Job Details

Type: Full-Time
Posted: 11/04/2025
Category: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Institution: Tufts University – School of Arts & Sciences – Department of Physics & Astronomy
Location: Medford, MA

Description

The Department of Physics and Astronomy at Tufts University invites qualified candidates to apply for a tenure-track position at the Assistant Professor level in the field of Astronomy/Astrophysics, starting September 1, 2026.

Tufts University is an R1 research institution located in Medford, Massachusetts, in the Boston area. The Department of Physics and Astronomy (https://as.tufts.edu/physics) includes 17 tenured or tenure-track faculty with strong research programs in high energy physics, condensed matter, cosmology, and astrophysics.

The Astrophysics group currently consists of three faculty members conducting active and well-funded research in observational extragalactic astronomy, exoplanetary, and stellar astrophysics. The group includes:

• 9 Ph.D. researchers

• 5 Master’s students

• 12 undergraduate Astrophysics majors

The Tufts Astrophysics group leads successful observing programs with ground-based and space-based facilities, including JWST, VLT, TESS, Kepler, Keck, and Subaru, and participates in several international collaborations, such as:

• HSC-Joint and the Prime Focus Spectrograph Legacy Survey Collaboration (focused on galaxy evolution, galactic archaeology, and cosmology)

• BEBOP Survey, which studies planets in binary star systems

Tufts seeks candidates who demonstrate outstanding research, commitment to teaching, mentoring, and community development.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Astrophysics (required at time of application)

• Strong research promise and/or experience

• Interest in teaching and engaging undergraduates in research

• Expected to develop a vibrant, funded research program involving undergraduate, graduate (Master’s and Ph.D.), and postdoctoral researchers

• Will contribute to departmental teaching at all levels, including developing new courses

• Demonstrated commitment to evidence-informed teaching and educational excellence

Teaching Load: 1/1 (one course per semester for research-active faculty)

Preferred Research Areas (to complement or strengthen existing programs):

• Stellar astrophysics

• Exoplanets

• High-energy astrophysics

• Multi-messenger astrophysics

• Time-domain astronomy

• Computational/theoretical astrophysics

• Observational cosmology

• Extragalactic astronomy

A competitive startup package is available.

Application Instructions

All applications must be submitted via Interfolio:
👉 apply.interfolio.com/177029

Application materials required:

1. Cover letter

2. Curriculum vitae (with publications)

3. Research plan (≤ 3 pages)

4. Teaching and mentoring statement (≤ 3 pages)

5. At least three confidential reference letters (uploaded directly to Interfolio)

Full consideration deadline: December 15, 2025
(Applications received after this date may not be reviewed.)

Contact:
Elizabeth Hammonds, Department Administrator
📧 Elizabeth.Hammonds@tufts.edu

Additional Information

• All offers of employment are contingent upon the successful completion of a background check.

• Tufts provides competitive and equitable compensation, determined based on education, experience, discipline, rank, internal equity, and budgetary factors.

• Salaries are based on full-time 9- or 12-month appointments.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Tufts University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and actively seeks candidates from diverse backgrounds.