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H-Mode Pedestal MHD Modeller

Employer
UK Atomic Energy Authority
Location
Culham, Oxfordshire, UK
Salary
£40,609 (inclusive of MPP) + excellent benefits including outstanding pension
Posting live until
6 Mar 2025
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Job Details

H-Mode Pedestal MHD Modeller
Full-time
Salary: £40,609 (inclusive of MPP) + excellent benefits including outstanding pension
Division: Plasma Science and Fusion Operations
Site Location: UKAEA Culham, Oxfordshire
Confirmed Grade: Level 4
Department: Plasma Physics

Company Description

By 2050, the planet could be using twice as much electricity compared to 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 leads the way in realising fusion energy, partnering with industry and research for groundbreaking advancements. Our goal is to bring fusion electricity to the grid, supported by tomorrow's power stations. In pursuit of our mission, UKAEA embraces core values: Innovative, Committed, Trusted, and Collaborative.

As an employee of UKAEA you will benefit from:

  • Outstanding defined benefit pension scheme, details of which can be found at the end of this advert;
  • Corporate bonus scheme up to 7% and a Relocation allowance (if eligible);
  • Flexible working options including family friendly policies and the right to request flexible working from the start of your employment;
  • Employee Assistance Programme and trained Mental Health First Aiders;
  • Generous annual leave allowance starting with 25 days, plus 3 days Christmas closure and 2.5 privilege days, in addition to UK bank holidays;
  • Wide range of career development opportunities;
  • A vibrant culture committed to equality and being fully inclusive.

The salary for this role is £40,609 (inclusive of a Market Premium Payment (MPP), and onsite working is expected for 3 days a week.

Job Description

This role is based at Culham, Oxfordshire.

This role requires employees to complete an online Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), including The Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks for criminal convictions.

The Role

As a H-Mode Pedestal MHD Modeller, you will model tokamak pedestal plasmas using non-linear MHD stability codes. The modelling will focus on the pedestal stability and ELM crash dynamics and will help to understand the processes governing the pedestal limits and evolution as well as to evaluate and minimise the divertor heat loads from ELMs. You'll use the models for predicting and optimising pedestals in future fusion devices such as ST based power plant designs to be developed in the STEP programme, as well as developing methods to mitigate and suppress the ELMs.

Additional Responsibilities:

  • To run and analyse results from JOREK for simulated equilibria in future devices to predict ELM behaviour and construct ELM mitigation methods;
  • To propose and develop models describing the physical processes in the H-mode pedestal ;
  • The postholder shall strongly interact with experimental colleagues and other modellers and play an active role in contributing to pedestal elements of the research programme on STEP;
  • Report results at science and other regular progress meetings;
  • Disseminate results through conferences and peer reviewed journal papers.

Qualifications

Essential Requirements:

  • PhD level of knowledge of numerical modelling of physical experiments;
  • Proven ability to carry out detailed analysis of experimental and modelled data, use of suitable tools, error analysis, etc.;
  • Proficiency with programming languages, e.g. C, FORTRAN, IDL, Python;
  • Proficiency with running codes in high performance computing environment;
  • Proven ability to conduct independent physics research;
  • Good oral and written communications skills;
  • Excellent team-player with an outward facing work-ethos as you will work closely with scientists from around the world.

Your career development as a scientist will be strongly supported, including working towards chartership with the Institute of Physics.

Additional Information

For a full list of benefits and to apply, select the apply button to be taken through to the UKAEA careers pages.

We welcome applications from under-represented groups, particularly individuals from black and other ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities, and women. Our Executive team, supported by our 'Equality, Diversity and Inclusion' (EDI) Partner and Inclusion Ambassadors, actively promotes EDI and takes steps to increase diversity within our organization. We reinforce best practices in recruitment and selection and evaluate approaches to remove barriers to success.

Please note that vacancies are generally advertised for 4 weeks but may close earlier if we receive a large number of applications.

Company

UKAEA profile imageUKAEA researches nuclear fusion (the power source of the Sun), to develop a viable future low carbon energy source. UKAEA operates two major fusion experiments, Europe’s JET and UK’s MAST Upgrade; has technology centres in robotics, materials and component testing; and is embarking on a UK powerplant design activity – STEP.

Why study with us
Harnessing fusion power for future electricity production is an enormous scientific challenge. It requires a very hot gas of fusion fuels to be confined and controlled. A scientific career at UKAEA promises to be intellectually stimulating. Research roles range from experimental physicists on UKAEA’s MAST Upgrade and the European JET fusion experiments to theoretical physicists modelling complex plasma behaviour. And ultimately, you are working directly towards a new zero carbon future – what better reason to get up in the morning?

Training and development
UKAEA is committed to developing all employees by offering a range of programmes and support to suit their individual career aspirations. Our advanced apprenticeship and graduate schemes are certified by IMechE and IET and we are members of the IET Power Academy. In the physics field we offer PhD and MSc opportunities and Culham Research Fellowships. In addition to the structured development schemes we also provide individual development as needed by the business and career trajectories, including management development opportunities.

Graduate schemes
UKAEA’s two-year graduate programme provides the opportunity to obtain skills and experience to launch your career, working on projects that make a real contribution to developing clean energy from fusion. You will spend 80% of your time on your job role and technical development and 20% on graduate scheme activities. Some of the 20% is allocated to specific tasks with the remaining time dedicated to activities chosen by you in discussion with your line manager, mentor and graduate scheme management.

What we are looking for
We are currently seeking to recruit physicists to work in a number of areas of tokamak plasma modelling such as:

  • Gyrokinetic simulations of core plasma turbulence (two positions)
  • Fast particle physics
  • Plasma disruptions
  • Runaway electron physics
  • Radiofrequency (RF) physics

Come and join us on the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) programme, which is an exciting programme that aims to demonstrate fusion as a net-zero carbon energy source.


Location
Abingdon, Oxfordshire, UK

Number of researchers
6

How to apply
Apply online at www.ccfe.ukaea.uk/physicist-opportunities

Closing date
All year round

Contact
Tel +44 (0)1235 528822
E-mail recruitment@ukaea.uk
https://ccfe.ukaea.uk

Company info
Website
Telephone
+44 (0)1235 528822
Location
Culham Science Centre
Abingdon
OX14 3DB
GB

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