Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Experimental Particle Physics
About the position
A four-year position as Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Experimental Particle Physics (ATLAS experiment at the CERN’s Large Hadron Collider) is available at the Department of Physics, University of Oslo, within the Norwegian CERN Research Center.
Starting date no later than October 1, 2024.
The appointment is a fulltime position and is for a period of four years (25 % of which is devoted to required duties, usually in the form of teaching activities and supervision).
No one can be appointed for more than one Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the University of Oslo.
Knowledge development in a changing world – Science and technology towards 2030.
The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
Job description / Project description / Development plan:
The Particle Physics section of the Norwegian Centre for CERN research (NorCC) has an opening for a motivated postdoctoral fellow to join the University of Oslo team involved in the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN.
The present ATLAS physics analysis involvements of the Oslo research group include searches for new physics, including dark matter, supersymmetry and other exotic phenomena, as well as studies of the Higgs boson. The group is heavily involved in distributed computing, software development and the ATLAS detector upgrade, particularly involved in 3D pixel sensors in relation with the planned new tracking detector ITk.
The successful candidate is expected to play an important role in the Run 3 operational period of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), as well as in the preparation of the High Luminosity period. This involves data analysis to search for physics beyond the SM (exotics, dark sector, supersymmetry), deployment of new multivariate analysis methods based on deep learning, and contribution to columnar analysis based on the light data format PhysLite. A strong involvement in an ATLAS Combined Performance group is required, especially dealing with muons and missing transverse energy. It is expected that the candidate participates in the effort of the Oslo group to produce educational material based on open ATLAS data and used by high school students at international masterclasses and advanced university students in research-based courses.
The successful candidate will become a member of the ATLAS Collaboration and will have the possibility of being a signing author (on completion of a relevant qualification task). Frequent travels to and longer term stays at CERN are to be expected.
Postdoctoral fellows who are appointed for a period of four years are expected to acquire basic pedagogical competency in the course of their fellowship period within the duty component of 25 %.
The main purpose of a postdoctoral fellowship is to provide the candidates with enhanced skills to pursue a scientific top position within or beyond academia. To promote a strategic career path, all postdoctoral research fellows are required to submit a professional development plan no later than one month after commencement of the postdoctoral period.
It is expected that the successful candidate will be able to complete the project in the course of the period of employment.
Qualification requirements:
The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences has a strategic ambition to be among Europe’s leading communities for research, education and innovation. Candidates for these fellowships will be selected in accordance with this, and expected to be in the upper segment of their class with respect to academic credentials.
- Applicants must hold a degree equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree in particle physics and related fields. Doctoral dissertation must be submitted for evaluation by the closing date. Only applicants with an approved doctoral thesis and public defense are eligible for appointment.
- Solid experience in high-energy physics and excellent programming skills are required. It is important that the candidate demonstrate sufficient computing and data analysis skills to exploit Run-3 data.
- Fluent oral and written communication skills in English are required.
Desired qualifications:
- Knowledge of and experience with neural networks and machine learning applied to high energy particle physics
- Experience with statistical tools used in HEP
Personal skills:
- Excellent teamwork capabilities, social skills
- Interest in outreach and education
- Ability to work independently and take initiative
We offer:
- Salary NOK 575 400 – 657 300 per annum depending on qualifications in position as Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (position code 1352)
- Attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement
- Professionally stimulating working environment
- Vibrant international academic environment
- Postdoctoral development programmes
- Oslo’s family-friendly surroundings with their rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities
The application must include:
- Cover letter (statement of motivation, summarizing scientific work and research interest)
- CV (summarizing education, positions, pedagogical experience, administrative experience and other qualifying activity)
- Copies of educational certificates, academic transcript of records
- Two Letters of recommendation
- A complete list of publications and up to 5 academic works that the applicant wishes to be considered by the evaluation committee
- Names and contact details of three references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and telephone number)
The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system, please follow the link “apply for this job”. Foreign applicants are advised to attach an explanation of their University’s grading system. Please note that all documents should be in English (or a Scandinavian language).
In assessing the applications, special emphasis will be placed on the documented, academic qualifications, the project description (whenever this is required in the call for applicants), and the quality of the project as well as the candidates’ motivation and personal suitability. Interviews with the best qualified candidates will be arranged.
Formal regulations:
Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Oslo.
If an applicant has applied for and been granted funding for a fulltime research stay abroad while being employed as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, the employment will be prolonged with the equivalent time as the research stay, but for no longer than of twelve months ( thus extending the employment to a maximum of four years)
According to the Norwegian Freedom and Information Act (Offentleglova) information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure.
The University of Oslo has an agreement for all employees, aiming to secure rights to research results a.o.
Inclusion and diversity are a strength. The University of Oslo has a personnel policy objective of achieving a balanced gender composition. Furthermore, we want employees with diverse professional expertise, life experience and perspectives.
If there are qualified applicants with disabilities, employment gaps or immigrant background, we will invite at least one applicant from each of these categories to an interview.
Contact persons:
For further information please contact: Professor Farid Ould-Saada, Email: Farid.Ould-Saada@fys.uio.no, Telephone: +47 94861474
For questions regarding the recruitment system, please contact HR Adviser Elin Thoresen e-mail: elin.thoresen@mn.uio.no
About the University of Oslo
The University of Oslo is Norway’s oldest and highest rated institution of research and education with 28 000 students and 7000 employees. Its broad range of academic disciplines and internationally esteemed research communities make UiO an important contributor to society.
The research at the Department of Physics covers a broad range of subfields within physics and technology: From space research to medical physics.
A good proportion of the research is interdisciplinary, and conducted in close cooperation with collaborators in Norway and abroad. Education and teaching are other essential activities. We offer a broad range of courses, and the Department is involved in several study programmes at bachelor’s and master’s level. Some of the best lecturers in Norway are amongst our employees, and we are proud of our prizewinning teaching and learning environment. The Department has 200 employees, of which 50 are permanent scientific positions. On a yearly basis 20 students complete their Ph.D. and 50 finish their M.Sc. degree.
Deadline: 2024-02-29 at 23:59
Unit: Humanities
Read the job description at the university homepage or apply.