3 PhD Positions on Cosmological Simulations

Your working place:

The Department of Astrophysics with currently around 100 members is part of the Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography and Astronomy at the University of Vienna.

The research group “Data science in Astrophysics & Cosmology” is looking for three highly motivated and talented predoctoral researchers. The focus of our research is in the field of Data/Computational Science in Astrophysics & Cosmology. You can find more information about our research area and our team on our website: https://cosmology.univie.ac.at. As a team, we understand the importance of a positive, inclusive, and respectful working environment, and we regularly exchange ideas about current topics and projects in our group meetings. The positions will furthermore be integrated into the new research network DUNE (Dark UNiverse Explorations) which links cosmological research between the Universities of Vienna and Innsbruck as well as the IST Austria. Two PhD students will be working on cosmological inference using simulations with Oliver Hahn, and one PhD student will be working with Sylvia Ploeckinger on analysing cosmological hydrodynamic simulations with new statistical methods. Please indicate preference for projects (if any) in your motivation letter.

Your future tasks:

You actively participate in research and related activities, which means:

• You are involved in research projects and scientific studies in the area of Cosmological Simulations in an international and interdisciplinary environment.
• You participate in and contribute actively to the research group’s activities (such as group meetings, journal clubs, institute seminars, etc.) and activities of the research network (jointly with the University of Innsbruck and the IST Austria).
• You will continuously stay informed about the state of the art in your field.
• You will contribute to the dissemination of scientific results through publications, conference presentations, and outreach activities.
• We expect you to finalize your dissertation agreement within 12-18 months, and complete your dissertation within the contract period.
• You will become an active member of the doctoral school VISESS.

Required Qualifications/Position Requirement:

• Completed Diploma or Master's degree in Physics, Astrophysics, or related fields (e.g. Computational Science, Applied Mathematics).
• Excellent command of written and spoken English (C1 level)
• Excellent programming skills in Python and their scientific application.
• Experience in academic writing.
• Excellent abilities to work in a team and excellent communication skills
• You are goal-oriented and have a high motivation to strive for scientific excellence.
• Additional knowledge in high-performance computing, statistics, machine learning, or (astro-)physics (in particular cosmology, galaxy formation, or general relativity) will be an advantage.

What we offer:

Inspiring working atmosphere: You will have the opportunity to work within a dedicated team on forefront science, while profiting from the international environment in the Department of Astrophysics. We have privileged access to the Vienna Scientific Cluster (VSC) super-computing facility. As a member state of ESO and ESA, Austria has access to their first-class observing facilities.
Good public transport connections: Your working place, the University Observatory, is located in the middle of the natural monument Observatory Park in the lively city of Vienna with outstanding public transport.
Work-life balance: Our employees enjoy flexible working hours. Upon agreement, hybrid working hours within Austria might be possible up to a certain extent.
Internal further training & Coaching: Opportunity to deepen your skills on an ongoing basis.
Fair salary: A basic gross salary of EUR 3.714,80 (on a 40h/week basis) per month, 14 times a year.
Equal opportunities for all: We look forward to diverse personalities in the team!

The employment duration is until Feb 28, 2030, but initially limited to 1.5 years. The employment relationship is automatically extended until Feb 28, 2030 if the employer does not terminate it within the first 12 months by submitting a non-extension declaration. The employment start date is negotiable.

It is that easy to apply:

• a motivation letter (max. one page)
• a curriculum vitae, incl. a summary of prior research activities and achievements, future research interests, and including a list of publications and presentations (if applicable; max. two pages)
• PDF or cloud link of the Master’s thesis (if already submitted, otherwise a major scientific document you have authored during your studies)
• One letter of reference to be sent directly to recruiting.astro@univie.ac.at referencing the job ad ID 5059
• bachelor's and master's diploma and transcripts (if degree already obtained)
• via our job portal “Apply now” button.

If you have any questions, please contact:
Oliver Hahn
oliver.hahn@univie.ac.at

Application deadline: 01/11/2026