Postdoctoral position at the Simons Foundation

Description

Organizational Overview

The Simons Foundation is a private foundation established in 1994 in New York City by Jim and Marilyn Simons. With an annual grants and programs budget of $450 million, the foundation’s mission is to advance the frontiers of research in mathematics and the basic sciences.

The foundation pursues its mission through its grant-making division, comprising programs in Mathematics and Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, Outreach and Education, and autism research, and through its internal research division, the Flatiron Institute.

In 2016, the foundation launched the Flatiron Institute (FI), a multidisciplinary institute whose mission is to advance scientific research through computational methods, including data analysis, modeling and simulation. The FI hosts scientists and collaborating expert programmers who work to create, deploy and support new state-of-the-art computational methods.

Position Summary

The CMB Analysis and Simulations (CMBAS) group invites applications for a Flatiron Software Research Fellow (FSRF) to contribute to the Simons Observatory (SO) project’s data analysis efforts.

The Simons Observatory is a next-generation cosmic microwave background (CMB) experiment located in Chile’s Atacama Desert. It consists of one Large-Aperture Telescope (LAT) and three Small-Aperture Telescopes (SATs), all of which have achieved first light and are now transitioning toward full science operations.

SO is entering an exciting new phase of expansion. A National Science Foundation–funded upgrade will significantly increase the LAT’s mapping speed and broaden its science reach to include the transient sky. A complementary upgrade, supported by UK and Japanese partners, will double the number of SATs, further enhancing the observatory’s sensitivity and scientific potential.

The CMBAS group is led by David Spergel, President of the Simons Foundation, with Simone Aiola heading the CMB data analysis effort and serving as the SO Data Manager and a member of the Observatory Execution Office, coordinating all software activities across the collaboration. Francisco Villaescusa-Navarro leads the group’s simulation development program.

Flatiron Software Research Fellows will play a key role in developing and refining the pipelines and analysis methods used to generate and characterize the SO’s scientific data products. CMBAS welcomes applicants interested in machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) applications.

The initial appointments are generally for two years, with the possibility of renewal for a third year, contingent on performance. FRFs may be eligible for subsidized housing within walking distance of the Foundation. The anticipated start date is between  September 2026 and late November 2026. This position will be based, and have a principal office or workspace, at the foundation’s offices in New York City.

Qualifications

Education

• Applicants are required to hold a PhD in a related field or, if selected, will be required to complete their PhD before the start of the appointment.

Related Skills & Other Requirements

• Experience with data analysis, preferably with CMB data
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python and C/C++, and experience working in a collaborative software development environment (e.g., Git).
• Ability to work with a cross-section of post-docs, graduate students, and software engineers in a large collaboration environment

Application Instructions

Application Materials

• Curriculum Vitae (Required)
• Research statement of no more than three pages (including figures and references) describing the applicant’s past work and proposed research (Required)
• Three (3) letters of recommendation submitted confidentially by the letter writers via Interfolio prior to the application due date (Required)
• Cover letter (optional)

Compensation and Benefits: 

• The full-time annual compensation for this position is $91,000.
• In addition to competitive salaries, the Simons Foundation provides employees with an outstanding benefits package.