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Optical Systems Engineer

Employer
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Location
Didcot, Oxfordshire, England
Salary
£39748.0 - £41666.0 per annum
Closing date
30 Sep 2021
Reference
210000L4

View more

Discipline
Scientific
Sector
Sciences
Job Type
Engineer

Job Details

Optical Systems Engineer

UKRI- STFC

Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot

£39,748 - £44,166 (plus an additional role-based allowance dependent on skills and experience)

Full time/Part Time (minimum 30 hours per week)

Permanent

About Us

The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) is one of Europe's largest science research organisations. We're trusted to support, enable and undertake pioneering projects in an amazing diversity of field.

As part of UK Research and Innovation, STFC offers a benefits package designed to provide an excellent work/life balance. This includes 30 days' annual leave, 10.5 public and privilege days, Christmas shut down, flexible working hours, a workplace nursery, an exceptional defined benefit pension scheme, and social and sporting activities and societies.

About the role

RAL Space, UKRI's space laboratory based at STFC's Harwell Campus has had significant roles in over 210 space missions and are at the forefront of UK space research.

The Optical Systems Group is responsible for the conception, design, development, procurement, assembly, integration and test of optical systems for space instrumentation in Space Science, Solar Research, Earth Observation, Planetary Science and Optical Communications.

The work spans the entire project life-cycle, from early stage conceptual R&D right through to instrument verification and calibration, and potentially post-launch mission support. In addition, RAL Space has key roles in ground-based astronomical instrumentation through the UK's Astronomy programme. New RAL Space projects with significant optical engineering requirements include ARIEL (an Exoplanet mission for ESA), Lagrange (an ESA Space Weather mission, to monitor the Sun for solar activity that can potentially disrupt technology infrastructures at the Earth) and a Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) secure communications technology demonstrator (a UK-Singapore collaboration).

Your work will range from design studies for future instruments through to alignment and test of flight hardware and you can expect to follow projects from the concept stage right through to successful operation.

About you

  • A degree (or equivalent) in optics, physics or a related discipline
  • A proven track-record in the design, optimisation, analysis and procurement, building and testing of optical systems
  • Experience in optical alignment and measuring techniques/ tools
  • Understanding of stray-light effects in optical remote-sensing, and its control measures and analysis methods in design.

How to Apply

Applicants are required to include a cover letter outlining their suitability for this role.

Applications are handled by UK Shared Business Services, to apply please visit our job board at Optical Systems Engineer - Careers Portal Careers. Applicants who are unable to apply online should contact us by telephone on +44 (0)1793 867000.

The closing date for applications is 3rd October 2021.

Company

The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) is one of Europe’s largest research organisations. We’re trusted to support, enable and undertake pioneering projects in an amazing diversity of fields. Through world-class facilities and people, we’re driving ground-breaking advances in science and engineering. STFC is one of nine organisations that have been brought together to create UK Research and Innovation (UKRI); a new organisation with a vision to ensure the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation.

At STFC, our engineers provide the technology that allows our world-leading science to make a real difference in areas that really matter: from cancer treatment to airport security, high-tech jobs to hydrogen powered cars, energy generation to accident scene emergency care, our impact is felt in many aspects of daily life. We provide and exploit space and astronomy technology, a world-leading neutron scattering facility, ultra-fast supercomputers, amazing scientific instruments and some of the most powerful lasers in the world. We work with industry and academia throughout the UK, Europe and the world.

STFC can offer you an excellent working environment. Our laboratories are based in beautiful rural locations in Cheshire, Oxfordshire and in Edinburgh, with great amenities and quality of life for you and your family. We are at the centre of burgeoning high-tech campuses buzzing with economic investment and even more promise for the future. Our people enjoy attractive benefits and plenty of opportunity for development. Whether you are beginning or furthering your career, we can offer you excellent opportunities to test out and broaden your skills and experience and to gain real technical and managerial expertise working in dynamic team and project environments.

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