This vacancy is now closed
Job Title Postdoctoral Research Associate-BLI15
Job Reference DIA0700/CG
Post Type
Division Science
Salary information Circa £33k
Application deadline 06/05/2012


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.


We are seeking a PDRA, preferably experienced in high-pressure x-ray techniques, to participate in research at extreme conditions based on I15 at Diamond Light Source. The successful candidate will work with the existing beamline team and perform individual research on the beamline in any area of condensed matter or planetary high-pressure science. I15 offers a range of potential techniques based around the diamond-anvil cell and we are seeking to advance developments in the areas of high-pressure single-crystal diffraction, low-temperature diffraction and detector implementations. Large-volume methods are also planned in future.
I15 will offer a wide range of on- and off-line laser facilities to complement diffraction techniques at high pressure. Some beamline operation and development, including User support will be required.
 

  • Commissioning of the beamline experimental (sample environment) and station components, and development of new or applied research techniques;
  • Develop and pursue an in-house research programme independently and in collaboration with the beamline team;
  •  Support the operation of the beamline and the user programme.

 

Qualification & Experience - Essential

  • Appropriate PhD degree in Physics, Chemistry, Materials or Earth Sciences, or equivalent qualification;
  • Crystallographic data collection skills – powder and/or single-crystal procedures, computation and detectors;
  • Experience of single-crystal diffraction methods and kappa geometry;
  • 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 as part of a multi-disciplinary team;
  • Self motivation;
  • Must be available to travel occasionally within the UK and abroad, including overnight absences;
  •  Appropriate First Degree;
  • Postgraduate degree
     

Qualification & Experience - Desirable

  • Experience with high-pressure cells;
  • Experience of single-crystal diffraction methods and kappa geometry;
  •  Experience in high-pressure and high-temperature diffraction;
  •  Knowledge of vibrational spectroscopy applied at high pressure;
  •  Experience with Windows/Linux/Unix
  • Operational experience at x-ray beamlines and instrumentation;
  • Experience or knowledge of synchrotrons;
  • CrysAlis™, Topas™ or other commercial software for crystallography;
  • Rietveld analysis and programme experience;
  • Mechanical and electrical aspects of experimental design
     

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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