIA+, parents, carers, people of all ages, abilities and genders, and people of diverse ethnicity, nationality and faith are encouraged to apply. Our aim is to create a workforce that reflects the diversity of the community in which we live. For more information please visit our Diversity and Inclusion page.

We are dedicated to ensuring barrier free and inclusive practices to recruit the most talented candidates. If you require reasonable adjustments, please contact the employee listed on the first page of the Position Description found below, with an email containing your name and contact details for a confidential discussion. Please ensure your email is titled "Reasonable Adjustments Request".

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Applicants
We aspire to be the University of choice for Indigenous Australians, with unprecedented investment to attract, nurture and retain Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and staff. Tangible support through a range of programs and initiatives will ensure that you personally succeed and flourish while at the University of Melbourne.

For further information, including our 2023-2027 Indigenous strategy please visit -https://about.unimelb.edu.au/reconciliation/murmuk-djerring

Join Us!
If you feel this role is right for you, please apply with the following documents:

• Academic CV and publication record
• Cover Letter outlining your interest and experience
• The responses against the Selection Criteria^ (found in the Position Description)
• Research Statement

^For information to help you with compiling short statements to answer the selection criteria and competencies, please go to http://about.unimelb.edu.au/careers/selection-criteria

Please ensure that you apply through the Apply Now button at the bottom of this advertisement. However, if you have any questions regarding the recruitment process, please feel free to contact Anna Gradoboeva via email at [email protected], ensuring that you include the Position Number and the Job Title as the subject. Please do not share your application to this email address.

If you have any particular questions regarding the job please follow the details listed on the Position Description.