Physicist Programmer (Research Fellow) in Particle Physics
| Posting date: | 12 February 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £48,822.00 to £56,535.00 per year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 02 March 2026 |
| Location: | LA1 4YW |
| Company: | Lancaster University |
| Job type: | Temporary |
| Job reference: | 0083-26 |
Summary
We are seeking to appoint a Physicist Programmer (Research Fellow) to join the Experimental Particle Physics Group from 1st April 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter. You would work under the supervision of Professor Helen O’Keeffe.
In the first instance this post is funded to support our work with the Tokai to Kamioka (T2K) and Hyper-Kamiokande experiments. T2K is a long-baseline neutrino experiment situated in Japan, that utilises an intense beam of muon (anti)neutrinos to make precision measurements of neutrino oscillation parameters and interaction cross sections. Within the T2K collaboration, the Lancaster group specialises in developing samples for inclusion in the near detector fitting framework for the oscillation analysis and support for the near detector software framework.
The Hyper-Kamiokande experiment is a next-generation long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment that is currently under construction in Japan. Hyper-Kamiokande will use an upgraded (anti)neutrino beam and a water Cherenkov detector approximately eight times larger than that used in T2K. Hyper-Kamiokande will undertake a rich programme of physics, including studies of CP-violation, neutrino oscillations, proton decay, atmospheric neutrinos and astrophysical neutrinos. The Lancaster group has significant roles in the development of the simulation software framework, data acquisition and trigger systems, and sensitivity studies for the oscillation analysis.
You will be expected to make significant, leading contributions to software development and support across multiple experiments within the Lancaster Experimental Particle Physics Group. Initially, this position is funded to support our work with the T2K and Hyper-Kamiokande experiments. Involvement with other experiments in the group is expected. For the T2K experiment, they will ensure the readiness of software packages prior to their use by the collaboration, provide documentation, manage the release of software productions and provide support to collaborators. For the Hyper-Kamiokande experiment, they will develop software-based trigger systems and simulation software for the experiment. You would join on an indefinite contract, though the role remains contingent on external funding, which currently ends on 30th September 2027.
Lancaster University is consistently ranked in the top 10 in the UK university league tables. It is located on a beautiful campus in the North-West of England close to the Lake District National Park.
The Department of Physics is committed to family-friendly and flexible working policies on an individual basis, as well as the Athena SWAN Charter, which recognises and celebrates good employment practice undertaken to address gender equality in higher education and research. We are also strongly committed to fostering diversity within our community as a source of excellence, cultural enrichment, and social strength. We welcome those who would contribute to the further diversification of our department.
Informal enquiries can be made to Professor Helen O’Keeffe (h.okeeffe@lancaster.ac.uk) or Professor Roger Jones (r.jones@lancaster.ac.uk)
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