H2020 SPACE XMM2ATHENA postdoctoral position

Instituto de Física de Cantabria (CSIC-UC), Santander, Spain

We invite applications for postdoctoral positions to participate in the H2020 XMM2ATHENA project. XMM2ATHENA is a collaboration of 9 European Institutes including members of the XMM-Newton Science ground segment along with key members of the Athena Science ground segment. The goal of the project is to develop new, innovative methods to maximise the return from the current X-ray Observatory XMM-Newton and prepare for the forthcoming X-ray mission Athena.

This position will be hosted at IFCA (excellence centre Maria de Maeztu) in Santander, Spain. IFCA participates in the  XMM2ATHENA project and in the XMM-Newton Survey Science Centre, and hosts the Athena X-ray observatory Community Office. The X-ray group at IFCA is also involved in the science definition of Athena and has particular interests in Active Galactic Nuclei.

Tasks:
The post-doc will lead efforts to automatically fit and analyse the spectra of the 4XMM catalogue sources, will collaborate in the automatic classification of XMM-Newton optical and X-ray sources and participate in the science product validation.

Requirements:
The post is open to candidates of any nationality who hold a PhD.
The candidate is expected to have: experience in high energy astrophysics; programming skills and experience in Active Galactic Nuclei.It would also be advantageous to have skills in interpreting data from other wavelengths.
The post is for up to three years, starting in April 2021. IFCA is an equal-opportunity employer. We encourage, in particular, applications by women and by members of minorities.

Application:
Candidates should submit a curriculum vitae, a summary of research interests and a list of publications (all as pdf files) and arrange for two referees to send reference letters to Francisco J. Carrera ( carreraf@ifca.unican.es ) before 15 March 2021.

Included Benefits:
Additional funding for conferences, collaboration and personal equipment is available. The position includes full access to the Spanish healthcare system (medical, sick leave, maternity leave).