Applications are invited for a full-time Research Assistant position in extragalactic radio astronomy at Universidad Complutense de Madrid, funded through the Comunidad de Madrid Atracción de Talento programme.

PI: Dr. Shane P. O’Sullivan, Dpto. de Física de la Tierra y Astrofísica, IPARCOS, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM)
Duration: Up to 18 months (September 2026 – April 2028)
Gross salary: 2,022.68 € per month
Dedication: Full-time

The successful candidate will join the Cosmic Magnetic Fields research programme at UCM (https://guaix.ucm.es/home/science/cosmic-magnetic-fields), investigating radio galaxies, supermassive black holes and their environments, cosmic magnetic fields, and the large-scale cosmic web using observations from the LOFAR and ASKAP radio telescopes. The project also offers the opportunity to help prepare for and exploit early science observations from the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), the world’s largest radio telescope. Research may also involve machine-learning approaches for the identification and classification of radio sources and their host galaxies. The candidate will join the GUAIX research group, an international, collaborative, and supportive team working across a broad range of astrophysics topics.

The position is intended for a graduate in Physics, Astrophysics, Data Science, or a related discipline who is interested in pursuing a PhD in astrophysics. The successful candidate will be expected to apply for competitive PhD fellowships under the supervision of Dr. O’Sullivan during the contract period.

Candidates should have a strong academic record, programming experience (Python preferred), and an interest in observational astronomy, data analysis, machine learning, or astrophysical modelling. English language proficiency of at least B2 level is required.

Important: The only way to apply is through the official UCM application portal (link below), which is expected to open the call on 26 June (and will remain open for only ~5 days). Interested candidates are strongly encouraged to prepare their application materials in advance (CV, academic transcripts, etc.). See previous calls at the below link for the application requirements. 

UCM application portal:
https://www.ucm.es/personal-contratado-de-actividades-cientifico-tecnicas-pli-ucm

Comunidad de Madrid registration portal (CV upload also required to this website):
https://gestiona.comunidad.madrid/poem_webapp/#/ver-oferta/62200

Informal enquiries are welcome and can be directed to: s.p.osullivan@ucm.es

Applications from all backgrounds are encouraged.