Laser Scientist – EPAC Industrial Placement
| Posting date: | 02 October 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £24,961 per year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 19 October 2025 |
| Location: | Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX |
| Remote working: | On-site only |
| Company: | STFC |
| Job type: | Temporary |
| Job reference: | 1248 |
Summary
Organisation: Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Salary: £24,961 per annum
Contract Type: Fixed-Term (12 months)
Hours: Full-time (37 hours per week)
Location: Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Campus, Didcot
Start Date: September 2026
Closing Date: Sunday, 19 October 2025
Interview Date: December 2025 / January 2026
About the Role
EPAC (Extreme Photonics and Applications Centre) is a newly built UK national laser facility and one of the most powerful pulsed laser systems globally. It enables cutting-edge experiments in plasma physics, particle acceleration, medical applications, laboratory astrophysics and more.
As part of the Central Laser Facility (CLF), EPAC offers a collaborative and inclusive research environment. You’ll join a team working on the final stages of commissioning this world-class laser system and contribute to its first user experiments. This placement offers a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience in high-power laser physics, optics, and simulation — skills that will be invaluable in any scientific or technical career.
Key Responsibilities
- Assist in commissioning and operating high-power laser systems
- Support optomechanical installation, data acquisition and optimisation
- Align and verify diagnostics for short-pulse laser output
- Conduct computational work using MATLAB and Opticstudio
- Operate technical equipment including oscilloscopes, spectrometers and cameras
- Document progress through technical and scientific writing
- Support research teams and user experiments
Person Specification
Essential Criteria (assessed via shortlisting and/or interview):
✔Currently enrolled on an undergraduate degree and returning to complete your studies after the placement (S)
✔Required or have requested to undertake an industrial placement year (S)
✔Eligible to live and work in the UK for the duration of the placement (S)
✔Available to start in summer 2026 (S)
✔Minimum of two years of a physics or closely related degree with grades equivalent to a 2:1 or higher (S)
✔A-level Maths or equivalent (S)
✔A-level Physics or equivalent (S)
Desirable Criteria:
✔Knowledge of basic optics (S&I)
✔Experience in experimental physics lab courses (S&I)
✔Knowledge of a programming language (e.g. Visual Basic, C++, MATLAB) (S&I)
✔Understanding of laser/optical theory (S&I)
✔Further Maths qualification (S&I)
✔Strong physics knowledge (S&I)
To view the full job description and explore our employee benefits, please click ‘Apply’ to be redirected to our careers site.
Employee Benefits
✔30 days annual leave plus 10.5 bank holidays and privilege days
✔Flexible working hours
✔Defined average salary pension scheme
✔Free parking and accessible public transport links
✔Excellent learning and development opportunities
✔Cycle to work scheme
More about our benefits: https://stfccareers.co.uk/rewards-and-benefits/
Application Guidance
Please note that we can only accept a maximum of 2 applications per candidate.
Part of our application process involves submitting your CV and a cover letter. Your cover letter should address your suitability for the opportunity based on how you meet each essential criteria stated in this advert.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if a sufficient number of applications have been received.
Why Join Us?
We ask some of the biggest questions in the universe, to answer some of the biggest challenges in the world. Together, our scientists, technologists, engineers and business support team explore the unknown across every field you could think of. And they turn what they find into work that changes the world around us.
What could you achieve with the world-leading facilities and experts of one of Europe's largest research organisations by your side?
Join us and discover what's possible!
Salary: £24,961 per annum
Contract Type: Fixed-Term (12 months)
Hours: Full-time (37 hours per week)
Location: Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Campus, Didcot
Start Date: September 2026
Closing Date: Sunday, 19 October 2025
Interview Date: December 2025 / January 2026
About the Role
EPAC (Extreme Photonics and Applications Centre) is a newly built UK national laser facility and one of the most powerful pulsed laser systems globally. It enables cutting-edge experiments in plasma physics, particle acceleration, medical applications, laboratory astrophysics and more.
As part of the Central Laser Facility (CLF), EPAC offers a collaborative and inclusive research environment. You’ll join a team working on the final stages of commissioning this world-class laser system and contribute to its first user experiments. This placement offers a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience in high-power laser physics, optics, and simulation — skills that will be invaluable in any scientific or technical career.
Key Responsibilities
- Assist in commissioning and operating high-power laser systems
- Support optomechanical installation, data acquisition and optimisation
- Align and verify diagnostics for short-pulse laser output
- Conduct computational work using MATLAB and Opticstudio
- Operate technical equipment including oscilloscopes, spectrometers and cameras
- Document progress through technical and scientific writing
- Support research teams and user experiments
Person Specification
Essential Criteria (assessed via shortlisting and/or interview):
✔Currently enrolled on an undergraduate degree and returning to complete your studies after the placement (S)
✔Required or have requested to undertake an industrial placement year (S)
✔Eligible to live and work in the UK for the duration of the placement (S)
✔Available to start in summer 2026 (S)
✔Minimum of two years of a physics or closely related degree with grades equivalent to a 2:1 or higher (S)
✔A-level Maths or equivalent (S)
✔A-level Physics or equivalent (S)
Desirable Criteria:
✔Knowledge of basic optics (S&I)
✔Experience in experimental physics lab courses (S&I)
✔Knowledge of a programming language (e.g. Visual Basic, C++, MATLAB) (S&I)
✔Understanding of laser/optical theory (S&I)
✔Further Maths qualification (S&I)
✔Strong physics knowledge (S&I)
To view the full job description and explore our employee benefits, please click ‘Apply’ to be redirected to our careers site.
Employee Benefits
✔30 days annual leave plus 10.5 bank holidays and privilege days
✔Flexible working hours
✔Defined average salary pension scheme
✔Free parking and accessible public transport links
✔Excellent learning and development opportunities
✔Cycle to work scheme
More about our benefits: https://stfccareers.co.uk/rewards-and-benefits/
Application Guidance
Please note that we can only accept a maximum of 2 applications per candidate.
Part of our application process involves submitting your CV and a cover letter. Your cover letter should address your suitability for the opportunity based on how you meet each essential criteria stated in this advert.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if a sufficient number of applications have been received.
Why Join Us?
We ask some of the biggest questions in the universe, to answer some of the biggest challenges in the world. Together, our scientists, technologists, engineers and business support team explore the unknown across every field you could think of. And they turn what they find into work that changes the world around us.
What could you achieve with the world-leading facilities and experts of one of Europe's largest research organisations by your side?
Join us and discover what's possible!
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.