Graduate Researcher

The position is no longer available.

Summary

A researcher is required to join Arkex Limited for a 3 year term to further improve performance and future designs of its superconducting Exploration Gravity Gradiometer and to prepare for the introduction of atom-optical sensors in the geophysical sector.

ARKeX flies airborne geophysical surveys for oil, gas and mineral exploration worldwide. We build instruments, conduct surveys, process and interpret the data. We are a young company with good funding and an ambitious business plan. We are looking for candidates who will thrive in a demanding environment where their personal contribution will be critical to the team’s success. We currently have three offices in Cambridge (UK), Sherington (UK) and Houston(USA). In addition we have a number of staff that work in the field all over the world

Role

The successful candidate will work within the engineering team at Arkex in Cambridge that is preparing the next generation of mobile gravity gradiometer instruments for resource exploration.  Full training will be provided on the principles and practical details of the current instruments.  A detailed research project will be designed and implemented to enhance the performance of the system through hardware and/or software improvements and to prepare for the introduction of atom-optical sensors in the geophysical sector.

The researcher will form part of an EU funded Initial Training Network “Quantum sensor technologies and applications” (QTea), comprising ten full partners and thirteen associated partners from Europe and the USA.  The researcher will be one of a cohort of 15 researchers across Europe in associated areas who will meet regularly for training events, collaborative projects and exchange visits.  Planned events include two summer schools (including one at IESL-FORTH in Crete), a training camp at the University of Nottingham and a workshop on metrology and measurement technology at Dansk Fundamental Metrologi in Denmark.

As part of the training network, the successful candidate will be encouraged to register for a PhD degree with the University of Birmingham.  It is envisaged that the researcher will spend up to 6 months seconded to the Professor Kai Bongs’ cold atom group of the University of Birmingham for knowledge-transfer and training in cold atom techniques.

Requirements

Candidates must have excellent written and spoken English, be entitled to work in the UK and meet the minimum requirements for a PhD research degree at Birmingham University (normally a first or upper second class honours degree or equivalent).  In addition Arkex expects candidates to demonstrate an excellent understanding and enthusiasm for physics, mathematics or engineering.  Excellent organisational skills will be needed to balance the demands of the training and the research programmes.  Experience in low noise instrumentation, cryogenics, superconductivity, gravity sensing, inertial systems, avionics or data processing would be an advantage.

Candidates must satisfy the requirements of Marie Curie Initial Training Networks for an “early stage researcher” and for mobility:

1)      a researcher who, at the time of recruitment, has not yet been awarded the doctorate degree and is in the first 4 years (full time equivalent) of his/her research career.

2)     At the time of recruitment the researcher must not have resided or carried out his/her main activity (work, studies, etc…) in the United Kingdom for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to his/her recruitment. Compulsory national service and/or short stays such as holidays are not taken into account.

Evidence will be collected from candidates to establish their eligibility under these criteria.  Note that full or part time teaching is not considered as part of a “research” career and may not need to be taken into account in demonstrating that a candidate is within the first 4 years of his/her research career.  A research career includes research undertaken from the date when a researcher obtained the degree that would formally entitle him or her to embark on a doctorate, either in the country in which the degree was obtained or in the United Kingdom, irrespective of whether or not a doctorate is or was ever envisaged.

Salary

Salary will be consistent with the living and mobility allowances stipulated under the rules of the EU Marie-Curie Actions – Initial Training Networks. A salary of approximately £35000 per year will be paid along with mobility allowances dependent on personal circumstances. An attractive company benefits package is also available. Salary will be paid in GB pounds sterling.  Detailed arrangements for payments will be discussed during the recruitment process.

How to apply:

Please send your CV and covering letter setting out why you believe you are suitable for the role to nikki.clark@arkex.com .  No agencies please.

The Position is offer in the framework of the QTea ITN