Assistant / Associate Professor in Particle Physics

Job description

About the role

The Department of Physics at Imperial College London seeks an outstanding experimental physicist to join us as an Assistant Professor or Associate Professor, and to build a leading research programme focused on searches for hidden-sector particles using accelerator experiments at the intensity frontier.

Imperial participates in several current and future fixed-target experiments searching for feebly interacting particles. Imperial physicists played a leading role in proposing the SHiP (Search for Hidden Particles) experiment at CERN, and have helped drive the experiment from its conception, through CERN approval, and into its current design phase. SHiP will also pursue a distinctive neutrino programme, including studies of tau neutrinos. CERN approved the experiment in 2024, and it is now progressing through detailed design towards construction and long-term operation.

Imperial also participates in several other experiments using high-intensity neutrino beams to constrain dark-sector models and search for feebly interacting particles, including T2K, SBN, and DUNE. The particle physics group also has core responsibilities in direct dark matter detection experiments (LZ and XLZD), and on the LHCb experiment.

This post offers a unique opportunity to play a leading role in the design and construction of the SHiP experiment, with access to externally funded resources to support the experimental programme. While this will be a primary focus of the post, the successful candidate will also have the opportunity to contribute to a broader research programme in related areas and to the Department's world-leading education provision.

What you would be doing

As a member of our academic faculty, you will:

• Develop and lead an internationally excellent research programme in experimental particle physics, centred on hidden-sector searches and the SHiP experiment.
• Contribute to teaching and curriculum development at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
• Supervise and mentor PhD students and junior researchers, and contribute to doctoral training initiatives.
• Secure external research funding and build productive collaborations within and beyond Imperial.
• Play an active role in the life and strategic development of the Department and the wider Faculty.
• Contribute to the SHiP experiment through an appropriate combination of detector and instrumentation development, simulation, software, reconstruction, data analysis and physics interpretation.
• Contribute to a broader research programme in hidden-sector searches and related areas.

Depending on your level of appointment, you may also:

• Contribute to departmental leadership and management.

What we are looking for

We are seeking an outstanding academic who is committed to excellence in research, teaching, and contribution to the academic community.

You will be able to demonstrate:

• A PhD in Physics or in a closely related field, or equivalent.
• A strong record in experimental particle physics, with publications and contributions of outstanding quality appropriate to your career stage.
• Experience of research within a major international particle physics collaboration, at a collider, fixed-target, beam-dump or neutrino experiment.
• Relevant expertise in at least one of detector or instrumentation development, experimental software or computing, event reconstruction, data analysis or physics interpretation.

• A clear plan for an internationally leading the SHiP experiment programme, and how it would be integrated in a broader research programme.
• The potential to collaborate across the Physics of Particles Community and the wider Department.
• Career-stage adequate experience with funding applications.

• Commitment to high-quality teaching and supervision of students.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and leadership skills appropriate to your career stage.

• At the Assistant Professor level, you will have clear potential to develop an international reputation in intensity-frontier experimental particle physics.
• At the Associate Professor level, you will have an established profile and international recognition in intensity-frontier experimental particle physics, independent scientific leadership including leading a team of researchers, and sustained success in securing external research funding.

It would also be desirable for you to have:

• Experience of detector hardware development, prototyping or construction.
• Experience in another experimental programme whose methods and technologies transfer readily to the SHiP experiment.

What we can offer you

• The opportunity to continue your career at a world-leading institution and be part of our mission to use science for humanity.
• Access to state-of-the-art facilities and to Imperial's long-established programme at CERN, together with significant computing resources through Imperial's Research Computing Service.
• Grow in your career with tailored training programmes for academic staff including dedicated support with navigating your career and managing research as well as a transparent promotion process.
• Sector-leading salary and remuneration package (43 days off a year including public holidays and generous pension schemes).
• Be part of a diverse, inclusive and collaborative work culture with various staff networks and resources designed to support your personal and professional wellbeing .

Further Information

Assistant Professor: £73,194 to £82,954 per annum

Associate Professor: Minimum starting salary of £85,873 per annum

This is an open-ended, full-time post (35 hours per week). The starting date will be agreed with the successful candidate.

The Department of Physics is part of the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Imperial College London. We are an internationally renowned Physics department, which enables us to create groups of international standing, and with sufficient scale and critical mass, that they influence the research agenda and attract the world's top researchers. The Department is structured into five Research Communities that drive new research directions: Light, Matter, Physics of Particles, Physics of the Universe, and Space, Plasma and Climate.

The post will sit within the Department's Physics of Particles Community, which investigates particle interactions at the smallest scales to discover new particles, forces and phenomena, advancing our understanding of the Universe. This research drives technological innovation in accelerators, detectors, data handling, analysis and machine learning.

Imperial College is committed to equality of opportunity, eliminating discrimination and fostering an inclusive workplace culture. The Department of Physics is also proud to hold an Athena SWAN Silver Award, recognising our commitment to fostering a supportive, inclusive, and thriving community. We value the strength that comes from diverse perspectives, and we warmly welcome applications from talented people of all backgrounds, and particularly those underrepresented in physics, to join our vibrant community supported by initiatives that promote collaboration, inclusivity, and professional development.

Find out more about our inclusive environment.