Research Associate in Galaxy formation

Job title Research Associate in Galaxy formation

Department Physics

Salary Starting from £38,784, rising to £46,049

Grade Grade 7

Contract Type Full Time, Fixed Term

Placed on Monday 02 March 2026

Closing date Wednesday 08 April 2026

Interview date Wednesday 15 April 2026

Reference SS13443

Guidance for International Applicants

Research Associate in Galaxy formation

About the role

Applications are invited for a Research Associate position in the Astrophysics Group within the Department of Physics at the University of Bath. The successful candidate will work on cosmological simulations of galaxy formation to study the impact of feedback processes and how they manifest themselves observationally, with an aim of calibrating and improving the interpretation of spectroscopic observations from major galaxy surveys.

This position is part of a three-year STFC-funded project led by Dr Martin Rey (PI) with co-leadership from Prof Stijn Wuyts. The primary purpose of this project is to test, calibrate and quantify biases in spectroscopic inferences, particularly around galactic outflows. Extensive computational resources on STFC-DiRAC and connections to observational programmes are available to support this project.

As a member of Research Staff at the University of Bath, you will be encouraged to take up a minimum of 10 days professional development pro rata per year.

A lower grade offer may be made (Grade 6) with comparable reduction in responsibilities and amendment in job title to Research Assistant, if a suitable applicant cannot be found to fill the Grade 7 position. Applicants will need to be within six months of their course completion date and will be promoted to Research Associate once their PhD has been awarded.

About you

Applicants should have, or be close to completion of, a PhD in Physics, Astrophysics, Astronomy, or a related field. Experience with cosmological simulations, spectroscopic data analysis, or computational astrophysics is highly desirable. Strong programming skills (Python or similar) and a demonstrated ability to publish research in peer-reviewed journals are essential.

The successful candidate will join a vibrant research environment with expertise spanning numerical simulations and observational astronomy, with opportunities for career development including co-supervision of PhD candidates and collaboration with international research teams. The Astrophysics Group has strong links to major galaxy surveys and provides access to high-performance computing resources.

Further information

This is a full-time position (36.5 hours per week) for three years. The expected start date is October 2026, but earlier or later start dates may be considered.

For an informal discussion regarding the role, please contact Martin Rey at mpr47bath.ac.uk.

We consider ourselves to be a university where difference is celebrated, respected and encouraged. We have an excellent international reputation with staff from over 60 different nations and have made a positive commitment towards gender equality and intersectionality receiving a Silver Athena SWAN award. We truly believe that diversity of experience, perspectives, and backgrounds will lead to a better environment for our employees and students and encourage applications from all genders, backgrounds, and communities, particularly from under-represented groups, and value the positive impact that will have on the university. We are committed to maintaining a safe and secure environment for our students, staff, and community by reinforcing our Safer Recruitment commitment.

We’re very proud to be a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant . an accredited Disability Confident Leader ; autism friendly university , committed to building disability confidence and supporting disabled staff .

What we can offer you

We’re continually expanding our benefits package to better support you and enhance your experience with us and the below is just an example of some of the many great benefits we offer:

• Free counselling services through Health Assured
• Cycle to work scheme
• Electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme
• Staff discount at Team Bath gym
• Staff discounts on postgraduate tuition fees
• Staff discount on language courses
• Generous employer contributory pension schemes
• Generous annual leave allowance with an additional 5 discretionary days so that you can enjoy a positive work life balance
• A wide range of personal and professional development opportunities including Apprenticeships, LinkedIn Learning and more
• Free entry to the Holburne Museum in Bath
• Local discounts and more
• A family-friendly workplace
• An excellent reward package that recognises the talents of our diverse workforce
• Relocation allowance
• Visa reimbursement and Interest-Free Loan to help with the cost of some immigration expenses

Find out more about our benefits and watch the video to hear from our staff about what makes the University of Bath a great place to work as well as following us and .

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Further details:

• Job Description & Person Specification
• Job Description & Person Specification

Terms and Conditions of Employment

Right to Work in the UK: We do not assess immigration or right to work status until offer stage. Being invited to interview does not guarantee you are eligible for visa sponsorship and all offers are conditional on meeting right to work requirements. Further information is available on our application support webpage.

Anonymous shortlisting: We are constantly seeking to reduce the unconscious bias that enters any assessment process, with the goal of creating an inclusive and equal assessment process. To support this, personal details such as your name, may be removed from application forms at the initial shortlisting stage.