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Category: Positions

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The RING project in Germany: 1 Postdoc and 14 PhD positions in Physics, Geophysics, Geodesy

we would like to draw your attention to the 4-year RING project recently funded by the German Research Foundation (extendable to 8 years). The project has strong overlap with gravitational wave detection research on instrumentation.

The project aims at pushing the sensitivity and stability limits of rotational motion sensing with ring laser technology into new realms using approaches from quantum optics and metrology. The ultimate goal is to enable ring laser observations as a complement to classic space-geodetic methods towards more precise, high-rate estimation of Earth Orientation Parameters (EOP). Furthermore, we plan to develop (trans-) portable ring lasers fit for weak, broadband 6 degree-of-freedom ground motion observations towards better understanding of atmosphere-solid Earth coupling (also relevant for seismic decoupling of gravitational wave detection facilities).

The project offers postdoctoral and PhD topics in laser physics, geodesy, geophysics, hydrology, and seismology. The successful candidates will be part of a multi-disciplinary research team at various institutions in Germany with excellent training and experimental facilities.

More information, links to the individual research projects and open positions can be found here:
https://www.ringlaser.de

Prof. Dr. Katharina Isleif
https://www.hsu-hh.de/karriere/wp-content/uploads/sites/658/2026/04/Reference-Number-MB-0926.pdf

Prof. Dr. Oliver Gerberding
https://www.physik.uni-hamburg.de/en/iexp/gruppe-gerberding/offene-stellen.html

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Call for postdoctoral positions at Université Paris-Saclay

The Graduate School of Physics at Université Paris-Saclay, France, is launching the second call of its new postdoctoral fellowship program: UPSaclay-STAR-φ, supported by the EU Marie Skłodowska-Curie COFUND. The program will recruit up to 41 international postdoctoral researchers over two calls, for 24-month projects in one of the 40 laboratories of the Graduate School, working on various fields from fundamental to applied physics. The CMS group of CEA-Saclay IRFU (contact: julie.malcles(at)cea.fr) is a possible host group, among others. The application deadline for the first call is July 15, 2026 at 5pm and the expected start of fellowships early 2027 (flexible).

Applicants will have to propose their own research project, with freedom of choice (in agreement with the thematics of interest of the CEA-Saclay/IRFU CMS team).

The CMS CEA-Saclay group has contributed to the design, construction and operation of the ECAL of CMS and is involved in the upgrades of the CMS detector (ECAL, MTD and HGCal).
The group is involved in the ECAL calibration and our analysis activities in Run3 include Higgs to Zy, double Higgs in the bb tautau channel, deep learning for ECAL and MTD reconstruction and various topics related to the diphoton channel (ttH/tH and its CP properties, high mass searches, interference to constraint the Higgs boson natural width with the mass measurement).

To be eligible, applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity in France for more than 12 months during the 3 years preceding the deadline for applications.

For further information, please visit: http://www.cofund-physics.universite-paris-saclay.fr/

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Call for postdoctoral positions University of Paris-Saclay

The Graduate School of Physics at Université Paris-Saclay, France, is launching a second call for applications within its postdoctoral fellowship programe: UPSaclay-STAR-φ, supported by the EU Marie Skłodowska-Curie COFUND programme, 2024 call. Application deadline: July 15th 5:00PM.

This call will recruit up to 22 international postdoctoral researchers, for 24-month projects in one of the 40 laboratories of the Physics Graduate School, at the SOLEIL synchrotron, or at the French National Metrology Lab (LNE), working on various fields from fundamental to applied physics. This includes the following two Theoretical Physics institutes :

  • Institut de Physique Théorique (IPhT), Saclay
  • Theoretical Physics Division of IJCLab, Orsay

The application deadline for the second call is July 15th, 2026 and the expected start of the fellowships is between early 2027 and October 2027.

Applicants will propose their own research project, aligned with the Graduate School and partners’ wide-ranging fields, from fundamental to applied physics. They are free to choose the institute in which they would like to carry out their research.

To be eligible, applicants must hold a doctoral degree before the application deadline, and must not have resided or carried out their main activity in France for more than 12 months during the 3 years preceding the deadline for applications.

For further information and application instructions, please visit:
http://www.cofund-physics.universite-paris-saclay.fr/

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LHO Electrical Engineering Lead

The LIGO Laboratory and LIGO Hanford Observatory invite applications for an Electrical Engineering Lead. We also ask that you circulate this announcement within your networks and encourage strong candidates to apply.

