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Job Title Support Scientist / Senior Support Scientist, BLI13
Job Reference DIA1012/TH
Post Type Full time, permanent
Division Physical Science
Salary information Circa £26k or Circa £33k for appointment at the senior level
Application deadline 12/04/2015


Job Description

Diamond Light Source is the UK’s national synchrotron science facility. Located at Harwell Science & Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire, we enable world-leading research across a wide range of scientific disciplines and industrial applications.

Beamline I13 is one of the latest beamlines, dedicated to imaging and coherence and has been operational since October 2011. The scientific applications for the two independently operating beamline branches relate to imaging in real (X-ray microscopy; absorption, phase contrast and ultrafast tomography) and reciprocal space (coherent X-ray diffraction imaging).

This post will be centred on the Diamond-Manchester Imaging Branchline, which has been operational since April 2012. Micro- and nano-structured materials from different scientific fields such as biology, materials and earth science are studied in the energy range of 6-30keV. As part of the I13 beamline team, the successful candidate will also be expected to contribute to the coherence branchline.

Manchester University are co-funders of the beamline and this appointment.  You will work closely with the co-located academics and PDRA’s from Manchester, providing a unique opportunity to undertake long term collaborative research to develop new techniques and applications.

The candidate will ideally have experience in synchrotron-based imaging and tomography. Candidates with experience in neighboring fields such as electron microscopy, neutron imaging or similar are welcome.The successful operation of the imaging branchline is core to the current position and requires strong experimental and also data processing skills. The selected candidate will be involved in promoting the beamline’s scientific profile. You will be highly motivated, able to work independently as well as in a team and will possess strong social skills for closely interacting with scientists visiting the beamline. 

Duties 

Support Scientist - Scientific support to I13 beamline and the user operation programme.

Working in support of the Principal Beamline Scientist in the following areas:

  • Assist in the installation, assembly, and maintenance of a range of equipment and systems on the beamline and support laboratories, including testing and commissioning;
  • Provide support to users, answering queries and ensuring they are fully briefed to use the appropriate equipment;
  • Supporting the Diamond-Manchester collaboration, and acting as a daily point of contact supporting beamline users in scientific experiments and data reduction; 
  • Measurement of samples sent to Diamond by users; including data reduction and basic reports;
  • Undertake problem solving and fault diagnosis of complex instrumentation eg the beamline end station;
  • Technical support to users and  in-house research activities; 
  • Management of beamline peripheral laboratories where appropriate;
  • Produce documentation for external users to enable use of standard laboratory instrumentation;
  • Co-ordinate meetings, documents, reports and communications.  

Senior Support Scientist - Scientific support to I13 beamline and the user operation programme.

Working in support of the Principal Beamline Scientist in the following areas:

  • Assist in the procurement, installation, assembly, and maintenance of a range of equipment and systems on the beamline and support laboratories, including testing and commissioning;
  • Local contact support to users by setting up and providing advice and guidance on the best approach to experiments, data analysis and research techniques;
  • Supporting the Diamond-Manchester collaboration, and acting as a daily point of contact supporting beamline users in scientific experiments and data analysis;
  • Measurement of samples including data analysis and contributing to publications;
  • Undertake problem solving and fault diagnosis of the beamline;
  • Develop and maintain expertise in a scientific field, and apply it to user support;
  • Work closely with other scientific and technical staff to produce designs for  new systems, equipment or processes;
  • Collaborate with users and in house staff research within area of expertise;
  • Contribute to scientific papers from external or in-house research;
  • Produce reports and documentation (e.g. manuals) to support the beamline and laboratories.

Qualification & Experience - Essential

  • Appropriate first degree or equivalent qualification;
  • Experience in imaging/coherent imaging;
  • Communication skills;
  • Ability and initiative to get to the heart of the problem and take it effectively through to completion;
  • Good interpersonal, communication  and presentational skills;
  • Ability to interact effectively with staff at all levels;
  • Ability to work flexibly with occasional weekend and out-of hours working;
  • Self motivated;
  • Ability to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team.

For appointment at the senior level, candidates should have:

  • appropriate PhD and 3 years relevant experience;
  • Experience in supporting Scientists in the conduct of research in a synchrotron or equivalent facility;
  • Experience of beamline instrumentation.

Qualification & Experience - Desirable

  • Second degree in appropriate subject;
  • Good organisational and planning skills;
  • Experience of software packages and programming;
  • Experience in a neighboring field such as laser physics or electron microscopy;
  • Relevant synchrotron research experience;
  • Experience or knowledge of synchrotrons;
  • Experience in tomography data analysis;
  • Experience of beamline instrumentation;
  • Notions about coherence, microscopy, imaging or tomography;
  • Must be available to travel occasionally in UK and overseas including overnight absences.

Further Information

Applying for employment

For further details on applying for employment at Diamond, please visit our 'Application Form' page.

Appointments will be made depending on the skills and experience of the candidate. Electronic Diamond application forms in MS-Word are preferred. These should be emailed to recruitment@diamond.ac.uk



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