Post-doctoral research position on the ATLAS experiment (ITk Pixel project)

The ATLAS group at INFN Section of Genova, Italy is opening one position at the post-doctoral level to work at the upgrade of the ATLAS Inner Tracker (ITk) for the High-Luminosity Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC).

The Genova group, which currently consists of 11 senior staff members, 6 postdocs, 5 PhD and 2 Master students, 3 technicians and 2 engineers, is the largest experimental group within INFN Genova and has collaborated with ATLAS since its beginning, with crucial roles in the design, management, construction and continuous operation of the current pixel detector, including its innermost Insertable B-Layer (IBL). More recently, the group has been playing a leading role in the same areas also for the ongoing construction of the Pixel section of the ITk detector upgrade, with significant contributions and expertise in essentially all fields of the project: sensor characterization, hybrid module assembly and precision loading, local supports construction, DAQ, system test and cooling. Besides, the Genova group has a strong expertise in flavor tagging and related physics analyses, as well as long lived particles searches.

The main task of the successful candidate will be to play a key role in micrometric precision loading of the quad hybrid pixel modules on the composite carbon-based and CO2-cooled mechanical supports of the Outer Endcap (OEC) section of the ITk Pixel detector, and then fully qualify the Low- and High-Voltage powered loaded structures prior to their shipment to the italian hub for detector integration. The position is intended to start in the qualification phase of the Genova lab for ITk Pixel OEC Loaded Local Supports production and then to cover the full construction and Quality Control phase of these structures, with possible involvement in their subsequent commissioning at CERN. It therefore comes with excellent visibility for the successful candidate and ample opportunities to report progress within the collaboration and at international conferences.

Highly qualified and motivated applicants should have a PhD in experimental particle physics or engineering by the time of appointment and demonstrate experience in detector operation, instrumentation and readout, as well as in software coding (possibly in Python and C++). Good communication skills, the ability to work effectively in a team and confident reporting skills are highly valued.

The selected candidate will be based in Genoa, Italy, with possible visits to CERN and other sites of the Italian INFN cluster as well as to the UK-based institutions (mainly Oxford University and Rutherford-Appleton Laboratory) most closely collaborating with Genova on the research activity foreseen for this position. We are aiming at a start of contract in fall 2024 / early 2025, with some flexibility as required. The appointment is for two years, with possible extension to a third one. The salary is competitive and includes all social security benefits. More information is available on request.

Interested people are encouraged to send as soon as possible, and not later than August 31 2024, a motivation letter and a curriculum vitae that includes a description of the research experience, a list of publications, and contacts of at least two references. The expressions of interest should be sent via email to Stefano Passaggio ( stefano.passaggio@ge.infn.it ) and Paolo Morettini ( paolo.morettini@ge.infn.it )