Postdoctoral Researcher

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Position Type:

Other Academic

Department:

LSUAM Science - PA - Astronomy - General (Matthew Penny (00061277))

Work Location:

0261 J.W. Nicholson Hall

Pay Grade:

Other Academic

Job Description:

Title: Postdoctoral Researcher to work on Gravitational Microlensing, Exoplanet Transits, or Galactic Structure using data from the Roman Galactic Bulge Time Domain Survey. Applicants are sought for a postdoctoral researcher position at Louisiana State University to work on data from the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope's Galactic Bulge Time Domain Survey (GBTDS). Roman launched in August 2026 and the GBTDS will begin taking data in February 2027.

The researcher will work within Professor Matthew Penny's group and as part of the Roman GBTDS Project Infrastructure Team (RGES PIT) and/or the Transiting Exoplanets in the Roman Galactic Exoplanet Survey (TrEXS) collaboration. The topics of most interest to the group are:

• Detection and modeling of exoplanets in Roman microlensing events
• Transiting planet detection and false positive rejection in the Roman GBTDS and ground-based searches of globular clusters
• Exoplanet demographics with microlensing and/or transits
• Measurement of microlensing parallax for free-floating and bound exoplanets with Roman and other ground- and space-based observatories
• Modeling the Milky Way’s bulge and disk using Roman & Euclid data and Population Synthesis Galactic models such as SynthPop
• Detection of black holes through high-resolution imaging and point spread function characterization with HST, JWST, Euclid & Roman or ground-based adaptive optics instruments

Prior experience in gravitational microlensing is not required. LSU hosts 7 actively funded Roman grants in various scientific areas tied to the GBTDS, spread across 4 Principal Investigators. The researcher would join a vigorous and collaborative community of researchers all exploring the massive Roman data set for the first time.

The researcher is expected to regularly publish papers, present at conferences and collaboration meetings, and assist the preparation of proposals. Additional duties include assisting in the supervision of graduate and undergraduate students. And ongoing training and professional development, supporting rigor, reproducibility, and advancement of research and scholarship.

Appointments for remote work in the United States are possible, but preference will be given to applicants to work on site at LSU. The researcher may be required to travel nationally and internationally.

Minimum Qualifications:

Ph.D. in physics, astronomy, or a related field. Experience coding in at least one programming language.

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience using high-performance or high-throughput computing.

Additional Job Description:

Special Instructions: Please attach ALL required documents under the "Resume/CV" section of your application. Applicants must provide cover letter, CV, a statement of past research and future research goals, and arrange for up to three confidential letters of reference submitted via the following link: https://lsu.app.box.com/f/2d7ad136fe6040e7af3a4314a1bcfda0

An offer of employment is contingent on a satisfactory pre-employment background check. Application deadline is December 1, 2026 or until a candidate is selected. Immediate start available.

For questions or concerns regarding the status of your application or salary ranges, please contact Matthew Penny at 225-578-7711 or penny1@lsu.edu.

Original transcripts are required prior hire. If the degree is not from the United States, a credential evaluation is required in addition to the official transcripts.

Skills Needed:

Preferred Skills:

Posting Date:

October 23, 2026

Closing Date (Open Until Filled if No Date Specified):

April 12, 2027

Additional Position Information:

Background Check - An offer of employment is contingent on a satisfactory pre-employment background check. Benefits - LSU offers outstanding benefits to eligible employees and their dependents including health, life, dental, and vision insurance; flexible spending accounts; retirement options; various leave options; paid holidays; wellness benefits; tuition exemption for qualified positions; training and development opportunities; employee discounts; and more!

Positions approved to work outside the State of Louisiana shall be employed through Louisiana State University’s partner, nextSource Workforce Solutions, for Employer of Record Services including but not limited to employment, benefits, payroll, and tax compliance. Positions employed through Employer of Record Services will be offered benefits and retirement as applicable through their provider and will not be eligible for State of Louisiana benefits and retirement.

Essential Position (Y/N): N

LSU is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All candidates must have valid U.S. work authorization at the time of hire and maintain that valid work authorization throughout employment. Changes in laws, regulations, or government policies may impact the university’s ability to employ individuals in certain positions.

HCM Contact Information:

For questions or concerns related to updating your application with attachments (e.g., resumes, RS:17 documents), date of birth, or reactivating applications, please contact the LSU Human Resources Management Office at 225-578-8200 or email HR@lsu.edu. For questions or concerns regarding the status of your application or salary ranges, please contact the department using the information provided in the Special Instructions section of this job posting.