Senior Lead Scientist, WaterFEL

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Internal deadline is January 8 2026 at 11:59pm.

This position is contingent on funding.

Job Description:

Primary Purpose

WaterFEL the new infrared free electron laser (IRFEL) facility which includes the 300UED ultrafast electron diffraction facility requires a dedicated Senior Lead Scientist to guide technical and scientific development as well as operation and maintenance. The successful candidate will demonstrate extensive experience with advanced scientific instrumentation and control systems gained at comparably complex research environments. Expertise should span automation and instrument interfacing; femtosecond and nanosecond laser systems; high-vacuum technologies; high-voltage electron accelerators; electron diffractometers; electrostatic and magnetic optics; nonlinear optics; remote and automated operation; integrated safety frameworks; and full-stack instrumentation control and data acquisition. Strong programming and systems-integration capabilities are essential.

The Senior Lead Scientist will serve as the principal authority overseeing the design implementation and long-term evolution of the hardware and software control systems for both IRFEL and 300UED. A key responsibility will be ensuring seamless compatibility with systems at other IRFEL/UED facilities in close coordination with collaborators at the Fritz Haber Institute.

This role involves sustained collaboration with the core research institutions supporting the FEL initiative: the University of Waterloo Fritz Haber Institute the University of British Columbia the University of Western Ontario TRIUMF and the Canadian Light Source. Reporting to the programs Management Committee chaired by Prof. Scott Hopkins the Senior Lead Scientist will oversee system design integration commissioning and optimization; support installation testing and maintenance; develop remote-operation and safety-interlock infrastructures; manage experimental data systems; and provide detailed reporting to the Management Committee and external funders.

Beyond infrastructure development the Senior Lead Scientist will actively contribute to research programs within the IRFEL and UED platforms. This includes leading and supporting experiments in mass spectrometry ultrafast electron diffraction laser spectroscopies and laser-based measurement techniques.

The FEL project is a national initiative dedicated to expanding Canadas capacity in free electron laser science. Central to this effort is the 300UED facility which will provide ultrafast electron diffraction capabilities that complement FEL-based experiments involving high-intensity mid- and far-infrared pulses.

The broader program supports research across photonics bioimaging molecular dynamics and materials science and currently involves seven Canadian universities (UBC SFU UofA USask UWaterloo Western and MUN) along with TRIUMF and the Canadian Light Source. With major support from UBC Western University and the University of Waterloo the WaterFEL user facility is planned to become fully operational and accessible to the Canadian research community by 2029.

Key Accountabilities

Scientific Leadership and Facility Development

• Lead the design integration and optimization of instrumentation for the WaterFEL and 300UED facilities.

• Define technical requirements for laser systems electron sources vacuum systems and diagnostic tools.

• Oversee the development of synchronized control architectures for all major subsystems.

Oversee the development of personnel safety systems for users of the WaterFEL facility.

Software Control Systems and Automation

• Architect and implement full-stack control and data-acquisition platforms for the WaterFEL facility.

• Develop automation workflows for beamline components detectors timing systems safety interlocks and remote operation capabilities.

Ensure system compatibility with partner FEL laboratories and maintain long-term support for custom software packages.

Experimental Operations and Research Program Support

• Lead and support experiments in ultrafast electron diffraction infrared FEL studies nonlinear spectroscopy and related techniques.

• Develop and maintain advanced optical setups high-voltage electron beamlines and ultrafast diagnostic instrumentation.

Provide guidance to students postdoctoral fellows technical staff and external users during experiment planning execution and data interpretation.

Collaboration Training and Stakeholder Engagement

• Coordinate activities across the University of Waterloo UBC and TRIUMF to ensure cohesive program development.

• Train users laboratory personnel and collaborators on facility operation safety procedures and data workflows.

Prepare technical documentation operational guidelines and scientific reports for the Management Committee and funding agencies.

Infrastructure Management and Safety

• Oversee installation commissioning and maintenance of laboratory equipment including lasers vacuum hardware nanofabrication components and electron-beam systems.

• Develop and maintain integrated safety systems governing laser operations high-voltage electronics cryogenic equipment and remote-access environments.

Ensure compliance with institutional provincial and national safety and engineering standards.

Required Qualifications

Education

PhD in Chemistry Physics Engineering or a related discipline with a focus on ultrafast science electron/ion imaging laser spectroscopy or advanced scientific instrumentation.

Additional specialized training in accelerator technologies laser systems or control-system engineering is considered an asset.

Experience

Minimum 12 years of post-PhD research experience in ultrafast science electron-beam instrumentation advanced laser systems or closely related fields.

Minimum 12 years of experience designing constructing and operating complex scientific instrumentation including high-voltage electron sources UHV systems and ultrafast laser platforms.

Minimum 12 years of experience developing full-stack control and data-acquisition systems.

Experience with facility-scale integrationparticularly within organizations involving electron beam acceleratorsis highly advantageous.

Demonstrated background integrating hardware and software across distributed systems including remote operation and automated workflows.

Substantial experience leading laboratory buildouts commissioning new instrumentation or managing complex research infrastructure.

Demonstrated experience with open-source tools such as Poisson Superfish and ASTRA for the optimization of electron beam accelerators and UED systems.

Proven track record mentoring graduate students postdoctoral researchers and technical personnel.

Training or certification in laser safety high-voltage systems vacuum technologies or cryogenic operation is an asset.

Radiation-safety or electrical-safety training is advantageous for work involving high-energy or high-voltage equipment.

A strong record of peer-reviewed publications demonstrating expertise in ultrafast science electron diffraction spectroscopy or advanced instrumentation.

Evidence of contributions to high-impact journals and collaborative research projects including development of novel instrumentation or methodologies.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

Deep understanding of ultrafast laser technologies nonlinear optics electron-beam physics vacuum engineering and high-speed diagnostics.

High proficiency in instrumentation design with SolidWorks or comparable 3D computer aided software.

High proficiency in electron-beam dynamics simulation and optimization for accelerator and UED systems.

High proficiency in scientific programming and instrument control (e.g. C C C# .NET LabVIEW MATLAB) including real-time data acquisition and distributed control architectures.

Strong system-level troubleshooting capabilities across optical mechanical electronic and software domains.

Ability to design and maintain integrated safety systems for high-voltage high-power laser cryogenic and vacuum environments.

Excellent communication skills for cross-institutional coordination technical reporting and supporting external users.

Strong project-management ability with a demonstrated capacity to oversee multiple large-scale developments simultaneously.

Equity Statement

The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research learning teaching and community building and is coordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.

The University values the diverse and intersectional identities of its students faculty and staff. The University regards equity and diversity as an integral part of academic excellence and is committed to accessibility for all employees. The University of Waterloo seeks applicants who embrace our values of equity anti-racism and inclusion. As such we encourage applications from candidates who have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized including applicants who identify as First Nations Métis and/or Inuk (Inuit) Black racialized a person with a disability women and/or 2SLGBTQ.

Positions are open to qualified candidates who are legally entitled to work in Canada.

The University of Waterloo is committed to accessibility for persons with disabilities. If you have any application interview or workplace accommodation requests please contact Human Resources or ext. 45935.