Physicist

An opportunity has arisen within PPD to work on the upgrade of the ATLAS experiment at CERN for the High-Luminosity LHC era. The role will focus on the development and deployment of the new Level-0 Global Trigger and the upgrade of the Level-0 Calorimeter trigger, needed to handle the increased collision rates and intensity as part of the High-Luminosity LHC programme. The RAL PPD group is responsible for the design and manufacture of components of the Level-0 Global Trigger along with the maintenance and upgrade of the existing electron feature extractor (eFEX) for High Luminosity LHC. Together with colleagues from UK universities and beyond, the group will commission and operate the systems within ATLAS at CERN.,

• You will play a key role in the development and integration of the L0 Global Trigger as a large-scale system, along with the re-commissioning of the eFEX, ahead of High-Luminosity LHC data taking


• Become an expert in all aspects of the system, able to provide design recommendations to maximise operational stability and performance


• As a member of the RAL PPD ATLAS L1Calo Group, you'll work closely with other group members and with engineers in the RAL Technology Department along with members of related detector teams within


• ATLAS and with the ATLAS Trigger and Data Acquisition community.


Contacts and Communication
The post is within the ATLAS L1Calo Group at RAL. Close working is essential with collaborators in UK universities and in an international environment at CERN and elsewhere. You will become a member of the international ATLAS experiment.

Other Relevant Information
You would be expected to travel periodically to meetings within the UK, at CERN and at collaborating institutes. A substantial fraction of the time could be spent on long term attachment at CERN during commissioning and subsequent operation of equipment.

You would be able to spend an amount of your time contributing to ATLAS physics analysis, or other research and development within the trigger and data acquisition field as opportunities arise., UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion - a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us.


• Ph.D. in Physics or a related subject, or equivalent experience (S).


• At least 3 years of postdoctoral experience, or equivalent (S&I)


• Programming experience. Our systems currently use C++ and Python. (I)


• Experience of project management (I)


• Ability to work in a distributed international team (I)


• Possessing good communication skills in individual discussions, presentations and written documentation (I)


• Experience handling and developing large-scale systems (I)


• Experience of real-time software development, preferably in Linux or Unix (S&I)


• Experience of integrating and using programmable hardware for modern real-time systems (I).


• Experience of Triggering and/or Detector Operation in Particle Physics (I).


Special Requirements

Willing to travel in UK and Internationally and at some stage to be based at CERN on Long Term Attachment (I)

The Particle Physics Department (PPD) at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) of the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), is one of the largest Particle Physics groups in the UK. We investigate the fundamental particles of nature and the forces that act between them. We design, construct, operate and exploit some of the most sensitive scientific instruments in the world, collaborating with partners in academia, industry and international laboratories such as CERN. We currently work with the ATLAS, CMS, LHCb, DUNE, Hyper-K, Super-K, T2K, nuSTORM, Lux-Zeplin, XLZD, LiquidO/nuCLOUD, MIGDAL, Electron Ion Collider, AION, SWIFT-HEP, Detector R&D (DRD) and GridPP Collaborations., As one of Europe's largest research organisations, we ask the biggest questions in the universe to find answers that change the world around us. We seek understanding. We're proud of the impact we make. And we're committed to helping build a globally competitive, knowledge-based UK economy. Being part of all this means contributing to work that pushes boundaries and creates possibilities. You'll work with, and learn from, true experts. Whatever your role, you'll be free to question, and encouraged to share ideas. And, in a positive and supportive culture, you'll discover just what a difference you can make when you're equipped and inspired to excel.

We're a place where curious minds thrive. Not bound by profit, we explore ideas that others don't, ask questions that others won't, and discover answers that others are not equipped to find. And, alongside Mars landings and black holes, we also explore diverse, international projects in everything from science and engineering to computing and technology. Whether it's at the cutting edge or behind the scenes, our work is intellectually challenging. It's very often ground-breaking. And it's endlessly, irresistibly fascinating., UKRI is an organisation that brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Together, we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision ensuring the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation.

Supporting some of the world's most exciting and challenging research projects, we develop and operate some of the most remarkable scientific facilities in the world. We are pushing the frontiers of human knowledge through fundamental research and delivering benefits for UK society and the economy through world-class research, skills and business-led innovation.

We are offering a 3 year fixed term contract with a whole host of benefits including:

• 30 days holiday (in addition to 10.5 bank holidays and privilege days).


• An excellent average salary pension scheme.


• Employee shopping/travel discounts.


• Excellent learning and development opportunities.


• Visa Sponsorship for candidates applying outside of the UK., Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. For more details, visit Benefits of working for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).


The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment.