Position Description

Post-doctoral researcher in near-horizon black hole science

The newly established group of Prof. Andrew Chael at the Niels Bohr International Academy (NBIA) in Copenhagen invites expressions of interest for a 3-year postdoctoral fellowship in near-horizon black hole science. Interested individuals are encouraged to submit all material before February 11, 2026, but the search will continue beyond this date. The position is expected to begin in the fall of 2026. 

We seek highly motivated, outstanding independent researchers who will work in Prof. Chael’s interdisciplinary group to advance our understanding of black holes, their environments, and their extragalactic jets.The successful candidate will work with Prof. Chael’s group to advance theoretical models and simulations of black holes and connect them to resolved horizon-scale data from the Event Horizon Telescope, the forthcoming Black Hole Explorer space VLBI mission, and multiwavelength observatories. 

We are particularly interested in applicants with experience in either (i) high-performance magnetohydrodynamic simulations or (ii) the analysis and imaging of Very Long Baseline Interferometry data, but outstanding candidates with strong records of research in all areas of astrophysics will be considered.

The successful candidate will also have substantial independence to design and PI their own projects. Group members will have access to NBIA’s substantial computational resources, including an in-house CPU/GPU cluster. Postdoctoral fellows at the Niels Bohr Institute receive a competitive salary (including pension) and funds for travel and computing. Generous parental leave, state-subsidised childcare, vacation, and full medical care are provided to employees in Denmark. A favorable tax scheme is generally granted to international researchers.

The Niels Bohr International Academy is an initiative committed to fostering the traditions of internationalism, interdisciplinarity and excellence in physics, which characterize the Niels Bohr Institute. It functions as a primary center for fundamental research including theoretical and computational astrophysics, particle astrophysics, gravitational physics, high energy particle physics, quantum physics, and biophysics. 

The University of Copenhagen wishes to reflect the diversity of society and welcomes expressions of interest from all qualified individuals, regardless of personal background.

If needed, specific inquiries can be addressed to nbia@nbi.ku.dk.