Postdoctoral Research Associate

Applications are invited for the post of a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Astronomy Group as part of the initial hiring process for the recently awarded UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship project "Revealing the secrets of neutron-star interiors with AI and the SKA" led by Dr Vanessa Graber.
The successful candidate will join Royal Holloway's Astronomy Group and conduct research on radio observations of neutron stars. This post will specifically focus on analysing radio pulsar timing data, specifically timing noise and pulsar glitches, and combine time-domain radio astronomy with machine learning and scientific software development to build a new framework for analysing pulsar glitches. For this project, the post holder will have access to state-of-the-art computing facilities and collaborate with experienced Co-Is at Royal Holloway's Computer Science Department and UCL's Advanced Research Computing Centre as well as Project Partners at the Universities of Manchester, Tasmania, and Tübingen. The successful applicant is further expected to help produce independent and original research within Royal Holloway's Centre for Particle Physics and Astronomy, submit publications to refereed journals, and work together with and help supervise, BSc, MSc/MSci, and PhD
students.

The successful applicant will have a PhD in Astronomy, Astrophysics, or a related discipline as well as prior experience with time-domain radio astronomy and/or relevant theory. Existing experience with machine learning would be an asset. The post holder will also have strong communication skills and a keen interest in interdisciplinary research.

Royal Holloway's Astronomy Group covers a wide range of topics in astrophysics and astronomy, including stellar astrophysics, supernovae, radio pulsars, gravitational-wave astronomy, and cosmology. Leveraging state-of-the-art observational facilities such as JWST, the Hubble Space Telescope, the LIGO/VIRGO gravitational-wave detectors, and the Euclid satellite, we investigate fundamental questions about the nature of celestial objects, the evolution of galaxies, and the structure of the Universe itself. We are also actively involved in the utilisation of upcoming facilities like the Square Kilometre Array Observatory and the next-generation Einstein Telescope. The Astronomy Group specifically focuses on the application of advanced Artificial Intelligence methods to astrophysical research. As a result, we collaborate with experts in Computer Science and in the wider economy where our cutting-edge techniques can have a broader impact.
Royal Holloway offers an extensive rewards and benefits package including generous annual leave as well as a wide variety of training and development opportunities specifically tailored to Early Career Researchers. Additional training initiatives will also be offered as part of the FLF project.

This is a full-time post, available from 1 October 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter for a fixed-term period of 2 years at Royal Holloway, University of London, with the possibility of a one-year extension following this initial period, subject to performance and funding availability.