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Job Title Support Scientist / Senior Support Scientist, Beamline I12
Job Reference DIA0887/TH
Post Type
Division Science
Salary information Circa £26k or circa £33k for appointment at the senior level
Application deadline 22/12/2013


Job Description

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

The aim of the Support Scientist/Senior Support Scientist is to provide scientific support to the JEEP, Joint Engineering, Environmental and Processing Beamline, I12 and the user operation programme.

Beamline I12 (JEEP) is a high-energy beamline at Diamond Light Source built to study Material, engineering and Processing Science through various imaging and diffraction methods. The range of samples is vast, and a large variety of sample environments can be fitted into the instrument.

One very important aspect of the beamline is to allow samples in an environment as close as possible to real world conditions, statically in size and shape and dynamically inside in-situ equipment.

State-of-the art tomography and diffraction facilities with fast data acquisition can monitor complex processes in operandi. All key-instrumentation is designed in-house in order to achieve the highest standards, such as the monochromator, filters, imaging cameras and sample manipulation. One current instrumental development is reaching higher time resolution (micro-seconds to nano-seconds) in imaging and diffraction.

The beamline supports researchers from chemistry, physics, material science, engineering, environment, palaeontology, crystallography, biology, medical research, archaeology, and geology

Scientific support to designated beam lines and the user operation programme.

  • 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;
  • 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 endstation;
  • Support of 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;
  • Produce reports and documentation (e.g. manuals, web-pages) to support the beamline.

Additional duties, for appointment at the higher level:

  • Local contact support to users by setting up and providing advice and guidance on the best approach to experiments, data analysis and research techniques;
  • Cary out technical integration of beamline upgrades in collaboration with support teams in the fields of hardware and software, in a self-responsible way;
  • Improve existing instrumentation in collaboration with support team in the fields of hardware and software, in a self-responsible way;
  • Contribute to scientific publications as part of in-house research or external research.

Qualification & Experience - Essential

  • Appropriate Science Degree;
  • Practical experience with synchrotron tomography or powder-diffraction;
  • Experience of working with software developers in a large research facility (e.g. Python, Matlab, IDL);
  • Basic experience in the architecture of x-ray detectors for imaging and diffraction;
  • Good knowledge in signal-and control electronics architecture concepts;
  • Basic experience in either x-ray tomography reconstruction or x-ray powder-diffraction analysis;
  • Good knowledge in signal-and control electronics architecture concepts;
  • Basic experience in either x-ray tomography reconstruction or x-ray powder-diffraction analysis;
  • Good mathematical skills, either in geometry, algebra or analysis;
  • Ability and initiative to analysis complex problems;
  • Proven expertise in at least one major physical science discipline;
  • Ability to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team;
  • Good organizational and planning skills;
  • Ability to work flexibly with occasional weekend and out-of hours working;
  • Must be available to travel occasionally within the UK and abroad, including overnight absences.

Qualification & Experience - Desirable

  • Appropriate PhD and three years relevant experience (essential for appointment at the senior level);
  • Long-standing experience in synchrotron research (essential for appointment at the senior level);
  • Very good knowledge in 3rd generation synchrotron optics (essential for appointment at the senior level);
  • Good knowledge of writing scripts in Python or equivalent language (essential for appointment at the senior level);
  • Ability to abstract complex problems where major constituents lie outside your expertise (essential for appointment at the senior level);
  • Knowledge of Laue monochromators.

Further Information

  • Ability to work flexibly with occasional weekend and out-of hours working;
  • Must be available to travel occasionally within the UK and abroad, including overnight absences.

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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