We are ambitious and have a bold vision of what we want to achieve - shaping ourselves into one of the best universities in the world, which we are achieving through the talents and endeavour of every employee.  

Our culture empowers people to achieve this aim and to collectively, and individually, make a real difference.  

The role

We are recruiting a postdoctoral researcher for project PROTEQT (QuantERA) (Fixed term contract upto June 2027). The successful candidate will lead the theoretical and computational modelling aspects of the project, extending our work on symmetry-protected quantum states in interacting many-body systems and their implementation in superconducting quantum circuits. 

The research will involve developing analytical models, performing large-scale numerical simulations of open quantum systems, investigating decoherence and noise processes, and exploring new architectures and control protocols for intrinsically protected quantum hardware. 

About you

Applicants should have a PhD in theoretical physics, quantum physics, or a closely related discipline, together with expertise in quantum many-body theory, open quantum systems, or quantum information. Experience with advanced numerical methods for quantum systems, stochastic or phase-space techniques, high-performance computing, and scientific programming (e.g. Python, MATLAB, C/C++) is highly desirable, as is a strong publication record and the ability to communicate research effectively within an international collaboration.

How to apply

To be considered for this role, please apply with a CV and covering letter via the University website.

The University of Surrey reserves the right to close this vacancy early or extend based on Volume and Caliber of applications.

Closing Date: 09 Aug 2026

Area: Research & Teaching

Salary: £37,694 to £46,049

Working with a high degree of autonomy, you will play a central role in ensuring that all laboratory operations comply with current regulations, while delivering an excellent environment for undergraduate and postgraduate learning.

Although your major responsibility will be to manage the radiation teaching laboratory and source stores, you may also be required to undertake experimental procedures in other Physics laboratories to support teaching and research activities.

Key Responsibilities

Laboratory Management and Radiation Safety

• Lead the day-to-day management of the radiation teaching laboratory, ensuring safe and compliant operations at all times.
• Act as Radiation Protection Supervisor (RPS), maintaining compliance with ionising radiation regulations and best practice.
• Develop and implement risk assessments, justifications, protocols and contingency plans for laboratory activities.
• Oversee the secure storage, tracking, and record keeping of radioactive sources and nuclear materials.
• Manage ordering, issuing, receiving, and disposal processes in line with relevant legislation (including IRR17).
• Support regulatory inspections and ensure audit readiness at all times.

Teaching and Student Support

• Provide technical support for undergraduate and postgraduate laboratory classes.
• Train and supervise students in the safe use of equipment and experimental techniques.
• Deliver inductions, technical advice, and ongoing support for undergraduate and postgraduate research projects.

Equipment and Technical Expertise

• Maintain and repair laboratory equipment.
• Ensure laboratories are fully operational and prepared for teaching and research use.
• Provide specialist technical advice and problem-solving expertise to staff and students.

About you

You should:

• Have good communication skills and be able to deliver a high level of customer care.
• Have knowledge of relevant legislation such as "IRR17" and a strong understanding of the health and safety aspects of working with sealed and unsealed radioactive materials.
• Be well organised, with the ability to prioritise workload effectively.

How to apply

To apply, please submit your CV and cover letter via our website. You will also be asked some brief questions to help us understand your suitability for the position.

For an informal chat about the role, please contact Dr Imane Strudwick – School Technical Manager: imane.strudwick@surrey.ac.uk

Appointment is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Closing Date: 09 Aug 2026

Area: Technical & Experimental

Salary: £32,080 to £36,636 per annum

We are ambitious and have a bold vision of what we want to achieve - shaping ourselves into one of the best universities in the world, which we are achieving through the talents and endeavour of every employee.  

Our culture empowers people to achieve this aim and to collectively and individually make a real difference.  

The role

We are seeking an enthusiastic and creative postdoctoral researcher to join a 3-year STFC-funded project exploring one of the central questions in astrophysics: what is dark matter made of? The project, Stellar streams as seismometers for dark matter subhaloes, is led by Dr Denis Erkal alongside Dr Eugene Vasiliev.

During this project, data from Gaia, LSST, WEAVE, 4MOST, and S5 will provide the richest dataset to date for studying perturbations to stellar streams. The successful candidate will work on multiple facets of this problem. First, they will explore how perturbations to streams develop from a variety of baryonic effects. This catalogue of perturbed streams will be used to test how well subhaloes can be inferred, and which streams in the Milky Way are the cleanest detectors. Second, working with collaborators to exploit upcoming datasets, we will identify the most promising streams with perturbation signatures and fit these. For these fits, we will explore the speed up from using GPUs as well as machine learning techniques, e.g. simulation-based inference. Finally, we will use similar techniques to make a statistical inference of the population of subhaloes by reproducing the stream's statistical properties.

The role will involve:

• building a census of simulated streams with a variety of perturbations;
• comparing CPU and GPU codes for generating and perturbing streams;
• using likelihood-based and simulation-based inference techniques for exploring subhalo properties;
• measuring the properties of subhaloes in the Milky Way;
• publishing results in leading journals and presenting the work at national and international meetings;
• contributing to the S5, LSST, WEAVE, and 4MOST collaborations where appropriate;
• contributing to the wider research culture of the Astrophysics Research Group at Surrey.

The successful candidate will be encouraged to develop their own research ideas within the broad themes of the project and to build an independent research profile.

This is a fixed-term, full-time position until 30/09/2029, and is planned to start in October 2026.

About you

You will have:

• a PhD in astrophysics, physics or a closely related discipline;
• experience with research in Galactic Dynamics;
• programming experience relevant to scientific research;
• the ability to communicate research clearly through written work, presentations and collaboration;
• a track record of research outputs appropriate to your career stage;
• the ability to work both independently and as part of a collaborative research team.

We recognise that candidates come from a range of research backgrounds. We are looking for candidates with strong quantitative and computational skills who are excited to develop expertise in stellar streams as part of the project.

How to apply

Applications should be submitted online via the University of Surrey jobs portal. Please include:

• a CV, including a list of publications;
• a cover letter explaining your interest in the role and how your experience fits the project.

Interviews are expected to take place in early August and will be online.

Closing Date: 30 Jul 2026

Area: Research & Teaching

Salary: £37,694 to £41,064 per annum
Fixed Term until 30/09/2029