Tenure-Track Faculty Positions
Postdoctoral Scholar Positions
Temporary Teaching Positions
Temporary Lecturer in Physics or Astronomy
The Department of Physics at the University of California, Santa Barbara, invites applications for a pool of qualified temporary lecturers to teach courses in general Physics or Astronomy during the 2020-21 and 2021-2022 academic year, including summer session. Applications will be kept active for consideration for all appropriate vacancies within the department for the 2020-2021and 2021-22 academic years, including Summer Session 2021. Positions may range from part time to full time.
Main duties will include teaching courses in general physics and astronomy, with the possibility of occasional upper-division teaching opportunities. Applicants should have at least an MA in Physics or Astronomy at the time of application. Preferred applicants will also have teaching experience at the college level.
The Department is especially interested in candidates who can contribute to the diversity and excellence of the academic community through research, teaching and service.
The position will remain open until October 31, 2021. The pool will close at that time; if you would like to continue to be considered after that time, and the pooled position is advertised again, you will need to submit a new application. Appointments for Fall quarter are usually reviewed in June, winter quarter in October, and Spring quarter review will begin in February. To apply, please submit a CV, teaching statement, teaching evaluations (if available) and the names of three references to: https://recruit.ap.ucsb.edu/apply/JPF01951
Please note: The use of a lecturer pool does not guarantee that an open position exists at the time you are applying. See the review dates specified in UC Recruit to learn whether the department is currently reviewing applications for an upcoming opening. If there is no future review date specified, your application may not be considered at this time.
The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Academic Coordinator Positions
Instructional Lab Academic Coordinator
The Department of Physics at the University of California, Santa Barbara, invites applications for the position of Academic Coordinator (AC) for the Spring and Summer 2021 quarters, with the possibility of renewal to work on courses in general Physics or Astronomy during the full 2021-2022 academic year, depending on performance and budget constraints. Applications will be kept active for consideration until the position is filled. The position requires the physical presence of the applicant in the Santa Barbara area.
Main duties will include the development, administration, coordination of courses in general physics both in-person and remote instruction. In addition to these basic responsibilities, this appointment entails quick and flexible responses to educational obstacles in a fast-paced environment.
Course Administration
The AC performs administrative functions for the UCSB Physics Department, serving as a key contact for Instructors of Record as well as undergraduate students, TAs, UCSB faculty, staff, and the off-campus community. The AC oversees the coordination and implementation of all instructional activities, and is responsible for budgetary planning and roster organization for a wide range of courses with anywhere from 20 to 400 students. Some of the course administration responsibilities of the AC include, but are not limited to:
Budget and equipment management
Managing the TA roster and Gauchospace (Moodle) Webpage for each course
Oversight of TAs including training and instruction quality
Facilitating communication between TAs, staff, faculty
Direct involvement with day-to-day course execution, such as dropping in and
Assisting with curriculum completion and questions beyond the scope of TA expertise
Furthermore, the AC serves as a mediator between students and faculty in lower division courses, providing helpful and timely feedback regarding administrative details, material and room availability, and additional technical support.
Instructional Lab Group
The AC is a core member of the UCSB Physics Department’s Instructional Lab Group (ILG). The ILG is in charge of development, maintenance and administration of all undergraduate instructional laboratories and the associated coursework. AC responsibilities within the ILG include, but are not limited to, working both independently and also with other faculty & staff to:
Author new and exciting in-person and remotely accessible laboratory experiences
Update current material to reflect changing standards in physics education
Equipment maintenance and distribution for remote courses
Content creation, such as instructional videos, online lab manuals and similar media
Prototype and test new experiments for a wide variety of physics subdisciplines
Application of web development skills to build simulations, web microcontrollers, and applets for students.
At minimum, candidates should possess a M.A in Physics or related field. Preferred applicants will also have:
PhD in Physics or related field
1-2 Years experience with at least one of the following: Web development and design (Javascript, HTML5)
STEM Teaching at the undergraduate level or higher
Laboratory work involving electronics, optics, or nuclear physics
1-2 years of experience working within an academic institution
1-2 years of experience in a position that required administrative and organizational activities
1-2 years of experience working with undergraduate students in an educational context
Experience coordinating academic courses
Strong written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills
Significant editing, writing, and proofreading skills and experience
Simulation experience, specifically with Javascript and Python
Ability to prioritize, conduct, and manage multiple projects
Ability to oversee and mentor student assistants
Experience in financial management
Demonstrated ability to write reports and communications to high-level grant-dispensing institutions
Familiarity with experimental physics and its core principles
Strong mathematics skills at the graduate level
Salary is based on UC salary scales and depends on qualifications.
