Job Title: Plasma Physicist – MHD and Magnetics
Location: Milton Park, Abingdon (OX14)
Salary: Competitive, depending on experience
Background:
The Company has unlocked a new route to scalable fusion power that is cost-effective and does not require huge infrastructure and capital expenditure. The technology could revolutionise the world’s energy production – it will be possible to produce more energy, more cheaply and with fewer harmful side effects (e.g. long term nuclear waste or carbon emissions).
They aim to accelerate the development of fusion energy by combining two emerging technologies – spherical tokamaks and high-temperature superconductors. The company’s innovation has been featured on Channel 4 news, BBC News Click, Reuters internet news channel and they received a Technology Pioneer Award at the World Economic Forum in 2016. This is the chance to join a fast-growing high technology company with an agile, dynamic team and to tackle the challenge of a lifetime.
The Role:
Do you want to help make fusion power a reality? Are you a plasma physicist looking for a unique and exciting new opportunity? If so, the Company are seeking talented and innovative individuals that are passionate about accelerating the development of fusion power to join the physics team. Their mission is to transform the way the world generates power by creating a clean, safe and sustainable source of energy for current and future generations and their innovative approach to fusion is based on two emerging technologies: spherical tokamaks (STs) and high-field magnets made from high temperature superconductors (HTS).
They’re looking for a research scientist to join the growing physics team to support ST40 operations and contribute to the design of future high field spherical tokamaks. The role will include analysing ST40 magnetics data to determine equilibrium properties and stability characteristics, as well as assessing and optimising equilibria for future devices. Specific duties will include: producing magnetic reconstructions of ST40 plasmas using EFIT and in-house codes; maintaining magnetics calibrations; developing more advanced reconstructions to include kinetic measurements; performing MHD stability analysis and optimisations; and analysing experimental results.
The role will involve working closely with collaborators within the fusion community to expand the spherical tokamak physics basis through research on ST40 and other devices.
Personal Skills and Attributes:
Essential Selection Criteria:
- PhD in plasma physics or closely related equivalent experience
- Familiarity with relevant tokamak/plasma modelling codes (e.g. EFIT, LIUQE, FIESTA, DCON, KNIK, JOREK)
- Knowledge of magnetic reconstruction and MHD stability
- Experience working in a research environment or developing novel technologies
- Ability to work efficiently on own initiative
- Highly motivated to deliver against challenging objectives in a compressed timescale
- Ability to contribute effectively in a multi-disciplinary team of engineers and scientists
- Willingness to learn and adopt new techniques and technologies
- Ability to effectively communicate results to both technical and non-technical colleagues
- Organised approach to tackling complex problems
Desirable Selection Criteria:
- Experience of programming languages such as MATLAB/Python/Unix/C++/Fortran
- Experimental data analysis experience
- Publication history
- Willingness to develop new and existing collaborations
Benefits:
- 25 Days Holiday (plus bank holidays)
- Company Pension scheme: Company contribution of 5% of salary after 3 months’ service
- Eligible for company share option scheme after one years’ service
- Company bonus scheme, discretionary, dependent on performance
- Private medical insurance after 3 months’ service
Please note: Only candidates with the relevant skills and experience will be contacted regarding this position. If you do not hear back within 10 days of submitting your application then unfortunately you have been unsuccessful. However, you may be contacted in the future to discuss other opportunities.
No terminology in the advert or job description is intended to discriminate on the grounds of a person’s gender, marital status, race, religion, colour, age, disability or sexual orientation. Every candidate will be assessed only in accordance with their merits, qualifications and abilities to perform the duties of the job.
Please click the APPLY button to send your CV and Cover Letter for the role.
Candidates with the experience or relevant job titles of; Graduate, Nuclear Physicist, PHD Graduate, Nuclear Scientist, Plasma Scientist may also be considered for this role.
