Director of the INFN SOUTH NATIONAL LABORATORY (LNS)

INFN seeks a distinguished scientist to fill the position of Director of Laboratori Nazionali del Sud (LNS, website: www.lns.infn.it) in Catania. The appointment is intended for four years (with the possibility for a renewal) and its starting date will be the 1st of August 2023.

LNS is a nuclear and astroparticle physics laboratory accounting about 550 users per year. Two  accelerators have been in operation since 1981 and 1995 respectively: an electrostatic 15 MV Tandem and a Superconducting Cyclotron, providing a large variety of ions (from protons to uranium)  with energy up to 80 AMeV. Such facilities are mainly devoted to study reaction mechanisms and dynamics, nuclear astrophysics, and accelerator physics.

In addition to the two accelerators, a high energy neutrino telescope, installed at 3500 m depth in Ionian Sea, is under construction at LNS in the framework of the European Km3NeT ESFRI project. The applications to hadron therapy, cultural heritage, fusion technology, microelectronics, radiobiology, geophysics, volcanology and marine biology of the innovative technologies developed for nuclear and astroparticle physics are a fundamental part of the LNS research activity.

An important upgrade of the LNS facilities is in progress since 2020, which, when completed, will allow to provide to users larger intensities for the beams provided by the Superconducting Cyclotron and to support a broader range of activities for Nuclear and Applied Physics. A powerful laser facility will be installed in the coming years to further enhance these scientific opportunities.

The successful candidate is expected to hold an outstanding track record in Nuclear, Accelerator and Astroparticle Physics and associated technologies, recognized leadership talent and demonstrated project management skills. Priority will be given to candidates with specific knowledge regarding the activities carried out at LNS. Good knowledge of the Italian language is required.

To be considered for the job, candidates should also hold one of the following qualifications:

• “Dirigente di Ricerca” or “Dirigente Tecnologo” in INFN or in other Italian Research Institutions;
• Full Professor (“Professore Ordinario”) in an Italian University.

Foreign candidates, or Italian candidates who reside in foreign countries, can also qualify if they have been predominantly active in scientific or technological research activities of interest for INFN and hold at least one of the following qualifications:

• Full Professor at a foreign University;
• experience from high responsibility positions in qualified foreign or international research institutions;
• highest scientific awards internationally recognized.

Applications should be written in English and include a covering letter, a full CV, a list of publications, a short (no longer than one page) “statement of research interests”, the names of at least two referees to be contacted, if needed, and shall be sent (merged to a single .pdf file) to the INFN Headquarters at presidenza@presid.infn.it , quoting “LNS Director” as e-mail subject.

Closing date for receipt of applications is the 22th of February 2023.

For queries about the application please contact dr. Giovanni Dionisio (gianni.dionisio@presid.infn.it)