Priority may be given to the following designated employment equity groups: women, Indigenous Peoples* (First Nations, Inuit and Métis), persons with disabilities and racialized persons*.
* The Employment Equity Act, which is under review, uses the terminology Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities.
Candidates are asked to self-declare when applying to this hiring process.
City: Victoria or Penticton
Organizational Unit: Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics
Classification: RO
Tenure: Term
Duration: 2 Years (with option to extend 1 year)
Language Requirements: English
Work arrangements: Due to the nature of the work and operational requirements, this position will require full-time physical presence at the NRC work location identified.
At the NRC, we recognize that Indigenous candidates may have important connections to their communities and you may be eligible for an exception to this work arrangement. Alternative work arrangements may also be considered to accommodate candidates as required. To learn more about these options, please contact the NRC Hiring team using the contact information below.
The role
NRC’s Herzberg Astronomy & Astrophysics Research Centre is excited to advertise the Herzberg Instrument Science Fellowship, a postdoctoral fellowship position open to early-career researchers with a planned start date of September 2027. We look forward to having a new postdoctoral fellow who shares our core values of Integrity, Excellence, Respect and Creativity join us at NRC Herzberg.
The Herzberg Instrumentation Fellowship is an independent (2+1 year) fellowship that is meant to empower a recent Ph.D. (those within 5 years of their doctorate) to explore their science and instrumentation interests within an inclusive environment for active research, learning and service. They will have a goal of becoming a Principal Investigator for the next generation of astronomical instruments and facilities. NRC Herzberg will provide them with the experience, support and professional development to help them grow into this role. The Herzberg Instrumentation Fellow will be expected to undertake research activities in astronomical instrumentation, and/or observational astronomy of relevance to their instrumentation interests. This position is tenable at either the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory (DRAO) in Penticton, BC, Canada, or the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory (DAO) in Victoria, BC, Canada, depending on the instrumentation interests of the successful candidate.
NRC Herzberg is a vibrant research centre with a federal mandate to support Canada’s international observatories and the Canadian astronomy community. NRC-Herzberg has a rare combination of staff involved in astronomy research, instrumentation design and development, engineering, data science and observatory support. This fellowship is intended to leverage this environment to help mentor researchers who will become the leaders enabling ambitious cutting edge astronomy research in the coming decades. We are committed to ensuring that all staff members promptly receive the accommodation they need to do their job and we understand the importance of work/life balance.
NRC Herzberg is a leading developer of instrumentation for Canada’s current and future ground- and space-based telescopes at radio through ultraviolet wavelengths, including major facilities such as the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the Canada France Hawaii Telescope (CFHT), Gemini and CASTOR. Active areas of research include Solar System objects, exoplanets and circumstellar disks, star formation, the interstellar medium, magnetic fields, the Milky Way and Local Group, near-field cosmology and resolved stellar populations, galaxy evolution, supermassive black holes and high redshift galaxies. Current and future ground- and space-based facilities from the UV to radio are represented in our instrumentation development, which includes radio astronomical instrumentation such as receivers, correlators, signal processing technology, and antenna design; and UV/optical/near-IR instrumentation such as adaptive optics, precision mechanics and detectors. Our instrument development activities also include the development of modest-scale pathfinder instruments and on-sky demonstrators.
Herzberg is eager to diversify the fields of research represented at our Research Centre. For this fellowship, we strongly encourage applications from researchers conducting research or developing new technologies fundamental or complementary to the next generation of observing facilities.
Screening criteria
Applicants must demonstrate within the content of their application that they meet the following screening criteria in order to be given further consideration as candidates:
Education
A Ph.D. in astronomy, astrophysics, engineering or a related field is required.
Candidates should have obtained a PhD within the past five years (PhD received on or after September 30, 2022) or expect to complete their PhD within 6 months of appointment.
* Exceptions may be considered to recognize personal or family related leave. Please connect with us using the contact information below to discuss in more detail.
For information on certificates and diplomas issued abroad, please see Degree equivalency
Experience
- Experience in astronomical, astrophysical, instrumentation, engineering, data science, or related research beyond the Ph.D. at the time of taking up the Fellowship.
- Experience in the design and development of astronomical instrumentation, or a clear and credible interest in the same.
- Experience in obtaining, reducing, analysing, and/or aiding in the interpretation of astronomical data from ground- and/or space-based observatories, instrumentation, or astronomical data archives.
- Experience in the publication of high-calibre astronomical research papers in the refereed scientific literature, and/or other relevant research or technical outputs appropriate to the candidate’s field, such as instrumentation papers, conference proceedings, software, datasets, instruments, pipelines, or technical reports.
The following will be considered as assets:
- Evidence of leading a project, proposal, instrument subsystem, software package, observing programme, working group, or student/team activity, appropriate to career stage.
