Working at MIT offers opportunities, an environment, a culture – and benefits – that just aren’t found together anywhere else. If you’re curious, motivated, want to be part of a unique community, and help shape the future – then take a look at this opportunity.

POSTDOCTORAL ASSOCIATE, Mathematics, to join a team working under the direction of principal investigator David Jerison as part of a collaboration with PIs at the University of Minnesota, University of California at Santa Barbara, University of Cambridge, and several schools in Paris. Will be engaged in mathematical research and numerical experiments. Responsibilities include devising ways to determine the shape of eigenfunctions, eigenvalue distributions, the behavior of harmonic measure, and to study optimal partitioning problems; assisting with the design of algorithms for numerical experiments motivated by theoretical physics and physical experiments; coordinating with researchers across multiple institutions, both internal and external to the collaboration, working in areas relevant to the research agenda of the collaboration; assisting in training and development, including running workshops or teaching minicourses on topics relevant to the collaboration and the supervision of student researchers; participating in monthly meetings and annual workshops run by the collaboration; and disseminating research through conference presentations and journal articles.

The Simons Collaboration on Localization of Waves combines the efforts of mathematicians, numerical analysts, theoretical and experimental physicists to predict and control the behavior of waves in disordered media.

Job Requirements

REQUIRED: Ph.D. in mathematics or physics with a research background in partial differential equations, probability, or variational problems; and the ability to work both independently and part of a team.

PREFERRED:  computer programming experience and familiarity with quantum physics.

Job #19130

Salary:  $66,000

Must be able to travel and present research results.

This is a two-year position with the possibility of extension to three years based on performance and availability of funding. Alternatively, it may possibly be combined and extended with a separate application for a teaching position at MIT. The start date of the position is September 1, 2021, and the end date is August 31, 2023.

In addition to applying via the MIT website, all applicants must apply at MathJobs (requisition 16871.) Applications must be complete by December 15, 2020, to receive full consideration. However, new applications will be accepted until January 15, 2021. If you have already applied for an instructorship in the Department of Mathematics, you do not need to resubmit your CV and reference letters. Instead, submit a cover letter specific to this position indicating that your other materials are already submitted for an instructorship. You may also submit any additional materials or different reference letters that are relevant to this position.