2009 Tenure Track Astronomer Recruitment

Recruitment has been Closed

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) has an opening for a tenure track astronomer position. The highest priority of the Observatory is to recruit new scientific staff that will enhance the scientific use and development of our new flagship facilities ALMA and EVLA. This year’s search will focus on the scientific areas of astro-chemistry, proto-planetary disks, exo-planets, large scale structure and time-domain astronomy, with technical expertise in millimeter and sub-millimeter spectroscopy, interferometric data analysis (including pipelines, data mining, high performance computing and algorithms). Preference will be given to applicants in these areas, although exceptional applicants with expertise in other areas will also be considered.

The NRAO currently operates the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA), the 100-m Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT), and the Very Large Array. It is also the North American lead in the construction of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), and is building the Expanded Very Large Array (EVLA). The completion of the EVLA and ALMA early in the next decade represents a one to two order of magnitude improvement in observational capabilities at cm through submm wavelengths. Both facilities will be revolutionary in addressing a broad range of fundamental problems in astrophysics. Looking farther beyond, NRAO is increasingly involved in the planning of the next generation cm/m-wave facilities in the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) program.

Appointments will be considered for Charlottesville, VA, where the North American ALMA Science Center is located on Grounds at the University of Virginia; and for Socorro, NM, the Operations Center for the Very Large Array (eventually EVLA) and the Very Long Baseline Array. The appointment is expected to begin September 2009.

Candidates must have a PhD in astronomy, physics, or a related field, and an established record of active independent research. Women and minorities are especially encouraged to apply. The initial appointment is for a period of three years, with the possibility of extension and progression to tenure. In exceptional cases, a more senior appointment may be considered. The tenure-track astronomer system at the NRAO parallels the tenure track systems in research universities, with the support of the science mission of the Observatory substituting for teaching. Tenure track appointments will be made on the basis of both the candidate’s excellence in research and their ability to maintain cutting-edge research programs and thereby further the mission of the Observatory. The Observatory fosters staff scientific research by providing travel support, computing and publication costs, and internal workshops and science meetings for members of the scientific staff, as well as by providing programs for undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs, and visitors. The NRAO Mission Statement can be found on the Director's page.

The deadline for applications and letters of recommendation is Monday, December 22, 2008.

The NRAO is operated by Associated Universities Inc. (AUI) under cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation. The Observatory is an equal opportunity employer (M/F/H/V).

Application Procedure

1. Tenure track appointments are made upon a review of the candidate's statement of research interests and plans, as well as their relevant skills in support of the operation of a national center, as well as an assessment of their curriculum vitae, list of publications, and letters of reference by a committee that comprises distinguished astronomers internal and external to the NRAO, and the Assistant Director of NRAO Science and Academic Affairs.
   
   
2. For full consideration, applicants must submit application materials by Monday, December 22, 2008. All materials must be sent via email to tenure@nrao.edu. Only PDF (portable document format) files will be accepted using "Lastname_Tenure09.pdf" as the file name.  Please note "Tenure Track Application" in the subject line.
   


3. Application materials MUST be sent as ONE FILE ONLY and in the following order:
   • NRAO Tenure Track cover sheet;
   • cover letter;
   • curriculum vitae;
   • publications list;
   • statement of research interests and plans (max 3 pages);
   • each applicant must request letters of reference from three individuals familiar with her or his scientific abilities (up to two pages in length preferred). The letters should be submitted directly by the referees to tenure@nrao.edu with the file name "Lastname_TenureTrack09REF_RefereeLastName.PDF." Applicants are responsible for confirming with their referees these letters have been submitted by the deadline.

Requests for additional information on this recruitment process or on the NRAO Scientific Staff Policies in general should be sent to Dale Frail at dfrail@nrao.edu or Billie Orahood at borahood@nrao.edu.

Information on the facilities and science programs of NRAO can be found online at Science.NRAO.edu.