By 2050, the planet could be using twice as much electricity as today. Are you interested in contributing and helping to shape the future of the world’s energy? If so, read on.

Fusion, the process that powers the Sun and stars, is one of the most promising options for generating the cleaner, carbon-free energy that our world badly needs. UKAEA are at the forefront of realising energy from fusion, working with industry and research partners to deliver the ground-breaking developments that will underpin tomorrow's fusion power stations with the aim of bringing fusion electricity to the grid.

Who are we looking for?

UKAEA has established a national programme that is exploring the options, challenges and solutions for accelerating the delivery of fusion power: the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP). This compact fusion reactor is expected to operate in a hitherto uncharted high beta burning plasma domain. UKAEA operates MAST-U, one of the world’s leading spherical tokamaks, which is exploring the physics basis for STEP. It also operates JET, the world’s largest tokamak, which is uniquely capable of running deuterium-tritium plasmas.

We are seeking to recruit a physicist to develop and exploit analytical and computational models describing the behaviour of fast particles in STEP, MAST-U, and other tokamaks supported by EUROfusion.
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What will you be responsible for?

Depending on your experience and abilities, some of your responsibilities will include some or all of the following:

• Planning, coordinating and performing work on the modelling of fast particle behaviour in tokamak plasmas, focusing in particular on fast particle drive of plasma instabilities, non-classical transport of fast ions due to MHD and fast particle-driven instabilities, the effects of fast particle-driven instabilities on bulk plasma transport and the effects of fast particles on plasma turbulence;
• Contributing to the development of codes describing the interaction of fast particles (in particular fusion alpha-particles and injected beam ions) with tokamak plasmas;
• Where possible, validating fast particle models experimentally on MAST-U;
• Contributing to and helping to formulate the research programmes on STEP,  MAST-U and other tokamaks supported by EUROfusion, implementing research strategy in these areas;
• Reporting results at science and other regular progress meetings;
• Disseminating results through conferences and peer-reviewed journal papers.

Essential skills, experience and competence required

• Hold, or be about to hold, a PhD in plasma physics or possess equivalent experience.
• Proficiency with programming languages, e.g. FORTRAN, C, IDL, Python, Matlab.
• Proven ability to conduct independent research.
• A good team-player with an outward-facing work ethos as you will work closely with scientists around the world.
• Good oral and written communications skills.

Desirable skills, experience and competence

• Post-doctoral research experience in fast particle modelling and/or gyrokinetic modelling in tokamak plasmas.
• Experience in developing kinetic tokamak plasma simulation codes.
• Strong record of publications in a closely related field.

What we offer

• A competitive salary  
• A culture committed to being fully inclusive, supported by a Being Inclusive Strategy and Inclusion Ambassadors 
• An Employee Assistance Programme and trained Mental Health First Aiders, with a full calendar of health and wellbeing initiatives 
• Flexible working options including family friendly policies  
• Emergency leave (paid) 
• 30.5 days annual leave (including privilege days and 3 days between Christmas and New Year) increased with length of service 
• Wide range of career development opportunities (e.g professional registration, internal promotions, coaching and mentoring programme)  
• Outstanding defined benefit pension scheme  
• Annual corporate bonus scheme  
• Relocation allowance (if eligible) 

We welcome applications from under-represented groups, particularly from individuals from black and other ethnic minority backgrounds, including nationality and citizenship, people with disabilities, (visible and hidden) and women. Our dedicated Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Partner, with the support of our Inclusion Ambassadors, is actively promoting and advancing diversity and inclusion in the organisation to help make our organisation an employer of choice. We are easily accessible by car and are a 10 minute walk from Culham Railway Station.  

Please be advised that this vacancy is due to close on 13th June 2021 and may close earlier if large or sufficient numbers of applications are received.

Please note all employees working at the UK Atomic Energy Authority will be required to complete an online Disclosure Certificate application as part of their clearance – The Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks will show the details of all current criminal convictions (convictions considered unspent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974) or will confirm that there are no such convictions.

Further details of the STEP project can be found at https://ccfe.ukaea.uk/research/step/.