Durham University

Durham University is one of the world's top universities with strengths across the Arts and Humanities, Sciences and Social Sciences. We are home to some of the most talented scholars and researchers from around the world who are tackling global issues and making a difference to people's lives.

The University sits in a beautiful historic city where it shares ownership of a UNESCO World Heritage Site with Durham Cathedral, the greatest Romanesque building in Western Europe. A collegiate University, Durham recruits outstanding students from across the world and offers an unmatched wider student experience.

Less than 3 hours north of London, and an hour and a half south of Edinburgh, County Durham is a region steeped in history and natural beauty. The Durham Dales, including the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, are home to breathtaking scenery and attractions. Durham offers an excellent choice of city, suburban and rural residential locations. The University provides a range of benefits including pension and childcare benefits and the University's Relocation Manager can assist with potential schooling requirements.

Durham University seeks to promote and maintain an inclusive and supportive environment for work and study that assists all members of our University community to reach their full potential. Diversity brings strength and we welcome applications from across the international, national and regional communities that we work with and serve.

The Department

The Department of Physics at Durham University is one of the leading UK Physics departments with an outstanding reputation for excellence in teaching, research and employability of our students.

The Department is committed to advancing equality and we aim to ensure that our culture is inclusive, and that our systems support flexible and family-friendly working, as recognized by our Juno Champion and Athena SWAN Silver awards. We recognise and value the benefits of diversity throughout our staff and students.

The Centre for Advanced Instrumentation (CfAI) is a large research group in the Department of Physics at Durham University with approximately seventy staff and research students. CfAI's mission is to design and develop novel instrumentation based on cutting edge technologies. CfAI develops state-of-the-art ground and space-based instruments for applications across a wide range of disciplines including adaptive optics, spectroscopy, biophysics, remote sensing, laser communications, and fusion diagnostics.

CfAI has provided major instruments for many of the world's leading astronomical facilities including the James Webb Space Telescope, William Herschel Telescope, Gemini Telescopes, Southern African Large Telescope and the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope. Major current ground-based instrumentation projects in CfAI include HARMONI and MOSAIC, the first-light spectrograph and multi-object spectrograph for the upcoming 39m diameter Extremely Large Telescope.

The Role

Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Associate position in the Adaptive Optics group in Durham. The role will be focused on the development and modelling of a hyperspectral pyramid wave-front sensor for extreme adaptive optics. This project is initially funded as part of a UKRI Infrastructure Fund activity towards early R&D for the ELT-PCS instrument. ELT-PCS is the planetary camera and spectrograph for ESO's 39-m Extremely Large Telescope.

We are building a test-bench to demonstrate a novel hyperspectral WFS based on a pyramid WFS in combination with a Kinetic Inductance Detector. KIDs are energy resolving detectors which, when combined with a Pyramid WFS can enable radically different approaches to wave-front sensing. You will be expected to contribute to the design and development of the test-bench. This will include modelling and characterising the performance of the test bench. All of this will be done as a member of the CfAI AO group where you will join an experienced group of AO scientists and engineers based here in Durham, who will work with you on this exciting new R&D program.

Through this position you will be making a crucial contribution to the development of this research programme. This role will suit someone who wishes to gain practical experience of taking novel research outputs and developing technologies from them to the level where they can be incorporated into cutting edge scientific instruments. You will be expected to work in close collaboration with other members of CfAI as well as our international partners who have a wide range of scientific and engineering backgrounds.

Responsibilities:

• To understand and convey material of a specialist or highly technical nature to the team or group of people through presentations and discussions that leads to the presentation of research papers in conferences, project design reviews and publications.

• To prepare and deliver presentations on research outputs/activities to audiences which may include: research sponsors, academic and non-academic audiences.

• To publish high quality outputs, including papers for submission to peer reviewed journals and papers for presentation at conferences and workshops under the direction of the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder.

• To assist with the development of research objectives and proposals.

• To conduct individual and collaborative research projects under the direction of the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder.

• To work with the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder and other colleagues in the research group, as appropriate, to identify areas for research, develop new research methods and extend the research portfolio.

• To deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines by discussing with the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder and offering creative or innovative solutions.

• To liaise with research colleagues and make internal and external contacts to develop knowledge and understanding to form relationships for future research collaboration.

• To plan and manage own research activity, research resources in collaboration with others and contribute to the planning of research projects.

• To deliver training in research techniques/approaches to peers, visitors and students as appropriate.

• To be involved in student supervision, as appropriate, and assist with the assessment of the knowledge of students.

