THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER PARTICULARS OF APPOINTMENT FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES SCHOOL OF PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY

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1 THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER PARTICULARS OF APPOINTMENT FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES SCHOOL OF PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY JODRELL BANK CENTRE FOR ASTROPHYSICS CRYOGENICS ENGINEER IN NEXT GENERATION RADIO ASTRONOMY RECEIVERS Vacancy ref: E&PS Salary: Hours: Grade 7 38,896 to 47,801 per annum according to relevant experience. Full time Duration: Fixed term until 31 March 2018 Location: Responsible to: Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics Dr Michael Keith BACKGROUND The SKA will be the most sensitive radio telescope ever built and will play a major role in answering key questions in modern astrophysics and cosmology (see It will be one of a small number of cornerstone observatories across the electromagnetic spectrum that will transform our view of the Universe. The University of Manchester is one of three major UK university contributors to the SKA, together with Cambridge and Oxford, and its Jodrell Bank Observatory is the location of the international headquarters of the SKA Organization, the UKbased legal entity that directs the project. The University also operates the e-merlin interferometer which is an SKA Pathfinder instrument. The Manchester SKA Group is headed by Dr Keith Grainge and composed of a team of more than a dozen astronomers and engineers from the School of Physics and Astronomy (Jodrell Bank Observatory and Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics) and the School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering. SKA activity in Manchester encompasses the science case and a number of engineering developments including the hardware design, construction, and verification of the signal & data transport and synchronization & timing sub- systems, non-imaging processing for pulsars and transients, and aperture array receiver design. The University of Manchester leads an international Consortium on the Signal & Data Transport (SADT) and Synchronization & Timing (SAT).

2 Overall Purpose of the Job As part of our continuing effort to develop future generations of radio astronomy technology for current and future telescopes, Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics has commissioned the design and prototyping of a cryogenically cooled phased array feed (CryoPAF) for radio astronomy. Development of a CryoPAF requires the design of a bespoke cryogenics system integrated closely with the radio receiver. Therefore, you will work closely with radio signal engineers and scientists to develop a complete cryogenic phased array feed system. Key Responsibilities, Accountabilities or Duties Design of a complete cryogenic system (~15K) to be integrated with a novel phased array feed prototype, including design of vacuum system, cryogenics, mechanical structure and relevant safety engineering processes; Work closely with engineers in radio frequency technology to understand and minimise the effects of the cryogenic system on the radio frequency systems; Coordinate with an in-house or outsourced workshop for the manufacture of the cryogenic system; Develop an assembly and test plan for the cryogenic system; Manage the assembly and testing of the cryogenic system; Provide expertise in cryogenics for the complete system design of the phased array feed prototype; Assist with the system integration and testing of the complete phased array feed prototype. PERSON SPECIFICATION Essential A degree in a relevant field or equivalent professional qualification; Significant post-qualification experience in engineering; Proven track record in the design of cryogenic systems (~15K); Experience in assembly and testing of cryogenic systems and vacuum systems; Ability to adapt to new challenges and invent novel solutions to technical problems; Good interpersonal and communication skills and willingness to collaborate with engineers and scientists outside of own discipline. Desirable Experience building or servicing cryogenic systems for radio astronomy; Experience designing cryogenic systems for radio astronomy; Experience in designing cryogenic systems for deployment in adverse environments; Experience working on research projects in a university setting; Experience working with industry.

