Plasma Heating and Current Drive Physicist

ukatomicenergyauthority

Abingdon, OXFORDSHIRE, United Kingdom · Abingdon · United Kingdom

Posted May 20, 2026

Full-time
On-site
Tokamak Systems
Associate

Job description

Company Description By 2050, the planet could be using twice as much electricity compared to today. Are you interested in contributing and helping to shape the future of the world’s energy? If so, read on. Fusion, the process that powers the Sun and Stars, is one of the most promising options for generating the cleaner, carbon-free energy that our world badly needs. UKAEA leads the way in realizing fusion energy, partnering with industry and research for ground breaking advancements. Our goal is to bring fusion electricity to the grid, supported by tomorrow's power stations. In pursuit of our mission, UKAEA embraces core values: Innovative, Committed, Trusted, and Collaborative. As an employee of UKAEA you will benefit from: Outstanding defined benefit pension scheme, details of which can be found at the end of this advert. Corporate bonus scheme up to 7 % and a Relocation allowance (if eligible). Flexible working options including family friendly policies and the right to request flexible working from the start of your employment. Employee Assistance Programme and trained Mental Health First Aiders, Generous annual leave allowance starting with 25 days, plus 3 days Christmas closure and 2.5 privilege days, in addition to UK bank holidays Wide range of career development opportunities A vibrant culture committed to equality and being fully inclusive What to expect in our recruitment process: For a step-by-step overview of how we hire from application to offer please see our Recruitment Process page: careers.ukaea.uk/join-us/recruitment-process Job Description The salary for this role is £48,290 (inclusive of a Specialist Allowance) . O nsite working is expected for 5 days a week, however, we actively support requests for flexible working. This role can be based at any of the following sites: Culham, Oxfordshire. This role requires employees to complete an online Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) , including The Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks for criminal convictions and possibly a search of open source data. The Role MAST Upgrade is currently the largest operating spherical tokamak in the world, providing a facility on which to perform experiments to provide the answer to key questions for fusion power to be delivered to the grid. We are looking for a Plasma Heating and Current Drive Physicist who will be part of the Tokamak Systems Unit which carries out the operation, upgrading and maintenance of plasma heating and current drive systems in support to the MAST Upgrade facility. The jobholder is expected to take part and contribute to several aspects of delivering heating and current drive (Neutral Beam and Microwave Heating and Current Drive) to tokamak plasmas through the current and future heating systems at UKAEA (operations, software, plant subsystems, data analysis and modelling). The jobholder will carry out project work as a Plasma Heating and Current Drive Physicist on MAST Upgrade or other machines and may conduct research work. It is essential that the jobholder adopts outstanding safe working practices. Key Responsibilities: Development, improvement and maintenance of software packages used for operations and physics and performance analysis. Maintenance of neutral beam modelling codes. Responsible for heating plant subsystems and/or diagnostics. Analysing data and interpreting measurements from plant components, especially on upgraded systems. Acting as Shift Leader to contribute to the successful delivery of MAST Upgrade operations. Taking responsibility for some aspects of MAST Upgrade heating systems operations and commissioning. Carrying out project work and feasibility studies as a Heating and Current Drive Physicist for MAST Upgrade, STEP or other machines. Developing innovative research interest and proposing new projects in the field of plasma heating and current drive. Qualifications Essential Requirements: PhD in Physics/Physical Science or MPhys/Master in physical science and relevant experience. Good knowledge of neutral beam systems and/or technology. Familiar with plasma heating and current drive physics. Basic knowledge of magnetic fusion concepts and tokamaks. Good inter-personal and communication skills (written and oral). Proficient in python programming and other languages for data analysis. Familiar with simulation codes, Linux, bash scripting and versioning systems. Desirable Requirements: Working towards Chartered Physicist would be encouraged. Additional Information A full list of our benefits can be found here https://careers.ukaea.uk/life-at-ukaea/employee-benefits/ UKAEA’s mission is clean energy for all, and we welcome talented people from all backgrounds to help us achieve this goal. We are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion and strive to ensure fair representation across our workforce. We particularly encourage applications from groups currently underrepresented in STEM, including women and individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds, while ensuring all appointments are made on merit. UK Atomic Energy Authority is committed to being accessible. Please email talent@ukaea.uk if you have any questions or require help or adjustments to compete on a fair basis, for example, changes to the way we interview or share information. Please note that vacancies are generally advertised for 4 weeks but may close earlier if we receive a large number of applications.