Beamline Scientist at Bloch beamline

Lunds Universitet; Lunds kommun; On-site; SEK 700,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

MAX IV seeks a beamline scientist for the BLOCH ARPES beamline to advance instrumentation, support user experiments, and push forward high-resolution ARPES and spin-ARPES research.

The role includes leading technical improvements, developing methods, and pursuing independent or collaborative research within MAX IV, in Lund, Sweden.

Qualifications

• PhD in Physics, Materials Science, or similar.
• Post-PhD research in synchrotron-based ARPES.
• Experience in micro-ARPES experiments and data interpretation.
• Extensive experience using and maintaining ultrahigh vacuum instrumentation.
• Proficiency in Python programming.
• Ability to work independently.
• Excellent English communication and teamwork skills.
• Experience in user support at synchrotrons or labs.

Responsibilities

• Ensure robust, optimal day-to-day operation of the BLOCH beamline and its instruments and software.
• Provide user support during setup and execution of beamline experiments.
• Maintain and improve technical infrastructure for a user-friendly beamline.
• Contribute to methods development and beamline instrumentation upgrades.
• Pursue own or collaborative research and secure external funding.
• Develop the beamline's research portfolio and readiness for experiments.
• Procure and maintain technical infrastructure assets.
• Assist with feasibility checks for proposals with beamline lead.

Skills

Python programming

Independent work

English proficiency

Communication

Teamwork

User support

Education

Ph.D. in Physics or Materials Science

Tools

Ultrahigh vacuum instrumentation

Job description

Lund University was founded in 1666 and is repeatedly ranked among the world’s top universities. The University has around 46 000 students and 8 500 staff based in Lund, Helsingborg and Malmö. We are united in our efforts to understand, explain and improve our world and the human condition.

Your team

The Bloch beamline is dedicated to high‑resolution ARPES and spin‑ARPES for studying the electronic structure of surfaces and 2D materials. The beamline provides variable‑polarization VUV and soft X‑ray light to two endstations – ARPES and spin‑ARPES, with a beam size down to 10 μm × 10 μm. The team consists of six members, including scientists, engineers, postdocs, and technicians, who are actively driving multiple research and development projects.

MAX IV is looking for a beamline scientist at the state‑of‑the‑art ARPES beamline BLOCH to further develop the ARPES and spin‑ARPES programs, including advancing the instrumentation, growing user communities, and pursuing their own scientific research.

Your main work tasks will be

• Ensure the robust, optimal day‑to‑day operation of the beamline, including all instruments, software, and adjacent facilities, and prepare it for the planned user experiments.
• Provide support to the users during the setup and execution of beamline experiments.
• Organize the constant availability of technical infrastructure and work towards improvements for a user‑friendly beamline.
• Contribute to the continuous development and implementation of methods and beamline instrumentation.
• Pursue own or a collaborative research program and acquire external funding.
• Play an active role in the development of the research portfolio of the beamline.
• Carry out procurements for developing and maintaining the technical infrastructure.
• Together with the beamline lead, perform proposal feasibility checks.
• Communicate with the beamline team members and other relevant staff at MAX IV and external partners.
• Communicate to the existing and potential new users the current capabilities and the upgrade plans of the beamline.
• Create and maintain beamline documentations.
• Have a solid knowledge of the general and organizational safety rules and requirements, and instruct users and team members.
• Supervise temporary staff (PostDocs, PhD, and Master students).

To be successful in this role you need to have the following qualifications

• Ph.D. in Physics, Materials Science, or similar.
• Documented professional research experience (after PhD) in thefield of synchrotron-based ARPES.
• Documented professional research experience (after PhD) performing and interpretingmicro-ARPES experiments and data.
• Extensive experience in using andmaintainingultrahigh vacuum instrumentation.
• Experienceinprogrammingin e.g. Python.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently.
• Excellentcommand of the English language,good communication, and teamwork skills.
• Experience in user support at synchrotrons or labs.

Merits

• Documented experience with spin-ARPES.
• Documented experience with operando (e.g., under bias, stress, strain) experiments.
• Documented experiencewith other synchrotron-based techniques.

What we offer

When you join our MAX IV team, you enter a world of front edge science. We make the invisible visible by supporting scientists from all over the world, generating scientific results for the benefit of society. We offer you a multicultural work environment with great opportunities for personal development with respect for a healthy work‑life balance.

On‑call duty is required for this position. Probationary period may apply.

MAX IV is a Swedish national large‑scale research infrastructure hosted by Lund University. It provides scientists from Sweden and abroad intense x‑rays and state‑of‑the‑art instrumentation for research in areas such as engineering, physics, structural biology, chemistry and nanotechnology. Its 16 beamlines receive up to 2 000 scientists annually, conducting ground‑breaking experiments in materials and life sciences using the brilliant X‑rays.

Employment Details

• Type of employment: Permanent position – (starting with a temporary contract)
• Contract type: Full time
• First day of employment: As per agreement
• Salary: Monthly salary
• Number of positions: 1
• Full‑time equivalent: 100%
• City: Lund
• Country: Sweden
• Reference number: PA2026/2045