3 Further Information The University Manchester's mission is to be one of the top 25 research universities in the world by 2020, and to remain thereafter a world leader in the quality of higher education offered, the excellence and impact of the research undertaken and the value of the contributions made to the economic, social and cultural life and environmental sustainability of the wider society. The University has set out a strategic plan which outlines how it will achieve this mission. This is known as the Manchester 2020 Strategic Vision, which can be found using the following link: The University has four faculties, twenty academic schools and hundreds of specialist research groups undertaking pioneering multi-disciplinary teaching and research of worldwide significance. More than 5500 academic and research staff, and a further 5000 support staff spearhead the research and teaching activity in the university. Manchester has the largest student community in the UK, with more than undergraduates and postgraduates attracted by the high international standing of the academic staff, by the superb research and teaching facilities, and by the cultural assets both of the university and the city of Manchester itself. For further information, please consult The Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences With over 500 academic staff and a similar number of post-doctoral research staff, the breadth and volume of EPS research is world-leading in terms of quality, as shown by the results of the UK Research Assessment Exercise in 2008, and by the award of the 2010 Nobel Prize for physics to two of the professors in the School of Physics and Astronomy. There are more than 70 specialist research centres and groups in the Faculty, undertaking research in fields such as photon science, electrical energy distribution systems, neural-inspired computing architectures, the structure of the universe, nuclear science and technology, tissue engineering, alternative energy sources, global and local environment studies, lightweight materials for 21st -century fuel-efficient vehicles, medical imaging, aeronautical engineering, and nano-materials. Within the University of Manchester, there is strong collaboration with colleagues in the other three faculties: Humanities, Life Sciences, and Medical and Human Sciences. Many research activities in EPS are carried out in national and international collaborations. For further information, please consult The School of Physics and Astronomy The School of Physics and Astronomy is one of the largest and most active in Britain with more than 80 members of academic staff and over 100 research fellows and associates and an intake of around 250 new undergraduates and 50 postgraduates each year. A tradition of excellence

4 has been established by many eminent teachers and research workers, including eleven Nobel Prize winners, such as Rutherford, Bohr, Bragg and Blackett, and the most recent Nobel Laureates, Andre Geim and Kostya Novoselov, who were awarded the honour in 2010 for their pioneering work on graphene. Manchester is the only UK Physics department to be both in the top five for the volume of world-leading and internationally excellent research, and to have the maximum rating for teaching and student support. Research is based in four divisions: Accelerator, Nuclear and Particle Physics; Condensed Matter, Atomic and Biological Physics; Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics; and Theoretical Physics. The School operates the world-renowned Jodrell Bank Observatory and also has extensive physics laboratories and computing facilities. Academics work in collaboration with physicists and astronomers worldwide. For further information, please consult The Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics (JBCA) The Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics (JBCA) is one of the largest astronomy and astrophysics groups in the UK. There are 27 academics working on a range of astrophysical research projects with technological, observational and theoretical elements. The group contains an additional ~130 engineers, experimental officers, PDRAs, students and administrative staff. The main research groups are: Technology; SKA; Cosmology and Extragalactic Astronomy; Pulsars; and Stars, Sun and Planets. The University of Manchester lead the Signal and Data Transport Consortium for the pre-construction phase of the SKA and in addition lead the Non- Imaging Processing development work-packages. The JBCA operates e-merlin, and the UK ALMA Regional Centre Node. It is one of the largest astronomy groups in the UK. The JBCA is funded through UK and EU research councils, as well as ESA. The JBCA is located in the Alan Turing Building, near the centre of Manchester. The staff and students also make use of the facilities at the Jodrell Bank Observatory, South of Manchester. For further information, please consult Jodrell Bank Observatory The Jodrell Bank Observatory is operated by the School of Physics and Astronomy, and has tight links to the JBCA. It is home to the 76-m Lovell Telescope, the third largest fully steerable radio telescope in the world, used for world-leading research on pulsars and used as part of the European VLBI Network and the e-merlin network in the UK. The e-merlin network, which combines 7 radio telescopes with a maximum separation of 217km in the UK to produce radio images with comparable resolution to the Hubble Space Telescope, and has been upgraded with new receivers, optical fibre links and a new correlator is also operated from Jodrell Bank. Staff at Jodrell Bank operate, maintain and develop these facilities and are involved in a range of technical and observational projects. The Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre located at the Observatory (run as a distinct operation by the University of Manchester) attracts over 130,000 visitors per year. It is rapidly becoming a premier venue for scientific and cultural events, including Jodrell Bank Live and the BBC's Stargazing Live.

5 The headquarters of the international SKA Organisation is now located in a new building at JBO and is taking advantage of these inspiring surroundings to provide a dynamic workplace in a rural environment, 20 miles south of the main University campus.