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Job Title Support Scientist / Senior Support Scientist BLI11
Job Reference 0018/16/TH
Post Type Full time/ Permanent
Division Physical Science
Salary information Circa £27k and circa £35k for appointment at the senior level
Application deadline 12/06/2016


Job Description

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 I11 is a dedicated high resolution and time-resolved powder diffraction facility at Diamond. It is a highly versatile and flexible beamline catering to diverse types of experiments using a wide range of sample environments. Recently, the beamline has been extended by building a new hutch (EH2) for long duration experiments (LDEs).

We are seeking a highly motivated candidate to work as a support scientist/senior support scientist for the LDE facility.  They will be required to work with the beamline team and with other support staff to ensure efficient beamline operation, user support and instrument developments. The commissioning of beamline upgrade for long duration experiments, new components and testing new software are also included.

Candidates should have an appropriate qualification and experience in the use or development of non-ambient sample environments. Experience of X-ray powder diffraction using laboratory, synchrotron or other techniques is essential. Applicants with knowledge or experience of laboratory techniques such as Raman, UV and infrared spectroscopy, electron microscopy and DSC are desirable.

The aim  -  Scientific support to I11 beamline and the user operation programme.


Support Scientist - Scientific support to I11 LDE facility and the user operation programme.

  • Local contact support to users by setting up and providing advice and guidance on the best approach to experiments, data analysis and research techniques;
  • Assist in the development, installation, assembly, maintenance of a range of equipment and sample environments on the beamline and support laboratories, including testing and commissioning;
  • Support of in-house research activities;
  • Test samples sent to Diamond by users; including data reduction and basic reports;
  • Maintenance of the beamline during operations;
  • Undertake problem solving and fault diagnosis of the beamline;
  • Produce reports and documentation (e.g. manuals, web-pages) to support the beamline.

Senior Support Scientist - Scientific support to I11 LDE facility and the user operation programme.

  • Local contact support to users by setting up and providing advice and guidance on the best approach to experiments, data analysis and research techniques;
  • Assist in the development, installation, assembly, maintenance of a range of equipment and sample environments on the beamline and support laboratories, including testing and commissioning;
  • Support of in-house research activities;
  • Test samples sent to Diamond by users, including data reduction and basic reports;
  • Maintenance of the beamline during operations;
  • Undertake problem solving and fault diagnosis of the beamline;
  • Produce reports and documentation (e.g. manuals, web-pages) to support the beamline;
  • Develop and maintain expertise in a scientific field and apply it to user support;
  • Collaborate with users and in house scientists within area of expertise;
  • Develop new instrumentation and software in collaboration with support teams to upgrade the performance of the beamline, in a self-responsible way;
  • Contribute to scientific publications as part of in-house research or external research.

Qualification & Experience - Essential

  • Appropriate first degree;
  • Ph.D.;
  • Experience of Powder Diffraction and Data Analysis;
  • Good interpersonal, communication and presentational skills;
  • Ability to interact with staff and facility users at all levels;
  • Ability and initiative to get to the heart of the problem and take it effectively; through to completion;
  • Ability to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team;
  • Self-motivation;
  • Good organisational and planning skills;

For appointment at the senior level

  • Appropriate PhD and significant relevant experience;
  • Experience in supporting scientists in the conduct of research in a synchrotron or equivalent facility;
  • Capability of providing full data analysis and training to the users.

Qualification & Experience - Desirable

  • Experience of beamline instrumentation or  x-ray optics;
  • Experience of laboratory techniques such as Raman, IR, and UV spectroscopy, DSC and SEM;
  • Experience or knowledge of synchrotron radiation.

Further Information

Must be available to travel occasionally within the UK.

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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