In het kort
De link om te solliciteren staat in de vacaturetekst.
Department
Faculty of Science and Engineering
Organisation
Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, University of Groningen, V25.0455
Job description
The Van Swinderen Institute for Particle Physics and Gravity invites applications for a PhD researcher position working on the LHCb experiment.
Searches for charged lepton flavour violation are powerful tools to advance our understanding and potentially discover hints of physics beyond the Standard Model. The LHCb experiment at CERN is uniquely equipped to study decays of heavy hadrons with high precision.
The prospective PhD researcher will take on a leading role in a search for lepton flavour violating decays of b hadrons with data collected by the LHCb experiment at CERN. In addition, the successful candidate will contribute to the development of the next upgrade of the readout system and thus to preparing the LHCb experiment for future data taking.
Organisation
Since its foundation in 1614, the University of Groningen has enjoyed an international reputation as a dynamic and innovative center of higher education offering high-quality teaching and research. Balanced study and career paths in a wide variety of disciplines encourage currently more than 33,000 students and researchers alike to develop their own individual talents. Belonging to the best research universities in Europe, the University of Groningen is truly an international place of knowledge.
Within the Faculty of Science and Engineering, this PhD position is embedded in the Van Swinderen Institute for Particle Physics and Gravity (VSI) whose aim is to study the fundamental forces of Nature with implications for our Universe, by connecting the physics at the Planck-scale (quantum gravity) via sub-atomic scales (particle physics) to cosmic dimensions. Both theoretical and experimental efforts are combined in three research frontiers: the cosmic frontier, the high-energy frontier and the precision frontier. VSI is a university partner of Nikhef, the Dutch National Institute for Subatomic Physics.
The selected PhD researcher will be part of the Nikhef LHCb research team in which the group in Groningen joins groups in Amsterdam and Maastricht. As a founding member of the LHCb collaboration, the Nikhef team has a long-term involvement in both detector construction as well as operations. It also has a strong record in physics data analysis, with focus on CP violation and rare decays of B mesons. Nikhef contributes in hardware to the Vertex Locator silicon detector and the Scintillating Fiber Tracker, and in software to the online reconstruction of events in the High Level Trigger.
Requirements
We are looking for motivated candidates who meet the following requirements:
- MSc degree in physics, or a closely related field.
- A keen interest in particle physics and data processing at high-energy physics experiments. A strong background in (experimental) particle physics and statistical data analysis is an added advantage.
- Experience with programming languages (e.g. python, C++) is considered a plus.
- A strong team player, with well-developed communication and collaboration skills.
- Excellent command of written and spoken English.
- Strong analytical skills.
- Willingness to acquire a variety of additional skills ranging from physics modelling and statistical data analysis to hardware programming.
PhD researchers are expected to develop scientific independence and complete research projects. PhD candidates who thrive in their research stay abreast of developments in the field, proactively communicate research results, supervise BSc and MSc students, work effectively in a team and collaborate across disciplines.
Please also see the admission requirements for the Graduate School of Science and Engineering for further details (https://www.rug.nl/research/gradschool-science-and-engineering/phd-programme/admission/criteria?lang=en).
Conditions of employment
Contract length: 48 months.
We offer, following the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities:
- A salary of € 3,059 gross per month in the first year, up to a maximum of € 3,881 gross per month in the fourth and final year for a full-time working week.
- A holiday allowance of 8% gross annual income and an 8.3% year-end bonus.
- A full-time position (1.0 FTE) for four years. The successful candidate will first be offered a temporary position of one year with the option of renewal for another three years. Prolongation of the contract is contingent on sufficient progress in the first year to indicate that a successful completion of the PhD thesis within the next three years is to be expected.
- A PhD training programme is part of the agreement and the successful candidate will be enrolled in the Graduate School of Science and Engineering.
The first possible starting date is 1 January 2026
Job Application
Do you meet our qualification criteria? If yes, you’re invited to apply with the following documents: - Cover letter, stating your motivation to apply for the position and your key qualities relevant for this position. - Curriculum vitae, including master's degree, work and research experience. - Academic transcripts from your BSc and MSc studies. - Contact information of two academic references who are willing and able to write recommendation letters for you. You may apply for this position until 15 October 11:59pm / before 16 October 2025 Dutch local time (CET) by means of the application form (click on "Apply" below on the advertisement on the university website). The position will remain open until it is filled. Applications received before 15 October 2025 will be given full consideration. The University of Groningen strives to be a university in which students and staff are respected and feel at home, regardless of differences in background, experiences, perspectives, and identities. We believe that working on our core values of inclusion and equality are a joint responsibility and we are constructively working on creating a socially safe environment. Diversity among students and staff members enriches academic debate and contributes to the quality of our teaching and research. We therefore invite applicants from underrepresented groups in particular to apply. For more information, see also our diversity policy webpage: https://www.rug.nl/about-ug/policy-and-strategy/diversity-and-inclusion/ Our selection procedure follows the guidelines of the Recruitment code (NVP): https://www.nvp-hrnetwerk.nl/nl/sollicitatiecode and European Commission's European Code of Conduct for recruitment of researchers: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/charter/code We provide career services for partners of new faculty members moving to Groningen. Unsolicited marketing is not appreciated.
Additional information
For additional information, please contact:
Dr Ann-Kathrin Perrevoort
[email protected]
In your application, please always include the job opening ID V25.0455