• To contribute to fostering a collegial and respectful working environment which is inclusive and welcoming and where everyone is treated fairly with dignity and respect.

• To engage in wider citizenship to support the department and wider discipline.

• To engage in continuing professional development by participation in the undergraduate or postgraduate teaching programmes or by membership of departmental committees, etc. and by attending relevant training and development courses.

This post is fixed term to coincide with the duration of our existing funding, which will end on 31st March 2026. There is the possibility for extension beyond this period if additional funding can be secured.

The post-holder is employed to work on research/a research project which will be led by another colleague. Whilst this means that the post-holder will not be carrying out independent research in his/her own right, the expectation is that they will contribute to the advancement of the project, through the development of their own research ideas/adaptation and development of research protocols.

Successful applicants will ideally be in post by 1st December 2024.

Working at Durham

A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University: you will also receive access to the following fantastic benefits:

• 30 Days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year - a total of 42 days per year.

• The University closes between Christmas and New Year - please include or delete if not applicable.

• We offer a generous pension scheme, As a new member of staff you will be automatically enrolled into the University Superannuation Scheme (USS).

• No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered. We have parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies.

• There is a genuine commitment to developing our colleagues professionally and personally. There is a comprehensive range of development courses, apprenticeships and access to qualifications and routes to develop your career in the University. All staff have dedicated annual time to concentrate on their personal development opportunities.

• Lots of support for health and wellbeing including discounted membership for our state of the art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme.

• On site nursery is available and children's clubs in the summer holidays.

• Family friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, which are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers).

• The opportunity to take part in staff volunteering activities to make a difference in the local community

• Discounts are available via our benefits portal including; money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, the cinema and days out at various attractions.

• A salary sacrifice scheme is also available to help you take advantage of tax savings on benefits.

• If you are moving to Durham, we can help with removal costs and we have a dedicated team who can help you with the practicalities such as house hunting and schools. If you need a visa, we cover most visa costs and offer an interest free loan scheme to pay for dependant visas.

Durham University is committed to equality diversity, inclusion and values

Our collective aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential and we believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work. As a University equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key part of the University's Strategy and a central part of everything we do. We also live by our values and our Staff Code of Conduct. At Durham we actively work towards providing an environment where our staff and students can study, work and live in a community which is supportive and inclusive. It's important to us that all of our colleagues are aligned to both our values and commitment to EDI.

We welcome and encourage applications from members of groups who are under-represented in our work force including people with disabilities, women and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. If you have taken time out of your career, and you feel it relevant, let us know about it in your application. If you are a candidate with a disability, we are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to support the interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, reasonable adjustments will be made to support people within their role.
The Requirements

Essential:

1. Qualifications

• A good first degree in Engineering, Mathematics, Computer Science or Physics.

• A PhD (or be close to submission) in any of the above fields.

2. Experience

• Experience in conducting high quality academic research.

• Demonstrable ability to write material of a quality commensurate with publication in highly-ranked journals.

• Demonstrable ability to present research papers at international conferences and communicate complex information to specialists within the wider academic community.

• Experience in the design, simulation, alignment, performance characterisation or development of adaptive optics systems.

3. Skills

• Demonstrable ability to work cooperatively as part of a team, including participating in research meetings.

• Ability to work independently on own initiative and to strict deadlines.

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

• Competence in written English and technical authoring.

• Demonstrable competence in the use of Python programming language for data analysis and presentation of data products

Desirable:

4. Experience

• Experience in the modelling of pyramid wavefront sensor data in the presence of optical atmospheric turbulence

• Demonstrable ability to develop research proposals and designs in collaboration with other academics.

5. Experience of overseeing students with respect to the development of their practical/research skills e.g. acting as a demonstrator; supervising student projects/experiments.

6. Skills

• Demonstrable ability to plan and manage independent research.

How to Apply

We prefer to receive applications online via the Durham University Vacancies Site.https://www.dur.ac.uk/jobs/. As part of the application process, you should provide details of 3 (preferably academic/research) referees and the details of your current line manager so that we may seek an employment reference.

Applications are particularly welcome from women and black and minority ethnic candidates, who are under-represented in academic posts in the University .

What to Submit

All applicants are asked to submit:

• A CV and covering letter which details your experience, strengths and potential in the requirements set out above;

• [List of Publications]

Contact Information

Department contact for academic-related enquiries: Dr Tim Morris () All enquiries will be treated in the strictest confidence.