Postdoctoral researcher in Science Operations

At the SKAO we are coordinating a global effort to deliver one of the largest science facilities on the planet. The SKAO telescopes will be next-generation instruments that will help to answer key questions in astrophysics, drive technological innovation and support human capital development.

More than a dozen partner countries and over a thousand scientists and engineers around the world are already on board, making the SKA project an international collaboration like no other, and one of the most ambitious science and engineering endeavours of the 21st century.

Headquartered in the UK, with telescope sites in Australia and South Africa, the SKAO will be one observatory operating two telescopes, an endeavour spanning three continents. Multinational by design, in early 2021 the SKAO became an intergovernmental organisation, one of only a select handful of science infrastructures to do so worldwide.

Our Global HQ is located near the buzzing city of Manchester at the historic Jodrell Bank Observatory, a UNESCO World Heritage site located in the Cheshire countryside. It is home to a rapidly expanding international team of more than a hundred, working in a highly collaborative and inclusive way, in coordination with SKAO teams in Australia and South Africa as part of a global astronomy and engineering community.

Being part of Team SKA means contributing to something extraordinary: a uniquely exciting project to advance human knowledge that will last for decades. In return, we offer a diverse multicultural working environment, 30 days annual leave plus public holidays, a generous pension scheme, visa and support with relocation (if applicable), regular social events, a family-friendly environment and much more. Come and join us!

An exciting 1-year opportunity for an early-career researcher with expertise in machine learning and artificial intelligence to help shape how these techniques are used in the operations of a world-leading radio observatory.

Job Location Cheshire, UK (Head Office)

The SKAO Science Operations group is seeking to employ a talented and motivated Postdoctoral Researcher to join our team based in the SKAO Global Headquarters located at Jodrell Bank in the UK. This is a fixed-term position for 1 year.

With both SKA‑Low and SKA‑Mid now in the construction and commissioning phases, planning for operations has entered an exciting phase. Modern radio telescopes generate data volumes and operational complexity on a scale that makes machine learning and artificial intelligence increasingly attractive tools. This role will explore, prototype, and evaluate ML/AI techniques to support efficient, reliable observatory operations in areas such as observation scheduling, telescope and data quality monitoring, anomaly and RFI detection, and support for our user community.

The successful candidate will be highly skilled in communication, as well as in collaborative and inclusive work practices. They will work closely with scientists, engineers and software developers to turn operational needs into well-defined, testable ML/AI solutions. To facilitate this we are seeking a researcher with either a PhD in radio astronomy and practical experience with ML/AI tools, or a PhD in computer science or equivalent fields with demonstrated expertise in implementing ML/AI techniques for the physical sciences.

PhD candidates nearing submission will also be considered.

The appointee will be encouraged to carry out research up to 25% of employed hours. Appropriate support, including conference travel, will be provided.

This is a one-year fixed term position and is based at the SKAO Headquarters at Jodrell Bank, Cheshire, UK.

SKAO is committed to providing an inclusive and flexible working environment, meeting the requests of our Colleagues whilst also fulfilling the needs and objectives of the Observatory. This role may be offered on a full-time or part-time basis. Please raise your preference in your application.

Due to the locations involved in the SKA project, in particular the UK and Australia, this role requires the post holder to work across different time zones and, in line with SKAO policy, flexible working hours will be supported in agreement with the line manager.

Informal enquiries may be made to Sarrvesh Sridhar (sarrvesh.sridhar).

The successful candidate will support the future science operations of the SKAO in the following ways:

• Identify and prioritise opportunities where ML/AI…