Postdoctoral position in theoretical astrophysics, specifically stellar spectroscopy related to the first generations of stars

The Department of Physics and Astronomy is one of the largest departments at Uppsala University. It comprises close to 400 employees, including around 125 PhD students. The department conducts world class research and education within both theoretical and experimental physics and is engaged in extensive cooperation with external partners. The research is performed at 10 research divisions, and touches upon everything from the incomprehensibly small to the large within e.g. energy supply, climate development, new materials, and the Universe. This whole spectrum of research is also mirrored in the courses and educational programmes offered by the department. Around 2500 students take the department’s courses at basic and advanced level each year. Read more at http://www.physics.uu.se/.

At the Division of Astronomy and Space Physics, research is conducted on stellar physics, planetary systems, galaxies and cosmology, atomic astrophysics, and astronomical instrumentation. The division participates in a number of international scientific collaborations around telescopes and satellites. We invite applications for a postdoctoral position in theoretical astrophysics, funded by the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation.

Duties/Project description:

The postdoctoral researcher will work together with Dr Thomas Nordlander towards understanding the early evolution of the Milky Way and the properties of the first stars. Duties will include working with spectroscopic analyses of metal-poor stars, stellar population analyses, and/or characterising ancient supernovae using chemical abundance data. The project will use a combination of advanced theoretical simulations of stellar atmospheres and new or existing data from e.g. Gaia, VLT, 4MOST and GALAH. Opportunity will be given to participate in supervising doctoral and undergraduate students within the project. The position includes access to high-performance computing facilities as well as dedicated funding for travel.

Requirements:

To qualify for employment as postdoctoral researcher you must have a PhD degree, or a foreign degree equivalent to a PhD degree, in physics, astronomy or equivalent. The PhD degree must be obtained before the start of employment, and must not have been obtained more than three years prior to the application deadline. The three-year period can be extended due to circumstances such as sick leave, parental leave, duties in labour unions, etc. Proficiency in written and spoken English is required.

Additional qualifications:

A good publication history related to high-resolution stellar spectroscopy, the use or development of advanced spectroscopic methodologies, Python programming, the ability to work independently and to collaborate in an international team with partners in other countries, and any level of student supervision will be considered a merit.

About the application:

The application should contain a cover letter describing yourself, your qualifications and your research interests (maximum 2 pages). It should also contain a CV including contact information for at least two reference persons (email-address and phone number), a research statement or research plan, a copy of your PhD degree certificate or highest current degree, and a complete publication list. Reference letters should not be included with the application. Reference persons are contacted at a later stage in the process. Personal circumstances that may be of relevance in the evaluation, for example periods of parental leave or similar, should be mentioned in the CV or cover letter. The application must be written in English. Additional questions in the application form will be used to assess qualifications. A proficiency test may be done in the recruitment process.

About the employment:

Salary: Individual salary.

Starting date: 2026-04-01 at the earliest or as otherwise agreed.

Type of employment: Temporary employment for two years according to the central collective agreement. An extension of the employment by at most one year is possible.

Scope of employment: 100 %

For further information about the position, please contact: Thomas Nordlander Thomas.Nordlander@physics.uu.se

Please submit your application by 30 January 2026, UFV-PA 2025/3929