Open Position Research Support Position for the ATLAS PIXEL Group within the framework of the Severo Ochoa

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.

About the ATLAS PIXEL GROUP

The IFAE ATLAS Pixel Group plays a leading role in the detector upgrade program of the ATLAS experiment at CERN, in preparation for the High-Luminosity phase of the Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC). The group is deeply involved in the design, construction, and qualification of two major subsystems: the High Granularity Timing Detector (HGTD) and the Inner Tracker (ITk) Pixel Detector. Since the inception of these microelectronics activities, IFAE has accumulated extensive institutional expertise from sensor hybridization to the testing and characterization of both non-irradiated and irradiated modules.

Currently, the assembly, testing, and qualification of the linear triplets for the ITk Pixel detector and the HGTD modules are being carried out on-site. These production and characterization workflows rely heavily on the specialized infrastructure within the IFAE clean-rooms.

The IFAE facility features a Class 10,000/100,000 cleanroom fully equipped for high-precision microelectronic assembly and quality control. This specialized instrumentation includes a Suss MicroTec FC150 flip-chip bonder for executing advanced bump-bonding processes, a PacTech SB2-SM solder ball deposition machine, an F&K Delvotec G5 automatic wedge-to-wedge bonder, an ATV reflow oven, a Finetech pick-and-place machine, and a dedicated Leica microscope, among other advanced systems.

Beyond the ATLAS upgrade experiment activities, IFAE is involved in the T2K neutrino experiment, the MAGIC and the CTA - LST telescopes, the Dark Energy Survey, the ESA Euclid satellite, and the VIRGO Gravitational Waves experiment, among others. IFAE also works at the cutting edge of detector technology for medical applications. The clean room equipment and activities therein play a critical role in several of these projects.

What will be your role?

You will be contributing to the design, assembly, and commissioning of the instruments that IFAE is developing in particular to the ATLAS upgrade activities in the clean rooms. You will work in a semi-autonomous way under the supervision and guidance of a senior engineer, the principal investigator responsible for the ATLAS production and the head of the Technical Division.

Required skills

We are looking for a research support person with experience in:

• Design, implementation, assembly, and testing of analogue and digital hardware
• Microelectronics assembly

Clean room experience will be positively reviewed, in particular:

• Bump bonding of detectors and readout electronics
• Wire bonding
• Bump Deposition
• Quality control of all the microelectronics assembly processes
• Experience in microelectronics fabrication facilities and processes

The candidate should be organized and creative so she/he can find ways to propose solutions to the problems of the design, be flexible to accommodate changes, willing to learn new skills when needed, have hands-on attitude, and able to work in an international environment.

Evaluation criteria

Offered contract

• Full-time Contract (40 h/week). Flexible schedule.
• Temporal Contract for two years. It features an “actividades científico-técnicas” contract (under Article 23-bis of the Spanish Act 14/2011, Ley de la ciencia, la tecnología y la innovación) linked to the Ayuda CEX2024-001441-S financiada por la Agencia Estatal de Investigación. Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades.
• The position will correspond to a Tècnic/a de suport.
• Contract Period: Initial assignment for a period of two years.
• Expected starting date: September 2026.
• Probation Period: 6 months.
• Salary will be proportional to experience and qualifications within the corresponding category range.
• Work with interesting science experimental projects (scientific instrumentation, detectors, satellite systems, telescope systems, small experiments).
• Traveling to scientific singular infrastructures.
• Opportunity to gain experience learning first-hand.
• Personal growth, innovation, and learning every day.

Application Process

Send applications to: Prof. Sebastián Grinstein (sgrinstein@ifae.es ) and rrhh@ifae.es with the subject line: 2026-31_ATLAS_PIXEL_SO_Technician.

The mail should include a cover letter and an updated CV. Sending CVs to the above address implies consent to the legal warning at the bottom of IFAE’s Home Page.

Applications imply consent to IFAE’s data-privacy/legal notice.

Selection will be by a Selection Committee. Shortlisted candidates may be interviewed (online) if necessary. IFAE follows equal-opportunity policies and particularly encourages applications from under-represented groups.

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.

You may contact Prof. Sebastian Grinstein (sgrinstein@ifae.es ) for any questions related to this job opening.

Equal Opportunity

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.

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.

IFAE holds the European Commission HR Excellence in Research Award and is committed to the principles of the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers.

Funding Statement

Ayuda CEX2024-001441-S financiada por la Agencia Estatal de Investigación. Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades.