Senior Scientist - Time & Frequency

About the Role

Our world-leading Time & Frequency department seek an experienced and practicing Senior Scientist / Engineer .

This is an exceptional opportunity to join the global authority in precision timing at a defining moment for UK digital infrastructure.

Backed by a government investment of £180 million in the National Timing Centre (NTC) programme , we are developing a world-first resilient time distribution capability that will provide industry with a robust complement to satellite systems (such as GPS) – which are increasingly vulnerable to disruption from solar storms, jamming and spoofing. This will underpin essential services, including

• Telecommunications,
• Online banking,
• Emergency response,
• Transport networks, and
• Wider digital and data-driven operations.

Together, these services form the backbone of modern society - and your leadership will help ensure they remain secure, reliable and robust even if global navigation satellite systems fail.

You'll be joining a renowned team of Scientists and Engineers to develop novel Time and Frequency systems within the UK.

Key responsibilities :

• Leading a team of Scientists and Engineers to deliver high-quality project outputs to time, quality and cost

• Design and implementation of hardware / software for state-of-the-art Time and Frequency measurement, systems including atomic clocks

• Collaborating with subject matter experts worldwide, to develop novel solutions

• Liaising with internal / external stakeholders to determine needs and tailor expert solutions

• Attendance of international conferences to keep abreast of the latest developments

This role offers exciting scope to contribute toward other timing-related projects (e.g. with the European Space Agency).

About You

Reporting to a Principal Scientist, you’ll design UK Digital Infrastructure that pushes the boundaries of measurement accuracy for the UK’s new resilient Time Scale.

Essential:

• Experience in Time and Frequency measurement/Time scales

• A postgraduate degree or equivalent experience in physics, astronomy or a relevant field of engineering; such as satellite navigation systems (GNSS), SATCOM, communications or systems engineering.

• Software experience in scientific/engineering application (i.e. Python, LabVIEW or MATLAB).

• Team management

Advantageous:

• Postgraduate experience in software development (such as Python, LabVIEW or MATLAB)

• Professional experience within an R&D or engineering environment

• Familiarity with using and interfacing electronic equipment with computers, and an interest in lab work

• Knowledge and experience of SATCOM, optical fibre, and GNSS-based systems

• Experience in atmospheric propagation of radio / microwave signals or Space Science systems

We actively recruit citizens of all backgrounds, but the nature of our work in specific departments means that nationality, residency and security requirements can be more tightly defined than others. You will be asked about this throughout the recruitment process. To work at NPL, you will need to obtain BPSS security clearance.

However, to work in this role in the Time & Frequency department, you will need to have an SC clearance with no restrictions, or you must have the ability to obtain an SC clearance.

Please note: Applications will be reviewed, and interviews conducted throughout the duration of this advert therefore we may at any time bring the closing date forward. We encourage all interested applicants to apply as soon as practical.

About Us

The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is a world-leading centre of excellence that provides cutting-edge measurement science, engineering and technology to underpin prosperity and quality of life in the UK.

NPL and DSIT have strong commitments to diversity and equality of opportunity, and welcome applications from candidates irrespective of their background, gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, or age, providing they meet the required criteria. Applications from women, disabled and black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates in particular are encouraged. All disabled candidates (as defined by the Equality Act 2010) who satisfy the minimum criteria for the role will be guaranteed an interview under the Disability Confident Scheme.

At NPL, we believe our success is a result of the diversity and talent of our people. We strive to nurture and respect individuals to ensure everyone feels valued by treating everyone on the basis of their own individual merits and abilities regardless of their own or perceived identity, as part of our commitment to diversity & inclusion, we hold memberships and accreditations to ensure we’re creating an environment where all our colleagues feel supported and welcome, please see our Diversity & Inclusion page.

We are committed to the health and well-being of our employees. Flexible working and social activities are embedded in our culture to create a positive work-life balance, along with a broad range of benefits . Our values are at the heart of what we do, and they shape the way we interact, develop our people and celebrate success.

To ensure everyone has an equal chance, we’re always willing to make reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process. If you would like to discuss, please contact us.