Accelerator Physicist

Salary: Band D: £42,840 to £47,124 or at Band E: £53,818 to £59,199 (dependent on skills and experience)

Hours: Full time (We understand the importance of work-life balance, and are happy to discuss the possibility of flexible working with applicants)

Contract Type: Fixed Term- 24 months

Location: Science and Technology Facilities Council, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Harwell, Oxfordshire

The ISIS neutron and muon source synchrotron provides one of the highest power proton sources in the world. The Novel Beams team is charged with developing the next generation of accelerator technologies to support ISIS and the broader accelerator science community. 

Our team is delivering novel accelerator techniques like Fixed Field Alternating Gradient (FFAs) accelerators. We also develop high-brightness muon beam techniques for materials science and the next-generation collider that will follow the end of operation of the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. One of our key tools is OPAL, a particle tracking code that we are developing in collaboration with PSI and other accelerator institutes around the world.

This is where we need your help! 

We would like to extend the capabilities of OPAL to simulate the ISIS synchrotron and novel FFA accelerators to complement our existing suite of accelerator modelling tools. You will be an exceptional computational scientist with strong interest in software development with deep knowledge of physics, ideally including knowledge of particle accelerator simulation. It is natural within the remit of our group to explore new accelerator concepts, so we hope you will have lots of ideas for your own research. Support of ISIS operation, including gathering data for model validation, will be an important part of this task. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to spend extended periods at PSI working with the Accelerator Modelling and Advanced Simulation group.

Personal Specification

The below will be reviewed at Shortlisting and Interview stage:

• A PhD in physics, mathematics, computer science or a closely related subject. (S&I)
• Understanding of fundamental concepts in maths and physics. Additionally to be considered for a Band E, an application to particle accelerators.(S&I)
• Experience of software development. Additionally to be considered for a Band E, experience  using C++  and knowledge of high performance computing. (S&I)
• Awesome creativity, with an open attitude to new ideas. (I)
• A friendly but determined approach to team working and collaboration with ISIS, national and international colleagues.(I)

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Chris Rogers, chris.rogers@stfc.ac.uk (Novel Beams section leader).

Our Benefits

STFC provides a whole host of benefits including:

• 30 days holiday (in addition to 10.5 bank holidays and privilege days)
• Flexible working hours.
• An excellent defined average salary pension scheme
• Employee shopping/travel discounts
• Plus many more benefits and wellbeing initiatives that enable our employees to have a great work life balance!

To view more about ISIS please visit https://www.isis.stfc.ac.uk/Pages/home.aspx 

To apply, please click on the ‘Apply’ button above

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