[Neutron] C++ developer for world-leading science - ESS

Thu Jul 2 20:09:19 CEST 2020

We are looking for a brilliant C++ developer for our team in Copenhagen, Denmark, who wants to play a central role in developing our high-performant scipp library for processing of multidimensional experimental data even better. We are using modern C++ combined with Python and constantly strive to improve our skills and stay abreast of modern scientific software development.  For more information on the scipp library, see https://scipp.github.io<https://scipp.github.io/> and for development details, see https://github.com/scipp/scipp.

Description of employer
The European Spallation Source ERIC (ESS) is currently under construction and will become the most powerful neutron source in the world once in full operation. ESS will run a user program that will serve thousands of scientists per year, who will make use of the unique properties of neutrons to investigate structure and dynamics of materials ranging from atomic to macroscopic scales. Once ESS is in steady-state operation, these experiments are estimated to generate peta-bytes of data per year that need to be processed in order to generate scientific value. Our current development of scipp forms the basis for this endeavor and is crucial for the scientific impact of ESS. In addition to scipp (https://scipp.github.io<https://scipp.github.io/>) we are also a core member of the international Mantid collaboration (https://mantidproject.org<https://mantidproject.org/>) that jointly develops the Mantid software for data processing (https://github.com/mantidproject/mantid).

The developer will become a member of the Data Reduction, Analysis and Modelling (DRAM) group located in central Copenhagen, Denmark at the ESS Data Management and Software Centre (DMSC), part of the ESS Science Directorate. The DRAM group is in charge of providing support and software for data processing for all the beamlines at ESS. This software is critical for making experiments at ESS successful. The group currently has ten members and is expected to grow in the coming years. The group members have mixed backgrounds in scientific computing, software development, and the natural sciences at the PhD level.

The group engages in international open source software and research projects, particularly with other European neutron sources, but also with photon sources and universities, all with the aim of increasing the scientific impact of the ESS user program. Examples of other software projects that the group leads or contributes to are SasView (https://sasview.org<http://sasview.org/> / https://github.com/sasview), SpinW (htpps://spinw.org<htpps://spinw.org/> / https://github.com/spinw), and easyDiffraction (https://easydiffraction.org<https://easydiffraction.org/> / https://github.com/easydiffraction). Characteristic for that software is that they take the outcome from scipp and / or Mantid as input for further analysis.

The group takes pride in its competence development and all group members are expected to contribute to the further development of the group and its capacities along with development of their own individual skills and competences.

The scipp development team in Copenhagen collaborates closely with developers at the neutron source ISIS in the United Kingdom, in essence operating as one distributed team with daily standup meetings and regular hackathons.

Job description and responsibilities
We are currently looking into expanding our group with a highly motivated and skilled C++ developer who will become an important contributor to our processing software scipp for the critical step between data acquisition and data analysis of instrument data. This so-called data reduction step makes acquired detector counts and associated metadata scientifically useable. The objective is to make scipp suitable for handling the high data rates at ESS, and an efficient tool for rapid development of workflows tailored to specific scientific instruments. It is therefore important that you are able to work with scientists to gather and distill requirements and understand the basics of the underlying physics. In particular, the role is to:

  *   Collaboratively develop scipp and, to a lesser extent, the Mantid framework for neutron data processing for the ESS in coordination with external collaborators and stakeholders at ESS.
  *   Take responsibility and lead in subareas of the software in a small team of developers.
  *   Contribute and develop ideas in an environment thriving on the individual's ability to understand and correctly interpret high-level requirements.

We recommend that interested candidates take a look at the scipp github pages (https://github.com/scipp/scipp) to get a better idea of the project.

Qualifications
M.S. in Data Science, Computer Science or natural sciences essential, PhD preferred. An ideal candidate has experience in evaluation of requirements, and development of large mission critical software frameworks, using modern software development practices in C++ and Python.Key requirements for the role include:

  *   Very good C++ knowledge.
  *   Good Python knowledge.
  *   Experience in performance optimization and parallelization techniques such as multi-threading.
  *   Experience with modern software development tools and techniques, such as version control, unit testing, and agile workflows, are essential.
  *   Understanding of software quality throughout the software lifecycle.
  *   Ability to take responsibility for delivering scientific subareas. This involves independently working with scientists to gather and distill requirements including understanding the basics of the underlying physics.

Experience with instrumentation and experimental work performed at photon or neutron sources or similar research environments are additional assets but not essential.
ESS and DMSC are international work places and currently employ staff of more than 50 different nationalities. You should therefore be able to work in diverse international teams and collaborate with developers located on multiple sites. It is important that you contribute to a good collaborative environment. Some international travelling is expected and the working language is English.

What ESS can offer
ESS can offer you passionate colleagues, a vibrant melting pot of diversity, and a challenging and high paced work environment where our employees take great pride in designing and building a world leading facility for materials research.
If you were to join ESS, you would become an important piece of the puzzle, since all our skilled staff are needed in order to fulfill the overall mission. We value and need expertise, innovative minds, great ways of leading and interacting with others, and the ability to work with people regardless of culture and background.

Duration & location
The position is permanent with three months initial probationary period.
Your work place will be situated in Copenhagen, Denmark. The position is to be filled as soon as possible.

Application & Contact
Please provide your curriculum vitae and cover letter in English by clicking on "apply" and following the instructions. Please note we only accept applications via the ESS website or ESS intranet. Internal candidates are encouraged to apply through the intranet. In your application (e.g. in your curriculum vitae), please provide a brief description of, or links to, previous software development projects that you have been involved in.

The deadline for applications is 2020-08-31. For more information regarding the ESS recruitment process in general, please follow this link:

https://europeanspallationsource.se/ess-recruitment-process

For further information regarding the position, please contact the recruiting manager, Thomas Holm Rod, Group Leader DRAM, Thomas.Rod at ess.eu

For further information regarding the recruitment process, please contact HR Officer, Karin Vandenborre, Karin.Vandenborre at ess.eu

We look forward to receiving your application!
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www.esss.se<http://www.esss.se/>

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