Senior Optical Scientist

About the job

Job Title: Senior Scientist - Optical
Location: Malvern, Worcestershire
Package: Highly Competitive Salary + Benefits Package
Role Type: Full time / Permanent or Fixed Term Contract
Role ID: SF15810

Be part of the QinetiQ journey. Join us as a Senior Scientist - Optical at our Malvern site, where you will have the opportunity to work with cutting-edge technology and many of the industry's most brilliant minds.

The Role
As a Senior Scientist - Optical you will have a role that is out of the ordinary, supporting the design and development of a portfolio of optical sensing products. Working within the Laser and Optics Sensors team within the Physical Sciences discipline, you will be actively involved in developing sensors for use in QinetiQ products, research projects and development of bespoke solutions for novel applications across the breadth of QinetiQ's business.

Day to day you will:

• Lead and assist in delivery of product, development and research programmes, in particular focus on the sensing modes of the QinetiQ's software defined laser offering.
• Identify and develop business opportunities with the team and independently.
• Develop programmes of work (plan effort and materials requirements and identify dependencies) and work with project managers to convert to costed project plans.
• Write technical content of proposals/bids/white papers.
• Lead customer demonstrations, presentations, and troubleshooting activities some of which may be overseas.
• Show strong initiative, self-motivation and be able to work as part of and, ultimately, lead a team of scientists and engineers.
• Accountable for time and technical progress. Managing and leading self, providing regular communication of current and future workload.
• Help to encourage and mentor graduates and early career colleagues

This role is full-time, 37-hours per week, based at Malvern Technology Centre.

Skills and experience of the Senior Scientist - Optical

• Practical experience of bidding for projects with scientific and technical customers
• Prior knowledge or experience of one or more of the following:
• An optical detection technique (e.g. direct detection, coherent detection, photon counting).
• An understanding of physical and engineering principles as they relate to laser remote sensing
• Familiarity with LIDAR
• Scanning techniques for imaging applications
• An understanding and appreciation of:
• Software implementation for control, acquisition, processing and visualisation tasks (preferred languages Python, Matlab, LabVIEW, C, C++)
• Basic analogue and digital electronics

Qualifications for the Senior Scientist - Optical

• Typically the candidate will have a good engineering or physics degree and must have a strong understanding of:
• Laser physics
• Remote sensing
• Software defined laser techniques
• Signal processing (Fourier decomposition, filtering, time and frequency domain processing schemes, modulation/demodulation schemes).

Please note that all applicants must be eligible for SC clearance as a minimum: UKSV National Security Vetting

Our Benefits:

• Adaptive and flexible working
• Generous holiday allowance
• Health Cash Plan, Private Medical Insurance and Dental Insurance
• Matched contribution pension scheme, with life assurance
• Employee discount portal: Personal Accident Insurance, Travel Insurance, Restaurants, Cinema Tickets and much more
• Holiday Trading is a benefit that allows most employees to buy up to 5 days' additional leave
• We are proud to support the Armed Forces community by honouring the Armed Forces Covenant
• Payroll Giving and Volunteering - helping charities and local community

About QinetiQ
As a company of thousands of dedicated professionals, we are a world-centre of excellence in research and development and act as a catalyst for fast-track innovation, offering outstanding experimentation facilities, and technical, engineering and scientific expertise. QinetiQ is made up of dedicated experts in defence, aerospace, security and related markets, all working together to explore new ways of protecting what matters most. Being part of QinetiQ means being central to the safety and security of the world around us. Partnering with our customers, we help to save lives; reduce risks to society; and maintain the global infrastructure on which we all depend. Come and find out how you can play a role.

Security
Please note that many roles in QinetiQ are subject to national security vetting. Applicants who already hold the appropriate level of vetting may be able to transfer it upon appointment, subject to approval. A number of roles are also subject to restrictions on access to information, which mean factors such as nationality, previous nationalities held and the country in which you were born may affect the roles that you can be employed in.