Diamond Light Source is the UK’s national synchrotron science facility. Located on the Harwell Science & Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire a 20 minute drive south of Oxford in a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Diamond Light Source conducts world-class research in virtually all fields of science and offers rewarding career opportunities.

We have an opening for a Principal Beamline Scientist to lead a team working in the area of polarised soft x-ray spectroscopy and/or microscopy. The research for the beamline is mainly focussed on magnetism and quantum materials. We encourage applications from candidates with experience in X-Ray Magnetic Circular Dichroism (XMCD), X-Ray Magnetic Linear Dichroism (XMLD) and or Soft X-Ray Resonant Diffraction (SXRD).

Beamline I06 uses an intense X-ray beam (80eV-2100eV) to study magnetic phenomena. The activity includes XMCD and XMLD combined with a  PhotoEmission Electron Microscope (PEEM) or 6T superconducting vector magnet. Soft X-Ray Resonant Diffraction (SXRD) is also performed on the beamline. The successful applicant will be responsible for the beamline and its development including co-ordinating upgrades and developments. The beamline is part of the Magnetism Group within Diamond and has close links with I10, I16 and I21 which concentrate on XMCD, Hard X-ray Diffraction and Resonant Inelastic X-Ray Scattering (RIXS).

The position will involve responsibility for a team and also co-ordinating the activities of support groups assigned to the beamline. Developing an in-house science programme is an important aspect of this role. The selected candidate will be expected to conduct their own internationally recognised research on the beamline and elsewhere.

Diamond offers flexibility for all staff where work patterns allow. Diamond are members of the Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion and we have achieved the Athena SWAN Bronze award and Disability Confident Level One. Women are underrepresented and so we particularly welcome applications from suitably qualified women.  If you are disabled and would like to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme, please let us know via the online application process.

we have achieved the Athena SWAN Bronze award and Disability Confident Level One

Duties

Responsible for:

• Managing and developing the beamline team;
• Developing the beamline so that it remains an internationally recognised facility;
• Conducting internationally recognised research in an area relevant to the beamline;
• Performing  management duties, e.g. chair panels, submit beamline reviews;
• Collaborating across the facility in the relevant scientific and technical areas;
• Developing innovative solutions to challenging technical and scientific problems.

Full Job Description.

• Ability to lead and motivate a diverse team of scientists and engineers;
• Good interpersonal, communication and presentational skills;
• Good organisational and planning skills;
• Ability to interact effectively with staff at all levels;
• Ability to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team;
• Experience of polarised soft x-ray science;
• Experience of soft x-ray beamlines;
• Good understanding of UHV equipment;
• Ability and initiative to get to the heart of the problem and take it through to completion;
• Must be available to work occasionally out of regular office hours;
• Must be available to travel occasionally within the UK and abroad, including overnight absences;
• PhD in an area related to condensed matter physics (preferably in magnetic materials).

• Knowledge of Python;
• Experience of theoretical software to analyse soft x-ray absorption and scattering data.

Full Person Specification.

• Must be available to travel occasionally within the UK and abroad, including overnight absences.