Job Description

Conducting research for a changing society: This is what drives us at Forschungs­zentrum Jülich. As a member of the Helm­holtz Asso­ciation, we aim to tackle the grand societal challenges of our time and conduct research into the possi­bilities of a digitized society, a climate-friendly energy system, and a resource-efficient economy. Work together with around 7,400 employees in one of Europe’s biggest research centers and help us to shape change!

The Jülich Centre for Neutron Science – Neutron Methods (JCNS-4) (https://www.fz-juelich.de/en/jcns) operates at the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum (MLZ) (https://mlz-garching.de/englisch.html) in Garching near Munich a suite of high-performance neutron scattering instruments. It provides access to these instruments for scientists from universities and research institutions in Germany and throughout the world. Within the user program more than 1,000 scientists visit the MLZ every year to perform experiments in the physical, chemical, biological, and materials sciences. In addition, JCNS is actively pursuing a research program in the field of hard matter science to understand the structural and magnetic order, fluctuations and excitations in magnetic systems and in highly correlated electron systems at the atomic level.

We are looking to recruit an
Instrument Scientist / Postdoc – Small Angle Neutron and X-Ray Scattering KWS-3/X

Your Job:
We are looking for a highly motivated postdoc to join the small angle neutron scattering (SANS) team as a second instrument scientist at the KWS-3 (https://mlz-garching.de/kws-3), focusing on SANS diffractometer and the new KWS-X (SAXS / WAXS / USAXS) diffractometer (https://mlz-garching.de/saxs-lab) with a metal jet light source. Both instruments are operated in the user program. This position is not only to support the users but also to strengthen the user community in the field of soft-matter, biological systems, food, and also porous materials. Additionally, we are looking to intensify our contacts with industry and industrial applications. In this position you will have the opportunity to perform your own high-profile research in close cooperation with JCNS-1 (located in Jülich). Your duties and responsibilities within this position:

-Providing local contact support for users of the neutron KWS-3 and X-ray KWS-X instrument of JCNS at MLZ
-Intensifying and widening industrial contacts and industrial applications by networking
-Supporting users during the experiment and during the analysis of the results
-Conducting and disseminating world-class research via publications and conference presentations in the fields mentioned above
-Representing and actively working on increasing the user base at MLZ

Your Profile:
-Master’s and subsequent PhD degree in one of the fields mentioned above, like biophysics, physical chemistry, polymer science, or a related discipline
-A proven track record in neutron / X-ray scattering research, preferably SANS / SAXS and modeling of polymer and protein structures, would be a distinct advantage
-Proven collaborations with the industry would round your profile
-Passion for networking and contacting new users
-Very good command of written and spoken English
-Initiative character, creativity, good interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills, result orientation, and analytical skills
-Ability to work independently and as a player in the SANS team
-Readiness for on-call duty during the user operation periods

Our Offer:
We work on the very latest issues that impact our society and are offering you the chance to actively help in shaping the change! We support you in your work with:

-Exciting working environment on an attractive research campus, ideally situated close to the city of Munich
-The position represents an excellent opportunity to carry out research using neutron scattering in a multidisciplinary team at MLZ
-The possibility of using a wide range of complementary techniques and laboratories both at MLZ in Garching as well as at Forschungszentrum Jülich
-Promoting professional development through participation in national and international conferences and through various training programs
-Flexible working hours in a full-time position (39 hours / week) with the option of slightly reduced working hours
-30 days of annual leave and provision for days off between public holidays and weekends (e.g. between Christmas and New Year)

In addition to exciting tasks and a collaborative working atmosphere at Jülich, we have a lot more to offer: https://go.fzj.de/benefits.

Place of employment: Garching (Munich)

We offer you an exciting and varied role in an international and interdisciplinary working environment. The position is for a fixed term of two years with possible long-term prospects. Salary and social benefits will conform to the provisions of the Collective Agreement for the Public Service (TVöD-Bund), pay group 13–14, depending on the applicant’s qualifications and the precise nature of the tasks assigned to them.

We welcome applications from people with diverse backgrounds, e.g. in terms of age, gender, disability, sexual orientation / identity, and social, ethnic, and religious origin. A diverse and inclusive working environment with equal opportunities, in which everyone can realize their potential, is important to us.

We look forward to receiving your application by July 28, 2024, via our Online Recruitment System: https://www.fz-juelich.de/en/careers/jobs/2024-220?apply!

Questions about the Offer?
Please feel free to contact us via our contact form: https://www.fz-juelich.de/en/careers/jobs/2024-220?contact. Please note that for technical reasons we cannot accept applications via e-mail.

You can find helpful information on the application and selection process here: https://www.fz-juelich.de/en/careers/application-information. You can also find answers to frequently asked questions in our FAQs: https://www.fz-juelich.de/en/careers/application-information/faq.

www.fz-juelich.de