Beamline scientist manager TEMPO SOLEIL

Diamond Light Source Ltd; France; Hybrid; EUR 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid vacation 26 days

Health insurance

Supplementary health plan

Provident scheme

Time Savings Account

On-site catering

Family benefits

Job summary

The TEMPO beamline at SOLEIL, located on the Paris-Saclay plateau near Saint-Aubin, Essonne, invites applications for a senior scientist to lead a team and drive its scientific programme.

You will conduct original research, supervise two scientists and an assistant engineer, ensure compliance with regulations, engage with international communities, and contribute to the SOLEIL II upgrade plan.

Qualifications

• PhD in Physics, Chemistry or Materials Science with strong publications.
• Experience leading beamline teams and project management.
• Fluency in English; experience at large-scale facilities is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead beamline team comprising scientists and staff to execute the beamline's scientific programme.
• Conduct original research and support users, ensuring coherence of activities.
• Ensure compliance with SOLEIL regulations including safety and user support.
• Engage with French and international scientific communities to maximize impact.
• Contribute to the SOLEIL II upgrade plan and beamline improvements.

Skills

Condensed matter research

Leadership

Project management

Photoemission spectroscopy

Surface science

English fluency

Education

PhD in Physics, Chemistry or Materials Science

Tools

Instrumentation development

Data processing tools

Surface science techniques

Job description

Located on the Paris-Saclay plateau, about 20 kilometers from the capital, the SOLEIL synchrotron is
one of France’s leading research facilities. Since it began operating in 2008, it has served the national
and international scientific communities. Research conducted at SOLEIL covers a wide range of
scientific and industrial fields — including physics, biology, chemistry, materials science, environmental
science, Earth sciences, and cultural and natural heritage — all connected to current societal
challenges. Experiments carried out on the beamlines rely on the use of synchrotron light emitted by
electrons accelerated to nearly the speed of light within a storage ring. SOLEIL is jointly supervised by
the CNRS and the CEA and offers its staff a dynamic, innovative, multidisciplinary, and international
working environment.
At the forefront of technology, SOLEIL II is an ambitious project designed to provide new opportunities
for scientific and industrial research. SOLEIL II consists of a major upgrade of the existing infrastructure
and aims to significantly improve the performance of electron accelerators and beamlines. It is
designed to address major current and future societal challenges, particularly in areas such as
advanced materials research, energy and sustainable development, health and well-being, and the
environment.
Construction work on the SOLEIL II project began in 2024, marking the start of a phase of development
and technological innovation. In parallel, the existing facility will remain operational until the fall of
2028. SOLEIL II is scheduled to start operations in 2030, with a gradual ramp-up phase continuing until
2035.

1.Context and missions

The TEMPO Beamline (Time-resolved Experiments on Materials with PhOtoelectron spectroscopy),
https://www.synchrotron-soleil.fr/en/beamlines/tempo:
The TEMPO beamline is dedicated to the study of the electronic properties of surfaces and interfaces
using photoemission and photoabsorption spectroscopy in the soft X-ray range. It is unique in Europe
in its ability to investigate ultrafast dynamics using time-resolved photoemission, while also offering
the possibility of performing photoemission experiments under controlled gas pressures close to
ambient pressure. More recently, the feasibility of performing angle-resolved photoemission
spectroscopy under near-ambient-pressure conditions was demonstrated for the first time worldwide
on the beamline.
The TEMPO beamline has been open to users since 2007. It comprises two main branches: a first
branch dedicated to photoemission under ultra-high vacuum (UHV) conditions, and a second branch
for photoemission experiments under controlled gas pressure. Both branches are equipped with
experimental stations providing an ideal environment for the preparation and characterization of
surfaces and interfaces in complex systems. The TEMPO beamline enables detailed, high-quality
studies in a wide range of scientific fields involving metallic as well as organic and inorganic
semiconductor systems. The beamline is optimized for the study of chemical kinetics and relaxation
dynamics of phenomena induced by electrical and optical excitation. It also enables measurements of
the electronic band structure of various systems. A specific agreement with the LCPMR laboratory
at Sorbonne University governs the construction and operation of the branch dedicated to
experiments under controlled gas pressure.

2.Profile and Mission

• Within the Experiments Division and under the responsibility of the Scientific Director, the successful candidate will lead a team comprising two scientists and one assistant engineer, as well as postdoctoral researchers and PhD students, in line with the beamline’s scientific programme. He/she will be responsible for the successful operation of the beamline in accordance with the specifications defined for the beamline and the operating agreement.
• He/she will conduct original research, making full use of the instruments available on the beamline, while ensuring, together with the team, the support and reception of users. He/she will ensure the overall coherence and scientific direction of the research activities carried out by the beamline team.
• Ensuring compliance with SOLEIL regulations, including those governing user support, safety, and security.
• He/she will actively engage with the French and international scientific communities in order to promote and maximize the scientific potential of the facility.
• He/she Upgrading the beamline in the frame of the SOLEIL II upgrade plan project.

3.Qualifications and Experience

• The candidate is an experienced scientist working in condensed matter research, holding a PhD (or equivalent) in Physics, Chemistry or Materials Science, with a strong record of high level scientific publications and recognized expertise in instrumentation development.
• He/she has demonstrated leadership skills, the ability to work effectively as part of a team, and experience in project management.
• Experience working at a large-scale research facility, together with expertise in surface science and photoemission spectroscopy techniques, would be an asset. Good knowledge of IT and data-processing tools is also desirable.
• Fluency in written and spoken English is essential.

4.Working conditions

This is a fixed-term contract. The position is based in Saint-Aubin (Essonne), at the SOLEIL Synchrotron.

If you are looking for a position in a company built on the pillars of scientific excellence and technological innovation, SOLEIL offers you the opportunity to:

Benefits :

• 26 days of paid vacation + up to 2 additional split days + 23 RTT (reduction of working time) days per full year of work, based on a 40-hour work week.
• Mandatory health insurance (basic plan) costs €20.35 per month for the employee (with an
  employer contribution of €203.53 corresponding to 90% of the premium), covering household
  members (spouse/partner + children).
• We also offer an optional supplementary health plan for €26.69 per month covering your
  household (spouse/partner + children).
• Access to a provident scheme that supplements the benefits of the mandatory French Social
  Security system, which are often insufficient. It compensates for loss of income in case of
  inability to work, ensuring the standard of living of the insured and their family in difficult
  circumstances: death, incapacity for work, or disability resulting from illness or accident.
• Possibility to open a Time Savings Account (CET) after one year of seniority.
• On-site corporate catering at SOLEIL, with subsidized meals.
• Family-related benefits depending on individual situations: family allowance supplement,
  additional days off under certain circumstances, marriage and birth bonuses, etc.