Scientist / Engineer – Atomic Magnetometry

About the Role
Do you have the skills to be part of NPL’s role in giving the UK a world-leading position in the rapidly developing quantum technology market? We have an opportunity for a talented individual to join our expanding atomic magnetometry team to do just this.

We are looking for a physicist or engineer with a physics background to contribute to a wide spectrum of projects that will develop the next generation of quantum technologies, all the way from new scientific innovations to implementation in industrial scenarios. The role offers the opportunity to work in collaboration with industry partners and government departments to develop components and ultra-sensitive portable atomic sensors for use in structural defect detection, manufacturing control, object detection, surveillance, short-range communication and many more.

Responsibilities will include:

Developing atomic magnetometers for application in fundamental research and industrial testing
Extending the performance of atomic magnetometers beyond standard quantum limits
Developing test & evaluation capabilities for atomic magnetometers to support UK sovereign and industry needs
Working closely with the NPL team, industry partners and government departments to develop new concepts and instrumentation, and validate the instrumentation in various measurement schemes.
About You
The ideal candidate will be a physicist or engineer with a background in physics (or a related subject) who is a rigorous problem solver able to work both independently and as part of a team.

Essential skills:

PhD qualified in Physics (post doc experience not required)*
Experience with lab instrumentation such as lasers, laser optics, lock-in amplifiers
Work experience within an engineering, research and development, or hardware development environment
A rigorous approach to problem solving, ability to work independently and as part of a team, as well as excellent written and verbal communication
An inquisitive mind and willingness to interact dynamically within a team
*We will consider candidates who are close to finishing their PhD.

Advantageous skills include:

Knowledge of the atomic physics concepts
Programming experience in LabView, MatLab and Python are preferable
Electronics design and implementation
Systems engineering, hardware and software design
Offer and salary will be dependent on experience. We will be reviewing applications prior to the official close date, so we may change the close date if needed.

About The Company
NPL and BEIS have strong commitments to diversity and equality of opportunity, and welcome applications from candidates irrespective of their background, gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, or age, providing they meet the required criteria. Applications from women, disabled and BAME candidates in particular are encouraged. All disabled candidates (as defined by the Equality Act 2010) who satisfy the minimum criteria for the role will be guaranteed an interview under the Disability Confident Scheme.

We’re transforming. As a national laboratory, we’re exploring even more commercial routes to market and that’s presenting us with greater opportunity – for you and us. Our success relies on the diversity and talent of our people, we strive to nurture and respect individuals to ensure everyone feels valued and supported to excel in their chosen field. This value is at the core of our organisation.

We believe in a culture of fairness by treating everyone on the basis of their own individual merits and abilities regardless of their own or perceived identity, background or any other factor irrelevant to a person’s work. At NPL we are committed to the health and well-being of our employees. Flexible working and social activities are embedded in our culture to create a positive work-life balance, along with a broad range of benefits. NPL’s values are at the heart of what we do and they shape the way we interact, develop our people and celebrate success.

As part of our commitment to diversity & inclusion, we signed up to the Institute of Physics' Project Juno in 2015 as a Juno Supporter. NPL were proud to be awarded Juno Practitioner status in 2018. NPL also joined Stonewall as a Diversity champion in 2015, participating in their annual Workplace Equality Index for the equality of LGBT+ community at NPL. In 2018, NPL became a member of the Business Disability Forum and joined the disability confident scheme as level 1 committed employer.

To ensure everyone has an equal chance, we’re always willing to make reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process. If you would like to discuss, please contact us.