Postdoc: Lunar Volatiles

JPL is unique among NASA Centers in that its staff are Caltech employees, yet can access NASA technical resources. Cross-discipline teamwork is standard here: colleagues across JPL's science and engineering organizations and on Caltech's academic campus often work together. Learning to speak and understand other disciplines' languages is a doorway to the creativity needed to do what has not been done before. JPL staff are encouraged to create mission concepts that address humanity's core questions through a combination of science and technology. They are supported in developing ideas into proposals and hardware, and in communicating funded missions' results to the scientific community and the broader public. JPL seeks to employ scientists and engineers who are passionate about lifelong learning and excited to both contribute to and lead team efforts. We emphasize the importance of partnering across discipline boundaries and creating a friendly, constructive work environment to overcome space exploration's challenges. The Postdoctoral scholars at JPL benefit from an informal mentoring network, an annual conference showcasing their results, a dedicated seminar series, exposure to diverse career paths, and social connections across the JPL and Caltech community for advice on housing, childcare, and other aspects of living in southern California.

JPL’s Planetary Geology group is seeking a postdoc who will join them in the study of volatiles in lunar igneous rocks.

The selected postdoc will focus on the following:

• Characterizing the texture of lunar samples,

• Determining the mineral chemistry,

• Measuring volatile abundances in minerals and glasses,

• Interpreting the volatile data based on the petrogenesis of the sample,

• Collaboration with scientists at different institutions to place observations in regional context to answer questions about the Moon’s differentiation and evolution.

The postdoc is expected lead conference abstracts and associated presentations and write and contribute to peer-reviewed publications. The successful applicant is also encouraged to design and conduct their own research that enhances the tasks above.

Required Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in Petrology, Geochemistry, Planetary Science, or a related field

• In-depth knowledge of petrography, mineralogy, petrology, and geochemistry

• Experience in microbeam analyses such as SEM, EMP, SIMS

Preferred Qualifications:

• Knowledge of lunar science

• Demonstrated proficiency in writing peer-reviewed publications

• Demonstrated experience in writing/developing research grants/proposals

The appointee will carry out research in collaboration with the JPL advisor, resulting in publications in the open literature.

Applicants may be subject to additional program requirements by NASA. Postdoc positions are awarded for a minimum of one-year period and may be renewed up to a maximum of three years. Candidates should submit the following to this site: CV, representative publications, contact information for three references, and a cover letter stating their research accomplishments and interests.