AWE have an exciting opportunity for a Quantum Sensing Scientist to join our Novel Detection Team.

This role offers the opportunity to develop, explore and apply your quantum sensing skills to an area of national importance. AWE has many scientific and technical challenges to measure, image and identify hidden objects. In this role, you will become an expert and lead in one or more areas of Quantum Sensing (QS) to help us see through barriers and image objects at new levels of detail.

This is an exciting opportunity to participate and shape the growing Quantum Capability at AWE.

Location: We are located between Reading and Basingstoke, with onsite parking. There are good bus links between Reading, Basingstoke, and Newbury.

The successful applicant will need to be able to work from our Aldermaston site, but there is scope for a hybrid-working pattern.

Package: 33,770 to 50,650 (depending on your suitability, qualifications, and level of experience).

Closing Date: 17th January 2024

If we receive an exceptionally high level of applications, this vacancy may close early, so don't delay, apply now!

The Role:

Quantum Sensors can be based (broadly) on solids, vapours, or photons. In this role you'll become an expert in one or more areas leading the development and application of Quantum Sensors. You will work with academics, supervising and steering collaborative work to develop capability in QS with potential travel opportunities for collaboration and to attend conferences.

Our application areas include non-destructive evaluation, explosive trials, threat reduction and radiography. You will be responsible for selecting and developing QS techniques that can improve on existing techniques or incept entirely new approaches. Working with the Quantum Technology teams you will articulate the benefits of new QS to our applications teams leading their adoption.

The UK QT programme is large and complicated with stakeholders in academia, industry, and other laboratories. Across the QT teams we aim to link with all the key stakeholders, and in this role, you will have the opportunity to engage across the QT community and build collaborative relationships.

Who Are We Looking For?

Candidates applying for this role should have:

A master's degree in a scientific or STEM discipline, equivalent NQF level 6 qualification plus some relevant industry experience

or

A PhD in a scientific or STEM discipline, or equivalent experience in a relevant role

We would be interested in hearing from candidates who can demonstrate knowledge, skills, or experience in some or all the following:

Optics

Experimental procedure

Vacuum systems

Cryogenics

Radiation detection

Radiography

Stakeholder management

Technical Leadership

In addition to the above you would be expected to have a specialist knowledge in one or more of the following areas:

Quantum mechanics

Atomic magnetometry

Atom interferometry

Entanglement

Non-linear optics

Rydberg atoms

Quantum Information Theory

What will you get from us?

As part of our People Promise, AWE (one of the best 25 big companies to work for in the UK) has a range of benefits to suit you. These include:

Time to recharge your batteries with 270 hours of annual leave (including Bank Holidays).

9-day working fortnight - our employees have every other Friday off work.

Flexible working hours.

Consideration for flexible working arrangements so that your work may fit in with your lifestyle. Just let us know on your application if you wish to work part time.

Family friendly policies: Maternity Leave - 39 Weeks Full Pay and Paternity Leave - 4 Weeks Full Pay.

Opportunities for Professional Career Development that include funding for the annual membership of a relevant professional body, access to mentors and training.

Employee Assistance Programme and Occupational Health Services.

A market leading contributory pension scheme (we will pay between 9% and 13% of your pensionable pay depending on your own contribution).

Life Assurance.

Discounts - access to savings on a wide range of everyday spending savings.

Special Leave Policy including paid time off for volunteering, public service (including reserve forces) and caring for your family.

A host of voluntary & core benefits to suit your health and wellbeing - more information available on our careers site.

Important things you need to know:

Interviews will be 90 minutes in length and will be held over Microsoft Teams. You will be required to prepare a 10-minute presentation in advance.Candidates must be willing and able to obtain and maintain the necessary security clearance for the role. This will be funded by AWE.

Agencies: Please note that we do not out-source our recruitment