Experimental Physics Consultant

PA Consulting; Melbourn; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and lifestyle perks

25 days annual leave

Generous company pension

PA share ownership

Cycle to work

Community and charity initiatives

Job summary

PA Consulting is seeking an Experimental Physics Consultant to join the Applied Physics team in the United Kingdom. The role focuses on hands-on science, experimental design, prototyping and data analysis to solve real-world challenges across defence, energy, manufacturing and healthcare sectors.

You may be a recent PhD graduate or have several years of industrial or research experience and will work with physicists, engineers and domain specialists to deliver evidence-based technology

Qualifications

• PhD or equivalent research experience in physics or engineering.
• Experience with experimental design, data analysis and prototyping is essential.
• Ability to work across multidisciplinary teams and communicate results clearly.

Responsibilities

• Design, build and run experiments to investigate physical phenomena.
• Develop and test prototypes and instrumentation for research projects.
• Acquire, process and analyse experimental data to draw conclusions.
• Characterise device, material and system performance.
• Collaborate with engineers and computational specialists on projects.

Skills

RF systems

Surface physics

Data analysis

Laboratory experimentation

Scientific programming

Cross-disciplinary collaboration

Education

PhD in Experimental Physics

Tools

Python

MATLAB

LabVIEW

Job description

Build, test and evaluate novel technologies across industry and government.

We are looking for an Experimental Physics Consultant with a passion for hands‑on science and technology development to join our Applied Physics team.

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys designing experiments, building prototypes, analysing data and solving practical technical problems. You may be a recent PhD graduate or have a small number of years of industrial or research experience, but you should be excited by applying experimental science to real‑world challenges.

You will work alongside physicists, engineers and domain specialists to understand complex physical systems, develop new technologies and generate evidence that informs critical decisions. Projects span multiple sectors, including defence, energy, manufacturing, infrastructure, transport, healthcare and emerging technologies.

This is a role for someone who likes making things work, not just modelling them.

Job Description

The Role

• Experimental design and execution
• Technology development and prototyping
• Sensor evaluation and characterisation
• RF and electromagnetic systems
• Fluidics and flow‑related technologies
• Surface and materials physics
• Instrumentation and measurement systems
• Data acquisition and experimental analysis
• Environmental and operational testing
• Validation of models, concepts and technologies through experimentation

You will work as part of multidisciplinary teams, helping to answer challenging technical questions through evidence, experimentation and practical problem solving.

Responsibilities

• Design, build and conduct experiments to investigate complex physical phenomena.
• Develop and test prototypes, instrumentation and experimental systems.
• Acquire, process and analyse experimental data.
• Characterise the performance of devices, materials and systems.
• Develop novel experimental approaches to address client challenges.
• Support laboratory, workshop and field‑based activities.
• Identify sources of uncertainty and experimental error.
• Contribute to technical reports, presentations and client deliverables.
• Work closely with physicists, engineers and computational specialists across a variety of projects.
• Support internal research, innovation and capability development activities.

Qualifications

What We're Looking For

• Physics
• Applied Physics
• Electronic Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Chemical Physics
• A related scientific or engineering discipline

You should have experience in several of the following areas:

• RF or electromagnetic systems
• Surface physics
• Fluidics or fluid systems
• Instrumentation and measurement
• Data acquisition and analysis
• Sensor development and testing
• Laboratory experimentation
• Scientific programming and data analysis

Experience using Python, MATLAB, LabVIEW or similar tools would be advantageous.

The Ideal Candidate

• Curious about how physical systems behave in the real world.
• Hands‑on and practical in your approach to problem solving.
• Comfortable designing and conducting experiments independently.
• Strong analytically, with the ability to interpret complex datasets.
• Interested in understanding both the opportunities and limitations of technologies.
• Adaptable and comfortable working across a range of technical domains.
• Collaborative and keen to learn from colleagues with different backgrounds.
• Motivated by translating scientific understanding into practical impact.
• We are particularly interested in candidates who enjoy combining experimental rigour with engineering pragmatism.

What You’ll Gain

• Work on a diverse range of scientific and engineering challenges.
• Develop expertise across multiple technology domains.
• Gain experience in laboratory, workshop and field‑based environments.
• Work alongside experienced physicists and engineers.
• Apply experimental science to real‑world problems that matter.
• Build the technical foundations for a future career in technical leadership, systems engineering or advanced technology development.

Typical Candidate Profiles

Research scientist with experience in RF, materials or fluidics.

Early‑career engineer or physicist with 2–5 years of industrial R&D experience.

Scientist from a national laboratory, research institute or technology development organisation.

Experimentalist looking to broaden their experience across sectors and technologies.

Benefits

• Health and lifestyle perks accompanying private healthcare for you and your family
• 25 days annual leave (plus a bonus half day on Christmas Eve) with the opportunity to buy 5 additional days
• Generous company pension scheme
• Opportunity to get involved with community and charity‑based initiatives
• Annual performance‑based bonus
• PA share ownership
• Tax efficient benefits (cycle to work, give as you earn)

We’re committed to advancing equality. We recruit, retain, reward and develop our people based solely on their abilities and contributions and without reference to their age, background, disability, genetic information, parental or family status, religion or belief, race, ethnicity, nationality, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity (or expression), political belief, veteran status, any other range of human difference brought about by identity and experience. We welcome applications from underrepresented groups.

Adjustments or accommodations – Should you need any adjustments or accommodations to the recruitment process, at either application or interview, please contact us [e-mail]