Postdoctoral Associate or Research Associate

This position requires the successful completion of an NAIS agreement and federal security clearance as mandated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Employment is contingent upon approval of these requirements as determined by NIST.

Anticipated start date is December 1, 2026. Anticipated end date is March 31, 2028.

Authority: 15 U.S.C. § 278g-1(e)(1) and (e)(3) and 15 U.S.C. § 272(b) and (c)

Purpose: The National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) hosts the Professional Research Experience Program (PREP) which is designed to provide valuable laboratory experience and financial assistance to undergraduates, post-bachelor’s degree holders, graduate students, master’s degree holders, postdocs, and faculty.

PREP is a 5-year cooperative agreement between NIST laboratories and participating PREP Universities to establish a collaborative research relationship between NIST and U.S. institutions of higher education in the following disciplines including (but may not be limited to) biochemistry, biological sciences, chemistry, computer science, engineering, electronics, materials science, mathematics, nanoscale science, neutron science, physical science, physics, and statistics. This collection of information is needed to facilitate administrative functions of the PREP Program.

Routine Uses: NIST will use the information collected to perform the requisite reviews of the applications to determine eligibility, and to meet programmatic requirements. Disclosure of this information is also subject to all the published routine uses as identified in the Privacy Act System of Records Notices: NIST-1: NIST Associates.

Disclosure: Furnishing this information is voluntary. When you submit the form, you are indicating your voluntary consent for NIST to use of the information you submit for the purpose stated.

The salary range for the full-time Postdoctoral Associate position is $74,000 - $108,000 annually.

The salary range for the full-time Research Associate position is $78,000 - $135,000 annually.

Onboarding/relocation assistance may be available, however, if within a 12-month period you exercise your right to willfully terminate your employment with the University of Colorado, you hereby agree to reimburse the department for your relocation expense.

Postdoctoral Associate: A Doctorate’s degree in Physics, Atomic Physics, Optics, Quantum Optics, or a related field with 0 – 4 years of post-doctoral degree experience .

Research Associate: A Doctorate’s degree in Physics, Atomic Physics, Optics, Quantum Optics, or a related field with 5+ years of post-doctoral degree experience .

4+ years of relevant experience.

Familiarity with atom-optical-molecular systems.

Familiarity with photonics.

Ability to work with, stabilize, and align laser systems.

Familiarity with remote instrument communication (Matlab, Python, or Labview proficiency preferred).

Ability to develop data analysis software (Matlab or Python proficiency preferred).

Strong oral and written communication skills in the English language.

Resume or CV

Cover letter addressed to the Search Committee briefly describing your qualifications, professional goals, and specific interest in this position.