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 covering both technical and scientific disciplines.

Beamline B24 is a full field cryo soft X-ray microscopy beamline covering the energy range 200eV -2.6 keV dedicated to the collection of tomographic data on biological samples. It is due to start operations in 2015.

We are seeking a highly motivated PDRA to play an active role in the commissioning of the beamline and then to assist users with their experiments once the beamline is operational. In addition, the successful candidate will be encouraged to carry out their own innovative research using cryo soft X-ray tomography. The beamline team will be particularly interested to hear from candidates who have an interest in software development in addition to skills in sample preparation and data collection.

Candidates should have appropriate qualifications and demonstrate experience relevant to biological cryo soft X-ray tomography.

• PhD degree.
• Appropriate First Degree;
• Experience in the use of scientific instrumentation;
• Experience in scientific data collection;
• Experience in computing and data analysis;
• Ability and initiative to get to the heart of the problem and take it effectively through to completion;
• 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;
• Ability to work flexibly including weekend and out-of hours working as required;
• Self motivation;
• Must be available to travel occasionally within the UK and abroad, including overnight absences;

• Experience in X-ray microscopy as applied to biological samples;
• Experience in electron microscopy of biological samples; 
• Experience in the preparation of cryogenic samples for microscopy techniques;
• Experience in light microscopy.

Note – As a minimum candidates should be able to demonstrate experience in either X-ray or electron microscopy as applied to biological samples.