Electronics Engineer Summer Placement - STFC

Science and Technology Facilities Council

In this role, you will be within the Technology departments Detector Development Group. In the group we design, build and test specialist high performance imaging detectors for scientific applications. You will be part of a diverse group of 13 scientists and engineers, including 3 people of the STFC graduate scheme. Demanding applications often require custom image sensors, readout electronics and software. The supporting electronic system is key to bringing these elements together and getting the full performance from the system. Areas of electronic design include analogue and digital design, power supplies, interlocks such as temperature or humidity, control systems such as microcontrollers and high-speed signal integrity. This will be an opportunity for you to gain experience in these areas and contribute to the development of new electronics that will be part of scientific discovery.

Summary of Key Duties & Responsibilities

You will join experienced members of the group working on the electronic design, integration and test for one of our new systems. You will work independently and in a small team with a number of potential projects depending on your skill set, experience and development during the placement. 

As part of the role you will:

• Work independently and within a small team with supervision and training from Senior Engineers
• Have the opportunity to design and simulate your own schematic designs and layout PCBs
• Test electrical circuits and measure their performance. This will include HV bias systems for international particle physics experiments and control circuitry for cryogenic systems designed for space missions
• Build prototype test circuits and control software for powering or controlling new X-ray detectors
• Write reports on test results and present finding to your colleagues

In order to apply for this role you must have:

Essential:

• Are in full time education at university and returning to university following the placement
• The right to live and work in the UK for the duration of the placement which is 12 weeks
• Be studying a degree in a relevant area such as electronics, or have completed modules in electronics within a science, maths or engineering based degree 
• Enthusiasm for electronics and working in science 
• Good written and verbal communication skills 
• Can work independently and within a team 

Desirable:

• Some experience of designing and simulating electrical circuits 
• Good practical skills with evidence of electrical testing and appreciation of safe working 
• Able to programme in computer languages such as LabVIEW, MATLAB, Python or C/C++. 
• Completed your own electronics project either within a course or at home 
• Has creativity and problem solving experience in electronics setting
• Experience with microcontrollers and interfacing electronics with software.
• Experience with power electronics and switched mode power supply use or design