The NAOJ Gravitational Wave Science Project (GWSP) is a project office to develop gravitational wave astronomy and to contribute to the construction and operation of KAGRA, which is a 3km-scale cryogenic gravitational wave telescope constructed in Kamioka underground, Gifu, Japan, in collaboration with the Institute for Cosmic Ray Research in the University of Tokyo and High Energy Accelerator Research Organization. In addition to KAGRA, the NAOJ GWSP has another important role to develop cutting-edge technologies for next generation GW telescopes. We invite applications for an assistant professor position in the GWSP. A successful candidate for this position is expected to:
1) lead KAGRA’s sensitivity improvement on site. In particular, to act as a field leader in interferometer control, noise identification/evaluation, or control of vibration isolators to achieve noise reduction,
2) contribute to KAGRA’s maintenance, operation, and upgrades on site,
3) supervise young researchers and students through KAGRA activities, and
4) contribute to community’s activities of KAGRA Scientific Congress, Cosmic-ray Researchers Congress, Japan Gravitational Wave Community and so on.

In addition to the above, the successful candidate will also be expected to play a key role in future 3rd generation Gravitational Wave Telescopes such as the Einstein Telescope in medium/long term, in particular the researches of “underground site evaluation”, “cryogenic mirror technology” or “quantum optics and advanced interferometer technology”. As prerequisites for this position, applicants are expected to have a wide range of experience and skills in the field of astronomy or physics, to have leadership and to be able to have good communication in English.

5. Terms of Appointment:
The successful candidate should be able to start as soon as reasonably possible after the job offer has been accepted. The term of the contract will continue up to the end of the Japanese academic year in which the faculty reaches NAOJ's mandatory retirement age of 65. The Probation period is 6 months. A review for the continuation of employment as an assistant professor will occur during the fifth year. In case that the review may result that the successful candidate couldn’t have fulfilled duties as an assistant professor enough, the successful candidate would be requested to transfer to another position within NAOJ.

6. Qualifications:
(1) Minimum Educational Requirement: Ph.D. or equivalent
(2) Other Requirements: Fluent English communication and experience of experiments
7. Required Application Materials in English
(1) Cover letter;
(2) Curriculum vitae;
(3) Publications list (Separate refereed and non-refereed papers);
(4) Summary of your past research activities including international collaborations;
(5) Your commitment and plan to fulfill the duties (including your research plans as needed);
(6) Your address (e-mail and phone) for prompt contact and the email address of your current supervisor or line manager; and
(7) Three or more reference letters. Reference letters should be written by faculty/staff with tenured positions.
Reference letters from multiple countries are preferred. Please ask your references to upload the letters directly to the URL indicated in 9 before the deadline. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that the letters are submitted before the application deadline.

8. Application Deadline: 2024-3-8, 12:00（noon） (Japan Standard Time)
9. Submission:
9.1. How to Submit an Application:
Applicants are required to apply via the NAOJ Nextcloud on the web.
(1) Please access the following URL for registration:
https://forms.office.com/r/ELszePBnvZ
(2) After you submit the registration form, you will receive an email showing the URLs for (a) uploading your application documents and (b) your reference letters.
(3) Please ask your references to upload their letters via the URL shown in (2)(b).
(4) Please upload the application documents (from 7. (1) through (6) above) via the URL (2)(a). These files must be in PDF format (max 50 MB each, 100 MB in total, at most 10 files).
9.2. Contacts:
(1) If you have any questions related to the job description, contact;
E-mail: takayuki.tomaru_(at)_nao.ac.jp
Attention to: Professor Tomaru, Takayuki,
Director of Gravitational Wave Science Project (GWSP), NAOJ,
Subject: “Question on JD of Assistant Professor of NAOJ GWSP”
(2) If you have any questions related to other items, contact;
E-mail: job04-assistantprof_AT_nao.ac.jp (replace AT with @)
Subject: “Question on Assistant Professor of NAOJ GWSP”

10. Notes for application:
• The file name of application documents should be stated applicants name, applied project and position.
• Candidates selected in the final short list may be interviewed by the selection committee either via the internet or face-to-face. The expense for the interview will not be covered by NAOJ.

11. Working Conditions:
(1) Work Type and Work Hours: The Discretionary Labor System for Professional Work shall be applied.
(standard work hours: 38.75 hrs/week, from 8:30 to 17:15 with an hour intermission)
(2) Holidays: Saturdays and Sundays, National Holidays, New Year holidays (December 29th-January 3rd),
Annual paid leave, Summer holidays, Bereavement leave, etc.
(3) Social Insurance: MEXT Mutual Aid Association (health insurance), Employees' Pension Insurance, Employment Insurance, Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance
(4) Remuneration:
• Salary: Annual salary shall be determined based on professional knowledge, skills, required education, and job experiences as per the NINS regulations (NINS, or the National Institutes of Natural Sciences, is an upper-level organization that manages NAOJ). Payments will be made monthly in 12 equal installments. • Allowances: Dependent allowance, residential allowance, commutation allowance, and other allowances will be paid to employees who meet the conditions outlined in the NINS regulations. An amount equivalent to the year-end allowance and diligence allowance will be included in the annual salary.
• Salary Increment: Once a year in accordance with the performance review
• Retirement Allowance: Provided
• Travel and relocation: Eligible employees will be provided with a relocation travel package to NAOJ, subject to the travel regulations of NINS (details must be arranged with the administration office)

12. Remarks:
• The work location may be NAOJ Mitaka campus depending on the situation of the project.
• The NAOJ Advisory Committee for Research and Management will make the final decision for the appointment.
• NINS Employee Regulations (NINS is an executive institute that manages NAOJ) shall be applied to this position.
• • This position is subject to the NINS Employee Regulations. The annual salary schedule indicated in Table (2) of the Research-Education Employee Base Annual Salary shall be applied to this position
• Policy for Equal Employment Opportunity: Abiding by the Equal Employment Opportunity Act for Men and Women, NAOJ is committed to the realization of a society with gender equality. If two candidates are deemed equal in their performance evaluation, NAOJ will take positive action to employ women. For details, see https://www2.nao.ac.jp/~open-info/gender-equality/en/
• If you have taken a leave(s) such as for maternity, child care, and/or family care, please indicate it in your curriculum vitae. We will consider it when assessing your performance.
• Smoking is prohibited on the premises excluding designated outdoor smoking areas.
• Information submitted in your application documents will not be used for any purpose other than the selection process and for contacting you with necessary notices in connection with the selection. Once the selection process is complete, we will securely dispose of all application documents and personal information, except for those submitted by the successful candidate.

13. Recruiting Institution:
Inter-University Research Institute Corporation, National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS), National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ)