Open Position Research positions for the Medical Physics Group

About IFAE

The Institut de Física d’Altes Energies (IFAE) is a public consortium of the Generalitat de Catalunya, the Autonomous Government of Catalonia, and the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB, a public university) whose main objective is to carry out research and to contribute to the development of high energy physics from a theoretical, experimental and technological point of view. IFAE has the status of a “University Institute" attached to the UAB and its premises are within the campus of the University. IFAE is also part of the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), an institution of scientific cooperation of seven top research centers committed to creating a collaborative environment of multidisciplinary scientific excellence by fostering collaboration among members of its diverse scientific community.

About Medical Physics group

The Medical Physics Group at IFAE is focused on the development of detector technologies for ionizing radiation. For the last 30 years, it has been working on the application of novel pixel detector technologies for X-ray, PET, and SPECT through European (ERC) and national funded projects. Since the advent of Timepix2, IFAE is part of the Medipix Collaboration at CERN and has actively contributed to the development of both Medipix3 and Medipix4/Timepix4 chips.
The IFAE Medical group is presently collaborating with the nearby Institute of Microelectronics of Barcelona (IMB-CNM) within the SOFTPIX project. A project that aims at building an innovative detector for soft-x rays combining the capabilities of the Timepix4 chip and the novel Low Gain Avalanche Detector (LGAD) technologies developed at IMB-CNM. Moreover, IFAE has direct access to the cutting-edge technology developed in international fundamental physics research collaborations such as ATLAS, K2K, and CTA, fully available in-house resources for the integration of high-density pixel detectors, and a team of engineers that provides a unique environment to carry out ambitious projects in this field.

Required skills and evaluation criteria

The successful candidate will be expected to have:

• A Master of Science (MSc) or equivalent degree in physics, (electronic/physics) engineering or a related discipline is required to be considered for this position.
• Knowledge of Linux and strong programming skills (C/C++ or Python) are desirable.
• Experience in detector R&D or electronics is an advantage.
• The candidate needs to possess excellent English communication skills.

The evaluation criteria and their weighting for the submitted applications will be the following:

• Scientific excellence based on the CV and recommendation letters: 50 points.
• Previous experience: 50 points.
• The successful candidate is expected to engage in a PhD program at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB).

What will be your role?

You will be joining the effort of the Medical Physics Group at IFAE for the development of a novel detector concept for soft x-rays photons imaging and electron microscopy employing the most advanced Low Gain Avalanche Detector (LGAD) technologies. The successful candidate will contribute to the construction, the testing and the final characterisation of the detectors in the IFAE laboratories.

Offered contract:

One full-time (40 hours per week) position, with a temporary contract. There will be a trial period of 6 months. Flexible schedule. Work with interesting experimental science. Travelling to scientific singular infrastructures. Opportunity to gain experience learning first-hand. Personal growth, innovation, and learning every day. The position will correspond to “Tècnic de Recerca” within the IFAE professional categories. Salary will be commensurate with experience and qualifications within the corresponding category range.

Application and Selection process:

Applications should be submitted to Dr. Stefano Terzo (sterzo@ifae.es ) stating the job reference (IFAE2024/13_PHD_MFG) as the subject of the message. The mail should include their updated CV, including a full list of University grades, and arrange to have two letters of reference.
Sending CVs to the above addresses implies consent to the IFAE’s legal warning on data privacy.

The application must contain a personal identification number (DNI, NIE or passport) in order to proceed to the verification of absence of conflict of interest required by Recovery and Resilience Mechanism of the Spanish Government.

IFAE is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity in the workplace and social integration of people with a disability. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates. People from groups that are typically underrepresented in the labour market in general and in Science and Engineering in particular, such as women, minorities, or people with a disability, are particularly encouraged to apply.

A Selection Committee will evaluate the received applications. If more than one candidate seems equally suitable for the position, the Selection Committee will arrange an on-line interview with each one of them as part of the Selection process.

In compliance with article 121 of the Spanish Public Sector Legal Regime Act, staff with a pre-existing relationship with the Consortium administration (Generalitat de Catalunya and Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona) will have priority in the awarding of the position. You may contact Dr. Stefano Terzo (sterzo@ifae.es ) for any questions related to this job opening.