Job Listings

School: Faculty of Arts and Sciences

Department/Area: Black Hole Initiative

Position Description

Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in instrumentation with the Black Hole initiative (BHI) at Harvard University in partnership with the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO). The BHI is the first interdisciplinary research center in the world dedicated to the study of black holes. The BHI is collaborating with SAO on the Black Hole Explorer (BHEX) mission which will conduct Space Very Long Baseline (VLBI) observations of black holes, with the goal of producing the highest resolution image to date of the black hole and its photon ring. The project is led by Michael Johnson (Principal Investigator, SAO) with Peter Galison (Director of BHI) serving as Science Team Lead.

The successful candidate will join the BHEX Receiver Team, led by Edward Tong (SAO), focusing on the development, testing and mission readiness of the BHEX receiver system. Most of the work will be conducted in the SAO Submillimeter Receiver Lab. This position offers the opportunity to collaborate with engineers and researchers across a range of disciplines, including but not limited to:

• Fundamental physics of black holes
• State-of-the-art superconducting detector technologies
• Spaceborne receiver design
• Space VLBI system

This BHI postdoctoral fellowship can begin as early as Fall 2027 and no later than Fall 2028. Applications should be submitted electronically by October 2, but applications will be considered ongoing, continuing until the position is filled. This is a grant-funded position initially offered for one year, with the possibility of renewal for up to three years, contingent upon continued funding.

Please direct any questions on the application process to Nicole Grenier: nicole.grenier@cfa.harvard.edu.

Basic Qualifications

All the following online application materials are requested:

Three Uploaded Forms in PDF (preferred) or Plain Text Format:
1. Curriculum Vitae
2. Three Letters of reference

PLEASE NOTE: Completion of the Ph.D. is required to begin a Postdoctoral Fellowship; successful candidates who have received their degree within three years of the effective start date of the fellowship must provide verification of their Ph.D.

Contact Information

Nicole Grenier
BHI Division Administrator
617-496-8956

Contact Email: nicole.grenier@cfa.harvard.edu

Salary Range

$75,000-$95,000: Pay offered to the selected candidate is dependent on factors such as years of experience, training or qualification, field of scholarship, and accomplishments in the field

Minimum Number of References Required: 3

Maximum Number of References Allowed: 4