Accelerator Scientist & Radiation Laboratory Facility Supervisor
About The Position
The UMass Lowell Radiation Laboratory invites applications for an Accelerator Scientist and Facility Supervisor to provide scientific, technical, and operational support for the laboratory’s 5.5-MV Van de Graaff accelerator facility. The position combines hands-on responsibility for the safe, reliable, and effective operation of the accelerator with a research facing role supporting faculty, students, postdoctoral researchers, external users, and industry collaborators. The successful candidate will operate, maintain, troubleshoot, and improve the accelerator and associated systems; support experimental research and facility users; train and mentor accelerator operators and student researchers; and contribute to the continued development of the facility. The position will also provide opportunities to contribute to grant proposals, technical reports, publications, and collaborative research projects and to participate in the development of new experimental capabilities, facility upgrades, and future accelerator initiatives. The UMass Lowell Radiation Laboratory is a multidisciplinary research facility supporting university research and education as well as government and industry partnerships. The laboratory includes both a 5.5-MV Van de Graaff accelerator facility and a 1-MW Research Reactor, providing a distinctive environment for nuclear science, detector development, radiation effects studies, materials research, instrumentation development, and workforce training. The Accelerator Scientist and Facility Supervisor provides scientific, technical, and operational support for the 5.5-MV Van de Graaff accelerator facility and associated beamlines within the UMass Lowell Radiation Laboratory. The position combines hands-on responsibility for safe and reliable accelerator performance with a research-facing role that supports faculty, students, postdoctoral researchers, external users, and industry collaborators. Working under the direction of the Associate Director for the accelerator facility, the staff member is expected to maintain and improve accelerator operations, develop new capabilities, contribute to proposals and technical reports, mentor operators and trainees, and help shape future initiatives such as major upgrades or acquisition of new accelerator capabilities.
Requirements
- Ph.D. in nuclear physics, accelerator physics, applied physics, nuclear engineering, electrical engineering, or a closely related discipline; or a master's or bachelor’s degree with substantial directly relevant accelerator experience and demonstrated readiness to perform at a comparable level.
- At least 5 years of experience is preferred.
- Hands-on experience operating, maintaining, troubleshooting, or commissioning a charged-particle accelerator or comparable high-voltage/high-vacuum research system.
- Experience supporting experiments, users, or research programs in a laboratory, user-facility, or comparable technical setting.
- Ability to diagnose and resolve complex technical problems independently and in collaboration with faculty, researchers, students, and technical staff.
- Working knowledge of accelerator operations, beam tuning, instrumentation, radiation safety practices, and laboratory documentation.
- Ability to mentor and train users and student personnel in a safe, inclusive, and research-productive environment.
- Strong written and oral communication skills, including the ability to contribute to proposals, technical documentation, and presentations.
Nice To Haves
- Experience with Van de Graaff, tandem, Pelletron, compact cyclotron, or other small-to-mid-scale research accelerators.
- Experience with one or more of the following: electrostatic accelerators, ion sources, RF or pulsed systems, beam transport hardware, diagnostics, controls, vacuum systems, electronics, or data-acquisition systems.
- Machining, electrical and electronic expertise, hydraulics, pneumatics, cryogenic liquids, high pressure gasses, high-vacuum systems.
- Record of peer-reviewed research, technical publications, or presentations in nuclear science, accelerator science, or a closely related area.
- Experience contributing to grant proposals, sponsored research, user-facility development, or externally funded technical projects.
- Experience supervising or coordinating students, operators, or technical personnel.
- Experience planning or leading upgrades, new diagnostics, commissioning activities, or capital equipment acquisition.
Responsibilities
- Operate, maintain, troubleshoot, and improve the accelerator and associated systems
- Support experimental research and facility users
- Train and mentor accelerator operators and student researchers
- Contribute to the continued development of the facility
- Contribute to grant proposals, technical reports, publications, and collaborative research projects
- Participate in the development of new experimental capabilities, facility upgrades, and future accelerator initiatives
- Maintain and improve accelerator operations
- Develop new capabilities
- Contribute to proposals and technical reports
- Mentor operators and trainees
- Help shape future initiatives such as major upgrades or acquisition of new accelerator capabilities
Benefits
- full-time, benefited
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
Education Level
Ph.D. or professional degree