- Experience in multidisciplinary technical or instrumentation projects, or collaboration with an industry partner.
- Experience with research software, data pipelines, and simulations, machine learning, high-performance computing, CANFAR, or advanced data systems.
- Evidence of mentoring or supervising undergraduate students, graduate students, junior researchers, or collaborators, such as assisting with theses, software, methodology, or research activities.
- Evidence of meaningful outreach, teaching, public talks, tours, media engagement, or community science activities.
- Experience with schedules, risk, scope, budgets, work breakdown structures, team coordination, or similar project-management practices.
- Experience in international collaborations, consortia, working groups, or observing/facility teams.
Condition of employment
Reliability Status For a Reliability Status, verification of background information over a period of 5 years is required.
Language requirements
English
Information on language requirements and self-assessment tests
Assessment criteria
Candidates will be assessed on the basis of the following criteria:
Technical competencies
- Significant knowledge of astronomical research, instrumentation, or research in a related field, including evidence of independent contributions and research impact.
- Knowledge of astronomical techniques relevant to the candidate’s field, including current state-of-the-art approaches and a vision for future developments.
- Knowledge of astronomical instrumentation, enabling technologies, software, pipelines, simulations, or advanced data systems, and their application to scientific research.
- Ability to engage effectively with scientific and technical communities, including collaborations, working groups, committees, multidisciplinary teams, and community planning activities.
- Ability to articulate a research or technology-development direction aligned with NRC Herzberg strategic interests and/or technologies fundamental to the next generation of astronomical instrumentation.
Behavioural competencies
- Research - Communication (Level 2)
- Research - Creative thinking (Level 3)
- Research - Networking (Level 2)
- Research - Results orientation (Level 2)
- Research - Teamwork (Level 2)
Competency Profile(s)
For this position, the NRC will evaluate candidates using the following competency profile: Research
View all competency profiles
Compensation
Salary range as of July 20th 2025: $83,985 to $116,641.
NOTE : Salary determination will be based on a review of the candidate’s expertise, outcomes and impacts of their previous work experience relative to the requirements of the level. As a guide, the current annual PhD recruiting rate is $83,985.
NRC employees enjoy a wide-range of competitive benefits including a robust pension plan, comprehensive health and dental coverage, disability and life insurance, office closure at the end of December, and additional supports to enhance your well-being throughout your career and beyond.
Discover the possible
Anything is possible at the NRC, named in 2026 one of Canada’s Top Employers for Young People, Top Employer in the National Capital Region and Forbes Canada’s Best Employers!
As Canada’s largest research and innovation organization, our world-renowned research pushes the boundaries of science and engineering to make the impossible, possible. Every day we explore new ideas through innovative research and help companies discover possibilities that impact Canada’s future and the world.
At the NRC, you’ll also discover new possibilities. Our supportive workplace fosters a culture of creativity, welcoming fresh perspectives and innovation at all levels. We value teamwork. You’ll collaborate across multiple fields and with the brightest minds to find creative solutions. Most importantly, you’ll discover what’s possible within you as you grow, make valuable contributions and progress in your professional journey. From ground-breaking discoveries to a life-changing career, discover your possible at the NRC.
Notes
Application Requirements:
To be considered for the Herzberg Instrument Science Fellowship via the Research Associate program, please note that you will need to attach the required documents as per the list below when submitting your application. Failure to do so will result in your application being excluded.
When submitting your application you can include the required documents in any attachment field such as «Second language evaluation results» or «Other attachments».
- Cover Letter
- Resume
- Research statement, no longer than 3 pages (references excluded). Please highlight in your statement what you consider to be your most impactful contribution to your field (paper, result, software, instrument, etc.).
- Publication list
- Names and contact information for three people who have agreed to provide a reference on your behalf. Reference letters need not be submitted with the application, but may be requested during the review process.
In 2026, the NRC was chosen as one of Canada’s Top Employers for Young People, a National Capital Region’s Top Employer and Forbes Canada’s Best Employer.
- Relocation assistance will be determined in accordance with the NRC's directives.
- Preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada. Please include citizenship information in your application.
- The incumbent must adhere to safe workplace practices at all times.
- We thank all those who apply, however only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.
- Please help us diversify by self-declaring in employment equity groups at the time of application submission.
Please direct your questions, with the requisition number (26055) to:
E-mail: NRC.NRCHiring-EmbaucheCNRC.CNRC@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
Telephone: 343-548-2032
Closing Date: 2 November 2026 - 23:59 Eastern Time
For more information on career tools and other resources, check out Career tools and resources
*If you are currently a term or continuing employee at NRC, please apply through the SuccessFactors Careers module from your NRC computer.
