Circular Economy Post-doctoral Researcher

Salary: £31,931-£34,709 Band D OR £39,748 - £44,166 Band E gross per annum (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: 3 Year Fixed Term

Location: Science and Technology Facilities Council, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Harwell, Oxfordshire
Visa Sponsorship: We are able to sponsor Visa applications, reimburse application fees, and encourage international candidates to apply. A relocation package may be available.

Come and do the kind of science that made you want to become a scientist. Explore the unknown and get to grips with the biggest challenges in Big Science. And, alongside world class engineers and technologists, use everything you've learnt to find real answers that shape society and improve lives.

Put simply, discover the kind of impact you can make when you work with some of the best facilities and brightest scientists in the world.

STFC (part of UK Research and Innovation) are seeking a Circular Economy Post-Doctoral Researcher to support experiments of academic and industrial groups within a large European programme.

You will work with external users to develop proposals, provide advice on neutron instruments, assist with experiments and support data reduction and analysis through to final publication.

As well as working at leading neutron scattering facilities and having the opportunity to develop your own personal and collaborative research programmes, there will be opportunities to experience other analytical methods that are included within the overall programme, and to work with a variety of research groups from around Europe.

Specific duties will include:

• Supporting external users in performing neutron scattering experiments at European neutron facilities, including proposal creation and providing advice on neutron methods and instruments, assisting with experiments, and supporting data reduction and analysis
• Conduct a research program in a relevant scientific area
• Providing general advice on neutron methods and instruments within the overall consortium
• Presenting work and representing the consortium at conferences and workshops
• Supporting the coordination of access to neutron facilities within the project

To succeed in this role, you will have:

• PhD or equivalent in condensed matter physics, materials science, chemistry or similar. For Band D you will be about to receive your PhD or have some post-doctoral experience; for Band E you will have several years of post-doctoral experience (S)
• Demonstrated potential to pursue an independent scientific programme that would make advantageous use of neutrons. For Band D you will have shown your potential for this through your PhD work; for Band E you will have an established independent research programme (S&I)
• Evidence of a publication record at PhD (Band D) or post-doctoral (Band E) levels in a relevant science area (S&I)
• Good understanding of neutron methods at least one of the following: diffraction, spectroscopy, SANS, reflectometry, imaging (I)
• Experience performing experiments at a large-scale facility (S&I)
• Experience with scientific data analysis (S&I)
• Special requirements (I):

- Available for out-of-hours work
- Medically fit for and willing to work in classified radiation areas
- Willing to work with chemicals
- Willingness to travel within the UK and overseas

Additional Information:

You must be willing to travel within Europe to assist with experiments at other facilities and for collaboration meetings. Supporting experiments can involve some work out of normal working hours including weekends. The work also requires the willingness and ability to work in a radiation area, and to handle chemicals.

Our Benefits:

Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits including a flexible working scheme, a Career Average Revalued Earnings pension scheme, 30 days annual leave allowance, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme.

We ask some of the biggest questions in the universe, to answer some of the biggest challenges in the world. Together, our scientists, technologists, engineers and business-support team explore the unknown across every field you could think of. And they turn what they find into work that changes the world around us

What could you achieve with the world-leading facilities and experts of one of Europe's largest research organisations by your side? Join us and discover what's possible.

Join us and discover what’s possible!

The closing date for applications is Tuesday 13th December 2022 with the view to interview in the New Year on Monday 16th January 2023.