Job description

·       Carrying out research and development on instrumentation for gravitational wave detection.

·       In particular this position is to work on investigating, (in the context of an ERC grant “Speedmeter: Quantum back-action noise-free interferometry for improving the science capabilities of future gravitational-wave observatories”) innovative techniques which allow to reduce quantum noise in gravitational wave detectors.

·       The work will be carried out within a dynamic research group within the Maastricht University and will include collaboration within a variety of national and international research partners form Einstein Telescope, the Virgo collaboration, the LIGO Scientific Collaboration and the ETpathfinder team. 

·       The location of this full-time job is in the Department of Gravitational Waves and fundamental Physics, Duboisdomein 30, Maastricht.

Requirements

·       PhD degree in physics or a related field (essential)

·       Proficient in English language and good communication skills (essential)

·       Experience in research relevant for gravitational wave instrumentation (essential)

·       You can work independently (essential)

·       You are flexible in collaboration with others (essential)

·       Experience in the design, construction and commissioning of optical precision measurement setups (desirable)

Fixed-term contract: We offer a challenging and varied job in an innovative and international environment as a 3 year full-time employment contract as Postdoctoral researcher.  Intended start date is 1st of March 2022 or earlier.

Conditions of employment

·       We offer a rewarding career at a young university in the heart of Europe, with a distinct global perspective and a strong focus on innovative research and education;

·       The terms of employment of Maastricht University are set out in the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities (CAO). Furthermore, local UM provisions also apply. For more information look at the website www.maastrichtuniversity.nl > About UM > Working at UM.

·       The salary will be set in salary scale 11 of the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (between 3.807 and 5.211 Euros gross per month depending on experience and qualifications, based on a full-time appointment). On top of this, there is an 8% holiday allowance and a 8.3% year-end allowance;

·       We offer an attractive package of fringe benefits such as reduction on collective health insurance, substantial leave arrangements, optional model for designing a personalised benefits package and application for attractive fiscal arrangements for employees from abroad.

Maastricht University

Located in the heart of Europe, Maastricht University (www.maastrichtuniversity.nl) is the most international university in the Netherlands with half of our students staff coming from abroad. In total, UM has around 20.000 students and 4,700 employees and represents 100 different nationalities. The UM culture thrives due to its collaborative approach, with constant interaction between staff, students, and researchers, all working together to take on new challenges and providing an exciting and innovating state-of-the-art workplace. Our focus is to shape the future through our students and research advances. We highly value personal and professional development, and thus invest in your journey within the university through a selection of workshops, courses and development opportunities.

Faculty of Science and Engineering

The Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE) is home to several outstanding departments and institutions covering education and research in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) as well as the liberal arts and sciences.

The Department for Gravitational Waves and Fundamental Physics (GWFP)

The Department for Gravitational Waves and Fundamental Physics  (GWFP) (www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/research/gravitational-waves-and-fundamental-physics) was founded in 2019 and is involved in gravitational wave research in context of the upcoming Einstein Telescope, and with particle physics research at the LHCb experiment at CERN. Both experiments are world-leading in their research, discovering a wealth of new facts about the fundamental forces of nature and the evolution of the universe after the big bang. GWFP is also a member of Nikhef (www.nikhef.nl), the Dutch national research institute for sub-atomic particles.