Postdoctoral Research Positions at Penn State Center Exoplanets & Habitable Worlds

Postdoctoral Research Positions at Penn State Center for Exoplanets & Habitable Worlds

United States, Pennsylvania, University Park

• CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.
• CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.
• If you are NOT a current employee or student, click "Apply" and complete the application process for external applicants.
• Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location. For additional information on remote work at Penn State, see Notice to Out of State Applicants.
• This is a term position; length of the term will be discussed during the interview process. Continuation past the term length discussed will be based on university need, performance, and/or availability of funding.

The Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics and the Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds (CEHW) at Penn State invite applications for one or more Postdoctoral Researcher positions. Successful applicants will work with CEHW faculty on theoretical, observational, and/or instrumentation projects. We are particularly interested in applicants interested in contributing to: (1) planning, execution, analysis and science for planet surveys such as the near‑infrared RV survey being conducted by the Habitable Zone Planet Finder on the 10m Hobby‑Eberly telescope to discover planets around M dwarfs and/or the high‑precision RV survey of solar‑type stars being conducted with the NEID instrument on the WIYN 3.5m telescope;

(2) improving technology, algorithms, and data analysis to mitigate stellar activity; (3) precursor science for the Habitable Worlds Observatory using NEID and/or HPF; (4) characterization of the atmospheres and surfaces of exoplanets using JWST; (5) the search for extraterrestrial intelligence; and (6) pushing forward instrumentation and techniques for precision spectroscopy and radial velocity to enable detection of terrestrial mass planets using existing instruments, as well as development of new instrumentation and experiments.

The successful applicant will contribute to a team of students and Ph.D. researchers, have opportunities to pursue independent research, and contribute to the vibrant scientific and public outreach efforts of the department. The successful applicant will have access to a variety of resources and collaborations available in CEHW, which includes faculty from the Departments of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Geosciences, and Meteorology, and is part of Penn State Planetary, a Consortium for Planetary and Exoplanetary Science and Technology.

We welcome applications proposing connections to our sister centers, Penn State's Astrobiology Research Center, Extraterrestrial Intelligence Center, and Planetary System Science Center.

Applicants should have a Ph.D. in Astronomy, Physics, Planetary Science, Statistics, or a related field prior to the start date. The position start date is flexible.

Applications must be submitted electronically and include a cover letter (clearly stating the primary faculty member or members they would like to work with), statement of research interests, a CV, and a list of publications. Applicants must also arrange for PDF letters of reference to be uploaded to (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below). Review of applications will begin January 4th and continue until all positions are filled.

Applications received by January 3, 2026, will receive full consideration.

Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.

Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full‑time employees designed to support both personal and professional well‑being. For more detailed information, please visit our Benefits Page: -appts

Penn State is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. If you are unable to use our online application process due to an impairment or disability, please contact 814‑865‑1473.