Job Summary: At LIGO Hanford you’ll coordinate a skilled team of engineers and technicians in the design, testing, and maintenance of precision analog and digital electronics, playing a key role in the day-to-day operations of a one-of-a-kind scientific facility. You’ll collaborate with a diverse, international community of scientists and engineers, and have the opportunity to contribute to research that pushes the boundaries of what’s possible. This is a leadership role where your technical skills and team-building abilities both matter.

Please find here full details.

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PhD Scholarships – Statistics, Astrophysics, Cosmology and Gravitational Wave Astronomy in New Zealand

The NZ Astrostatistics and General Relativity Group (NZ Gravity) is coordinating applications for several PhD scholarships within an interdisciplinary team to work on 
•   interstellar objects, stellar populations, supernovae, large scale structure formation and ultralight dark matter, engaging with the Vera Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) and  
•  gravitational wave astronomy and statistical data analysis for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission.

The cross-institutional research team spans astrophysics, cosmology, mathematics and statistics with members at five New Zealand universities as well as international collaborators within the Vera Rubin Observatory and the International LISA Consortium.

The LSST is a ten-year, wide-field astronomical survey designed to image the entire southern sky every few nights using a 3.2 gigapixel camera, creating a massive 200-petabyte dataset for studying dark energy and dark matter, mapping the Milky Way, exploring the transient optical sky, and identifying potentially hazardous near-Earth asteroids. The space-based gravitational wave mission LISA raises deep challenges regarding source modelling and numerical simulation and requires new statistical methodologies. We are seeking highly motivated and skilled students with a strong background in statistics, physics, mathematics or a related discipline, with sound computing skills and a keen interest in interdisciplinary research in gravitational wave science. All PhD and MSc candidates will have the opportunity to join the NZ Gravity Group, obtain academic support from an interdisciplinary supervisory team and will contribute to cutting-edge research for the LSST and the LISA mission. The PhD scholarships will be available from May 2026 and provide an annual (tax-free) stipend of NZ$35,000 plus tuition fees for three years. Starting dates are flexible throughout the year.

PhD Projects

More details about each of the PhD projects including the required skillsets and supervisors can be found here. Admissions decisions will be made by individual universities – please direct initial enquiries to the supervisors of specific projects that interest you or send general queries to
Professor Richard Easther (R.Easther(at)auckland.ac.nz) and
Professor Renate Meyer (Renate.Meyer(at)auckland.ac.nz).

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Professor or Assistant Professor (Tenure Track) of Experimental Condensed Matter Physics at ETH Zurich

The Department of Physics (www.phys.ethz.ch) at ETH Zurich invites applications for the above-mentioned position. The professorship should build expertise in studying fundamental properties of condensed matter systems originating from electronic correlations or nontrivial topology. In contrast to more traditional approaches to investigating strongly correlated materials, the new professorship will explore original avenues for controlling or enhancing functionality. They will employ or develop novel techniques that combine spectroscopy and transport measurements to study novel condensed matter phenomena. The closing date for applications is 28 May 2026.

The successful candidate must have an outstanding research background in experimental condensed matter physics. They possess an in-depth understanding of emerging electronic and quantum properties. Research experience in a range of condensed matter platforms, such as quantum, topological or two-dimensional materials, is considered an asset.

The new professor is expected to establish and lead a competitive research team within the interactive and interdisciplinary research environment at ETH Zurich. She or he is expected to synergize with the theoretical and experimental expertise at ETH Zurich to increase translational drive from fundamental research to applications.

Additional prerequisites include a strong motivation and commitment to teaching in the area of condensed matter physics, quantum mechanics, with contributions to undergraduate (in German or English) as well as graduate level (in English) courses for the Physics and other departments. Examples of specific courses include introduction to solid state physics and advanced solid-state physics.

Assistant professorships have been established to promote the careers of younger scientists. ETH Zurich implements a tenure track system equivalent to that of other top international universities.

ETH Zurich is an equal opportunity and family-friendly employer, values diversity, and is responsive to the needs of dual-career couples.

Please apply online for Assistant Professor (Tenure Track) of Experimental Condensed Matter Physics

Please apply online for Professor of Experimental Condensed Matter Physics

Applications should include a curriculum vitae; a list of publications; three statements on a) research, b) teaching, c) leadership; descriptions of the three most important achievements*; and a certificate of the highest degree. The letter of application should be addressed to the President of ETH Zurich, Prof. Dr. Joël Mesot. The closing date for applications is 28 May 2026.

Please find here details.

