Postdoctoral Research Associate in Quantum Light and Matter

Job title:

Postdoctoral Research Associate in Quantum Light and Matter

Company

Durham University

Job description

Working at Durham UniversityA globally outstanding centre of teaching and research excellence, a warm and friendly place to work, a unique and historic setting – Durham is a university like no other.As one of the UK’s leading universities, Durham is an incredible place to define your career. The University is located within a beautiful historic city, home to a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and surrounded by stunning countryside. Our talented scholars and researchers from around the world are tackling global issues and making a difference to people’s lives.We believe that inspiring our people to do outstanding things at Durham enables Durham people to do outstanding things in the world. Being a part of Durham is about more than just the success of the University, it’s also about contributing to the success of the city, county and community.Our is built on three pillars of research, education and wider student experience, but also on our keen sense of community and of inspiring others to achieve their potential.We want our University to be a place where people can be free to be themselves, no matter what their identity or background. Together, we celebrate difference, value one another and are each responsible for creating an inclusive community that is respectful and fair for all.Find out more about the benefits of working at the University and what it is like to live and work in the Durham area on ourThe DepartmentThe Department of Physics at Durham University is one of the leading UK Physics departments with an outstanding reputation for excellence in teaching, research and employability of our students.The Department is committed to advancing equality and we aim to ensure that our culture is inclusive, and that our systems support flexible and family-friendly working, as recognized by our Juno Champion and Athena SWAN Silver awards. We recognise and value the benefits of diversity throughout our staff and students.The RoleA Postdoctoral Research Associate position is available to pursue experimental research in the field of atomic and laser physics within the Durham Quantum Light and Matter group. The position is associated with a project funded by the EURAMET – the metrology component of the European Union Horizon 2020 Programme.The post holder will be expected to display the initiative and creativity, together with the appropriate skills and knowledge, required to lead and develop experiments to meet the project goals. The post holder will be expected to be familiar with narrowband and tunable scientific lasers, and have experience in atomic physics, quantum optics or laser cooling and trapping. The post holder is expected to be able to work effectively both independently and as part of a small research team. It is expected that the post holder will enhance the international contacts of the group through the presentation of work at international conferences. The post holder will also be expected to aid in the supervision of graduate students within the group as well as contributing to the undergraduate teaching within the Department.The aim is to explore the use of reconfigurable arrays of trapped ultra-cold atoms in next generation optical atomic clocks. This post is part of the CoCoRiCo consortium, which consists of 4 National Metrology Institutes and 5 university research groups from across Europe. Your role will be to contribute to the development new techniques for trapping and manipulating atoms, as well as studies of systematic errors in tweezer array atomic clocks.The successful candidate will be required to take a lead role in all aspects of the project, contributing directly to the experiment and working closely with Prof Matthew Jones, collaborators within the CoCoRiCo consortium and outside, as well as graduate students and other members of the research group. You will be expected to undertake an active role in the laboratory activity.The Department of Physics is committed to building and maintaining a diverse and inclusive environment. It is pledged to the Athena SWAN charter, where we hold a silver award, and has the status of IoP Juno Champion. We embrace equality and particularly welcome applications from women, black and minority ethnic candidates, and members of other groups that are under-represented in physics. Durham University provides a range of benefits including pension, flexible and/or part time working hours, shared parental leave policy and childcare provision.Responsibilities:

