Senior Research Technician

The University of Southampton's Hollow Core Fibre Group is seeking a Senior Research Technician to support advanced hollow-core fibre research through specialist characterisation, technical data analysis, and experimental activities. We are seeking an experienced and highly capable technician to undertake complex optical fibre characterisation activities across multiple concurrent research and industrial programmes. The role combines advanced experimental measurements, data analysis, simulation, database management, and technical reporting.

You will join a collaborative, supportive group and have the opportunity to thrive in a university environment developing future technology. You will work and grow in a team whose culture centres on people, collegiality, quality, internationalisation, and sustainability.

The post is funded through 28 February 2028 and is therefore offered on a fixed-term basis. However, there is a strong likelihood of extension, subject to the availability of continued funding.

In this role you will:

• Deliver complex hollow-core fibre characterisation activities across multiple research and industrial programmes.
• Perform fibre preparation, coupling, attenuation measurements, OTDR measurements, cutback measurements, and fibre-optic assembly characterisation.
• Manage and develop characterisation databases to ensure effective retrieval and traceability of experimental data.
• Deploy established simulation and modelling tools to evaluate expected fibre performance and compare model predictions against experimental results.
• Analyse, interpret, and report complex experimental and simulation datasets supporting high-impact publications and strategic research collaborations. 
• Identify fibres capable of meeting specific project and collaborator requirements through interrogation of technical databases and historical datasets.
• Maintain laboratory procedures, technical documentation, and quality records associated with fibre characterisation activities.
• Support researchers and students through training, technical guidance, and knowledge sharing.
• Prepare and communicate technical reports and characterisation results to project teams, industrial partners and external collaborators.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of laboratory practices, measurement quality and statistical process capability monitoring.

Essential Skills and Experience

• Significant experience in optical fibre, photonics or related experimental activities.
• Experience undertaking complex scientific or engineering measurements and interpreting experimental data.
• Experience with optical test and measurement equipment and laboratory-based experimental techniques.
• Experience managing or maintaining technical datasets, databases or structured experimental records.
• Experience analysing technical results and communicating findings to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Strong organisational and planning capabilities.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder-management skills.
• Strong problem-solving and troubleshooting capability.

Desirable Skills and Experience

• Experience with hollow-core optical fibres.
• Experience with optical fibre characterisation techniques including attenuation measurements, cutback measurements and OTDR measurements.
• Experience with fibre rewinding, preparation, and deployment for testing.
• Experience with scanning electron microscopy.
• Experience using MATLAB, Python, or equivalent scientific software tools.
• Experience performing statistical analysis, process capability assessment or trend analysis.
• Experience working with industry-funded research programmes.
• Experience communicating technical results to customers or external stakeholders.

What We Offer

• Opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge hollow-core fibre research within a globally recognised research group.
• Engagement with major industrial and government-funded programmes.
• A collaborative and supportive working environment.
• Opportunities for professional development and technical specialisation.
• Access to world-class research facilities and expertise.

For general inquiries regarding this position, please contact Professor Austin Taranta, a.a.taranta@soton.ac.uk.

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