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Professor or Assistant Professor (Tenure Track) of Next-Generation Electrical and Optical Devices at ETH Zurich

The Department of Physics (www.phys.ethz.ch) at ETH Zurich invites applications for the above-mentioned position. The professorship should focus on the realization of materials and devices for photonics, electronics, and quantum technologies. Emphasis should be placed on novel physical characteristics, such as optoelectronic effects, electromechanical response, or hybrid properties, that enable real-world applications. The professorship should build up in-house capabilities while forming connections to other research groups, departments, and, importantly, companies or spin-offs. The closing date for applications is 31 May 2026.

The successful candidate must have an outstanding background in experimental materials and device physics research. They are qualified for leading state-of-the-art research projects involving materials synthesis, device fabrication, and characterization. Experience in areas with near-term, real-world applications, such as laser sources, integrated photonics, wide-bandgap semiconductors, piezoelectrics, etc., are considered an asset.

The new professor is expected to establish and lead a competitive research team within the interactive and interdisciplinary research environment at ETH Zurich. She or he is expected to synergize with the theoretical and experimental expertise at ETH Zurich to increase translational drive from fundamental research to applications.

Additional prerequisites are a strong motivation and commitment to teaching in the area of applied condensed matter physics, optoelectronics, material synthesis and fabrication, together with contributions to undergraduate (in German or English) as well as graduate level (in English) courses for the Physics and other departments. Examples of specific courses include quantum electronics or materials synthesis and characterization.

Assistant professorships have been established to promote the careers of younger scientists. ETH Zurich implements a tenure track system equivalent to that of other top international universities.

ETH Zurich is an equal opportunity and family-friendly employer, values diversity, and is responsive to the needs of dual-career couples.

Please apply online for Assistant Professor (Tenure Track) of Next-Generation Electrical and Optical Devices

Please apply online for Professor of Next-Generation Electrical and Optical Devices

Applications should include a curriculum vitae; a list of publications; three statements on a) research, b) teaching, c) leadership; descriptions of the three most important achievements*; and a certificate of the highest degree. The letter of application should be addressed to the President of ETH Zurich, Prof. Dr. Joël Mesot. The closing date for applications is 31 May 2026.

Please find here details.

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DESY-Fellowships in Experimental Particle Physics

For our location in Hamburg we are seeking: DESY-Fellowships in Experimental Particle Physics
Remuneration Group 13 | Limited: 2+1 years | Starting date: between 01.07.2026 and 01.01.2027 | ID: FHFE001/2026 | Deadline: 31.03.2026 | Full-time/Part-time
DESY, with more than 2900 employees at its two locations in Hamburg and Zeuthen, is one of the world's leading research centres. Its research focuses on decoding the structure and function of matter, from the smallest particles of the universe to the building blocks of life. In this way, DESY contributes to solving the major questions and urgent challenges facing science, society and industry. With its ultramodern research infrastructure, its interdisciplinary research platforms and its international networks, DESY offers a highly attractive working environment in the fields of science, technology and administration as well as for the education of highly qualified young scientists.

We participate in leading roles in particle physics projects on our campus and at international laboratories such as CERN or KEK. We develop technologies for detectors and accelerators, and work on scientific computing. We operate important infrastructures such as a WLCG Tier-2 computing centre or the DESY test beam facility.

Interested applicants for a fellowship in experimental physics are requested to submit their application in English (letter of motivation, research interest, CV, list of publications, copies of university degrees, three letters of reference) via our application portal. The statement about the scientific interest has to include your specific motivation for one of the research projects mentioned below.

The decision on the awarding of a fellowship for the 1/2026 selection round will presumably be made by 31 May 2026. The fellowship at DESY in Hamburg is to be started during the second half of 2026.

About your role:

You are invited to take an active role in one of the following research projects in Hamburg:

  • ATLAS ITk Strip Detector Upgrade, possibly in combination with a physics analysis
  • CMS Outer Tracker Upgrade, possibly in combination with a physics analysis
  • Study of B- or τ-decays at Belle II
  • Current and future on-site experiments

About you:

  • PhD in Physics: Doctorate must be completed before starting the fellowship, but must not be older than 5 years
  • Strong interest in particle physics research, detector development or scientific computing
  • Expert knowledge and experience in the field of the selected project

Good reasons to join:

Look forward to a unique working environment on our international research campus. Respectful cooperation and the well-being of our DESY employees are particularly important to us. Gender equality is an important aspect for us. To support work life balance we offer flexible working hours and variable part-time. You will benefit from our family-friendly and collegial atmosphere, our established health management and occupational pension provision. As a public funded employer, we offer you a secure workplace and facilitate your individual career with our comprehensive training and development opportunities. Remuneration is according to the regulations of the TV-AVH. DESY offers its employees a financial supplement for a German job ticket (Deutschland-Ticket) at both locations.

Further informations about the DESY-Fellowship can be found here: https://www.desy.de/FellowFH

Please arrange for three letters of reference to be uploaded via our online toolby 31 March 2026.

We look forward to receiving your application via our application portal:

 Apply now!

DESY promotes equal opportunities and diversity. The professional development of women is very important to us and therefore we strongly encourage women to apply for the vacant position. Applications from severely disabled persons will be given preference if they are equally qualified (sbv.desy.de).

You can find further information here:

https://www.desy.de/career

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Vacuum Lead, LIGO Hanford Observatory

LIGO Laboratory (the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory) seeks a highly motivated and skilled LHO Vacuum Equipment Group Leader to join its team.  

This position is an in-person role, located in Hanford, Washington.

LIGO Laboratory is a National Science Foundation major facility dedicated to observing the newly discovered gravitational-wave universe. Jointly operated by the California Institute of Technology and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the LIGO Laboratory operates world-leading observatories near Richland, WA and Baton Rouge, LA as well as R&D centers on the Caltech and MIT campuses. The LIGO Laboratory’s mission spans a broad and vibrant array of activities related to gravitational-wave physics and astronomy, including detector operations, R&D toward detector improvements, gravitational-wave astrophysics, observatory operations, and education and public outreach.

For more information, please visit the Laboratory website: www.ligo.caltech.edu

Job Summary

LIGO comprises two widely separated antennae for astrophysical gravitational wave research. Each detector operates within a 10 million-liter ultra-high-vacuum (UHV) system, the largest in existence. These each include 8 km of 1.2m-diameter beam tube, interconnecting thirteen 3m-diameter vessels that house the detector apparatus. LIGO detectors operate in the 1e-9 Torr pressure range, relying on a combination of cryogenic, turbomolecular, ion and getter pump technologies, combined with stringent material and operating protocols. The observatory sites are supported by science and engineering research facilities at MIT in Cambridge, MA and at Caltech in Pasadena, CA.

As a senior member of the core Hanford Observatory Operations staff, the selectee will supervise and lead the group tasked with optimizing, maintaining and improving the site vacuum system and its supporting infrastructure.

This is an Essential Reporting position. In the event of an emergency on campus, an employee designated as essential reporting has essential job skills that are needed for response and recovery and is expected to report to Campus as soon as possible.

Essential Job Duties

  • Maintain the Observatory vacuum system and support facilities; initiate, plan and execute changes to this system; monitor system performance.
  • Plan and oversee equipment procurement and repairs, including budget development, preparing specifications, competitive procurement, contractor selection, contract monitoring, and quality assurance.
  • Collaborate with research scientists and engineers to optimize UHV performance of in-vacuo scientific apparatus, and to minimize risks of contamination.
  • Collaborate in research into UHV techniques, system design, and potential future vacuum upgrades. Contribute to vacuum R&D for next-generation gravitational wave detectors at the Cosmic Explorer Beamtubed Experiment, a new research facility under construction at LIGO Hanford that will test UHV beam tubes and other components for the upcoming Cosmic Explorer gravitational wave detector.
  • Establish and maintain procedures to ensure that vacuum equipment is monitored, protected and maintained.
  • Serve as a standing member of the LIGO Laboratory’s Vacuum Review Board (with periodic rotations as Chair).
  • Serve as a consulting member on Design Review, Technical Review or other Laboratory committees and panels as may be required.
  • Support and/or manage competitive procurements (i.e. materials and equipment, vendor and/or contractor selection, contract development, acquisition planning, etc.)
  • Initiate or collaborate in writing research papers and technical presentations.
  • Develop and oversee UHV material preparation and test facilities, such as cleaning plants, bake ovens and test chambers, which prepare and qualify scientific components for installation in UHV systems.
  • Collaborate with other discipline leads on scheduling.
  • Serve as a line supervisor for members of the Hanford vacuum group and potentially others who work in related functions.
  • Perform other duties as may be required and assigned.

