Post-Doctoral Fellow ATLAS 1 at NRF National Research Foundation

About the position

Postion Summary:
The SA-CERN programme gives South African researchers and postgraduate students access to the largest open research facility in the world, namely the Large Hadron Collider ([Email Address Removed]h African researchers and postgraduate students participate in the SA-CERN Theory Group and in three experiments in LHC at CERN, namely:
• ATLAS (A Toroidal LHC Apparatus);
• ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment); and
• ISOLDE (Isotope mass Separator On-Line Facility).
The current tracking system of the ATLAS Detector, the Inner Detector (ID), will be replaced during the LHC Phase II shutdown by the Inner Tracker (iTk) to improve the tracking performance and cope with the expected High Luminosity of the (HL-LHC) environment. The Tile Calorimeter (TileCal) electronics will also undergo major upgrades for the HL-LHC for the system can cope with increased radiation and provide better precision in the trigger system.
The SA-ATLAS group contributes to the Phase-II Upgrade of the ATLAS experiments (i) Inner Tracker (iTk) and (ii) Tile Calorimeter (TileCal) electronics. The successful candidates will be officially based at iThemba LABS (https://tlabs.ac.za/) within the Technology and Innovation Platform (TIP), and will work with researchers at the universities that are within the SA-CERN consortium working on the SA-ATLAS upgrade projects.


Key Responsibilities:

• Perform tasks in instrumentation according to the requirements of the Phase-II upgrade projectsLiaise between colleagues in South Africa and CERNAssist in the supervision of graduate students involved in the Phase-II upgradeParticipate in technology transfer activities pertaining to projects related to the Phase-II upgrade

Minimum Qualification:

• Doctoral Degree / NQF 10

Minimum Experience:

• 0-3 years

• PhD in Physics or Engineering

Experience:

• Experienced in instrumentation Readout systemsElectronics

Knowledge:

• Good interpersonal and communication skillsGood teaching and training skillsExcellent analytical thinking skillsExcellent problem-solving abilitiesGood hardware design skillsGood software programming skillsGood communication and team working skillsAbility to work under pressure with minimum supervisionAbility to work as an individual and as a member of a team

The NRF website provides more details on the initiatives and activities
Applicants should submit a comprehensive CV by registering and apply online through the NRF Recruitment and Selection Portal.
Applications should be accompanied by a letter of motivation indicating the applicant·s suitability for the position.
The names and contact details of at least three referees should be provided.

Desired Skills:

• Skilled in applied field of position
• Knowledge to be relevant
• Responsible in performing duties

About The Employer:

The National Research Foundation (NRF) supports and promotes research and human capital development through funding, the provision of National Research Facilities and science outreach platforms and programmes to the broader community in all fields of science and technology, including natural sciences, engineering, social sciences and humanities.
iThemba LABS is Africa’s leading research facility for accelerator-based science that is committed to advance knowledge, transform lives and inspire the nation. We do this through probing fundamental aspects of nuclear structure, investigating the origins of matter, and advancing humanity’s understanding of condensed matter. In addition, we have a direct societal impact through the provision of radioisotopes for the health sector and a biophysics research program focussing on the impact of radiation on human health, as well as isotope analysis for the environmental sector.