• To understand and convey material of a specialist or highly technical nature to the team or group of people through presentations and discussions that leads to the presentation of research papers in conferences and publications.
• To prepare and deliver presentations on research outputs/activities to audiences which may include: research sponsors, academic and non-academic audiences.
• To publish high quality outputs, including papers for submission to peer reviewed journals and papers for presentation at conferences and workshops under the direction of the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder.
• To assist with the development of research objectives and proposals.
• To conduct individual and collaborative research projects under the direction of the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder.
• To work with the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder and other colleagues in the research group, as appropriate, to identify areas for research, develop new research methods and extend the research portfolio.
• To deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines by discussing with the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder and offering creative or innovative solutions.
• To liaise with research colleagues and make internal and external contacts to develop knowledge and understanding to form relationships for future research collaboration.
• To plan and manage own research activity, research resources in collaboration with others and contribute to the planning of research projects.
• To deliver training in research techniques/approaches to peers, visitors and students as appropriate.
• To be involved in student supervision, as appropriate, and assist with the assessment of the knowledge of students.
• To contribute to fostering a collegial working environment which is inclusive and welcoming and where everyone is treated fairly with dignity and respect.
• To engage in citizenship to support the department and wider discipline.
• To engage in continuing professional development by participation in the undergraduate or postgraduate teaching programmes or by membership of departmental committees, etc. and by attending relevant training and development courses.

This post is for a fixed term of 24 months.The post-holder is employed to work on research/a research project which will be led by another colleague. Whilst this means that the post-holder will not be carrying out independent research in his/her own right, the expectation is that they will contribute to the advancement of the project, through the development of their own research ideas/adaptation and development of research protocols.Successful applicants will ideally be in post by June 2024.Contact information for technical difficulties when submitting your applicationIf you encounter technical difficulties when using the online application form, we prefer you send enquiries by email. Please send your name along with a brief description of the problem you’re experiencing toAlternatively, you may call 0191 334 6801 from the UK, or +44 191 334 6801 from outside the UK. This number operates during the hours of 09.00 and 17.00 Monday to Friday, UK time. We will normally respond within one working day (Monday to Friday, excluding UK public holidays).University contact for general queries about the recruitment processHow to ApplyWe prefer to receive applications online.To progress to the assessment stage, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification below. It will be at the discretion of the recruiting panel as to whether they will also consider any desirable criteria, but we would urge candidates to provide evidence of all criteria.While some criteria will be considered at the shortlisting stage, other criteria may be considered later in the assessment process, such as questions at interview.Please note that in submitting your application, we will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.Submitting your applicationAll applicants are asked to submit: * A CV

• A covering letter which details your experience, strengths and potential in the requirements set out below.

We will update you about your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to make sure you have not missed any of our updates.Next StepsShort-listed candidates will be invited to the University, either virtually or in-person and will have the opportunity to meet key members of the Department.In the event that you are unable to attend in person on the date offered, it may not be possible to offer you an interview on an alternative date.Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.When appointing to this role the University must ensure that it meets any applicable immigration requirements, including salary thresholds which are applicable to some visas.QualificationsThe RequirementsEssential:Qualifications1. A good first degree in physics.2. A PhD (or be close to submission) in atomic physics or related area.Experience3. Experience in conducting high quality academic research.4. Demonstrable ability to write material of a quality commensurate with publication in highly-ranked journals.5. Demonstrable ability to present research papers at international conferences and communicate complex information to specialists and within the wider academic community.6. Strong publication record in peer-reviewed journals, commensurate with stage of career7. To have experience with narrowband, tunable scientific lasers.Skills8. Demonstrable ability to work cooperatively as part of a team, including participating in research meetings.9. Ability to work independently on own initiative and to strict deadlines.10. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.Desirable:Experience11. Demonstrable ability to develop research proposals and designs in collaboration with other academics.12. Experience of overseeing students with respect to the development of their practical/research skills e.g. acting as a demonstrator; supervising student projects.13. Experimental experience of laser optics, including Gaussian beam optics, acousto- and electro-optics.14. Experimental experience of laser frequency stabilization techniques.15. Experience with ultracold atom experiments16. Knowledge of electronics.17. Knowledge of Labview and/or Python software.For informal enquiries please contact Matthew Jones ( ). All enquiries will be treated in the strictest confidence.

Expected salary

Location

Durham

Job date

Wed, 05 Jun 2024 04:18:43 GMT

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