Basic Qualifications

  • BS in Mechanical, Aerospace, Chemical or Systems Engineering; Physics; Material Science; or a related scientific or engineering field, or 10 years of relevant experience in lieu of a degree.
  • 8 or more years of vacuum-related engineering or scientific research work experience.
  • Demonstrated proficiency in operation, analysis, and performance characterization of high- or ultra-high vacuum systems.
  • Knowledge and experience in selection and application of UHV-compatible materials.
  • Hands-on experience in precision leak-hunting.
  • Proficiency in application and interpretation of spectra from residual gas analyzers.
  • Experience in application of helium mass‐spectrometer leak detection (MSLD) apparatus.
  • Demonstrated people-management experience and mentoring skills.
  • Effective English‐language written and verbal communication skills and habits.
  • Level-headed professionalism and excellent interpersonal and team skills.
  • Ability to lift at least 20 pounds.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience related to industrial automation as applied to large-scale vacuum systems.
  • Hands-on experience and skill in building, improving and maintaining high- or ultra- high vacuum systems.
  • Experience related to fluid, cryogen, pressure, flow rate, and gas sensors and instrumentation.
  • Experience operating or maintaining large research, university, national laboratory or industrial facilities.
  • Computer-aided design (CAD) proficiency (SolidWorks™ preferred).

Required Documents

  • Cover letter summarizing your interest in LIGO Lab and relevant experience.
  • Resume.

Pease find here full details.

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ESA Archival Research Visitor Programme Madrid, Noordwijk

To increase the scientific return from its space science missions, ESA welcomes applications from scientists interested in pursuing research based on publicly available data in the ESA Space Science Archives. The Archives host data from all current and past ESA space science missions in astronomy, planetary science, and heliophysics.

The ESA Archival Research Visitor Programme is open to scientists at all career levels who are affiliated with institutes in ESA Member States and Cooperating States (note that all visits must comply with the ESA Security Directives, which may necessitate additional checks). Early-career scientists are particularly encouraged to apply, including PhD students (see below). We encourage applications from women and minorities. The peer-review evaluation process is anonymised to ensure equal opportunities for all applicants.

Residence lasts typically between one and three months, also distributed over multiple visits, depending on the complexity of the research project. The research projects can be carried out at ESAC (Madrid, Spain) and at ESTEC (Noordwijk, Netherlands). To offset the expenses incurred by visitors, ESA covers travel costs from and to the home institution and provides support for lodging expenses and meals.

During their stay, visiting scientists have the opportunity to interact with archive and mission specialists for questions on the retrieval, calibration, and analysis of archival data. In principle, all areas of space research covered by ESA science missions can be supported (the data must be publicly available in the archives). To ensure that technical expertise in the specific area of interest is available at ESAC or ESTEC, applicants should consult the table of expertise and contact the relevant scientists in their field of interest (this is very important). In case of doubts, write to the programme coordinators for assistance at arvp@cosmos.esa.int.

The next deadline for applications is Wednesday 30 April 2026, 23:59 UTC

Call for applications

Applications can be submitted at any time by sending email to arvp@cosmos.esa.int. The email should contain a single PDF document of at most three pages detailing:

  • description of the goals of the research project
  • public archival data on which help is sought
  • which type of expertise you expect to gain
  • proposed time and duration of the visit
  • expected publications
  • contact information

Please keep it short (max 2 pages for the text of the proposal, max 1 page for figures, references, and contact information) and follow the simple template provided here. Note that this is just a template, you can use the font type and size that you prefer (not smaller than 10), but please do not exceed two pages for the text and one page for figures, references, and contact information. You must indicate in which year you obtained (or will obtain) your PhD.

To prevent unconscious biases, your name, email address, and other contact information (on the third page) will not be visible to reviewers. To help in the process, you must write your application in an “anonymous” way, i.e. do not identify yourself in the text. For instance, do not mention the name of your institute or collaborators in the scientific description of the project (page 1 and 2) and when you are referring to one of your papers, do not write “I have shown that … (Author Name, 2023, Journal, 954, 125)”, but rather write “It has been shown that … (Author Name, 2023, Journal, 954, 125)”. If you identify yourself, the application will not be considered.

We encourage you to contact us if you have any questions about the data that could support your research project. You will find the names of our experts in the various science areas in the table of expertise below. Or write to the programme coordinators for assistance at arvp@cosmos.esa.int.

Students

We welcome proposals by graduate students. The proposals can be submitted by the students themselves or in collaboration with their supervisors. If you are a student and would like to visit ESA to learn more about doing science with archival data, make sure that you coordinate and agree your research project with your supervisor. Mention this in the application, but omit the name of the supervisor, otherwise the application is not anonymous.

Deadlines

Applications can be submitted at any time and are reviewed twice a year, with deadlines usually on 30 April and 31 October. The results of the review will be communicated to applicants within about two months of the deadlines. Applicants are encouraged to contact the ESA scientists or the programme coordinators well ahead of the deadlines in order to discuss their research plans.

Applications received by 30 April 2026 (23:59 UTC) will be considered for visits in autumn and winter 2026/2027.

Please find here full details.