Complete applications received on or before February 26th, 2020 will receive full review. To ensure full consideration, please submit a cover letter, contact information for two references, and a current curriculum vitae (CV) at https://recruit.ap.ucsb.edu/JPF01954.
The department is especially interested in candidates who can contribute to the diversity and excellence of the academic community. For information on our department, please visit our website: http://www.physics.ucsb.edu.
The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Postdoctoral Scholar Positions
Postdoctoral Position in Physics/Astronomy
The physics department at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) is seeking a postdoctoral researcher to pursue innovative research in collaboration with Assistant Professor Maxwell Millar-Blanchaer. The successful candidate will develop high-contrast polarimetric techniques that will be one day applied to thirty-meter class telescopes to detect planets and circumstellar disks in reflected light. The position will primarily be lab-based, but will provide opportunities to carry out observational programs. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to maintain an independent research program.
The appointment is for two-years and is fully funded. There is a possibility of an additional year extension contingent on performance and continued funding.
Scientists at UCSB have privileged access to the twin Keck Observatory telescopes
(http://www.keckobservatory.org), Lick Observatory (http://www.ucolick.org), and the Las
Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network (http://lcogt.net). UCSB provides a stimulating
research environment with faculty and staff pursuing a broad range of topics in astronomy and
astrophysics (http://web.physics.ucsb.edu/~astrogroup), and the Kavli Center for Theoretical
Physics (https://www.kitp.ucsb.edu) hosts several astrophysics workshops each year.
Applicants must have a PhD in physics, astronomy, engineering, optics or a closely related field at the start of the appointment. Practical laboratory experience is highly desirable, and knowledge of Fourier optics and polarization aberration theory is encouraged, but not necessary.
The start date is nominally Sept. 1, 2021 but is negotiable and should be no later than Dec 31, 2021. For inquiries, please contact Max Millar-Blanchaer (maxmb@ucsb.edu). All applicants must apply through the AcademicJobsOnline portal at https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/16957 Applicants should submit a brief cover letter, curriculum vitae, publication list and a brief research statement summarizing previous accomplishments, current interests and future plans. Applicants should also arrange for 3 letters of recommendation to be submitted. The position will remain open until filled, but applications should be submitted by December 31, 2020 for primary consideration.
The department is especially interested in candidates who can contribute to the diversity and excellence of the academic community through research, teaching and service.
The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Postdoc Position
The Physics Department at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) is seeking a postdoctoral researcher to pursue innovative research in collaboration with Professor Ben Mazin. The successful candidate will be involved in the design, fabrication, and testing of cutting-edge Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors (MKIDs). The successful candidate will use Mazin Lab’s UHV sputter system and the UCSB’s nanofabrication facility for fabrication, and dilution fridges in Mazin’s Lab for testing. The position will primarily be lab-based. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to maintain an independent research program on superconducting devices.
The appointment is for two-years. There is a possibility of an additional year extension contingent on performance and continued funding.
Applicants must be enrolled in or have completed a PhD in physics, astronomy, material science or a closely related field by the application date. A completed PhD is expected before a start date of anytime September 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021. Superconducting fabrication and device testing experience is highly desirable.
For inquiries, please contact Ben Mazin (bmazin@ucsb.edu). All applications should be received though UC recruit at https://recruit.ap.ucsb.edu/JPF01874. Applicants should submit a brief cover letter, curriculum vitae, publication list and a brief research statement summarizing previous accomplishments, current interests and future plans as well as arrange for 3-5 letters of recommendation to be submitted by the 1/19/2021 due date.
The department is especially interested in candidates who can contribute to the diversity and
excellence of the academic community through research, teaching and service.
The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Postdoc Position
High-power arbitrary waveform generation for pulsed magnetic resonance at 240 GHz and above, with applications dependent on post-doc’s interest.
Background: Coherent manipulation of electron spins at magnetic fields above 7 T (frequencies above 200 GHz) is required for investigations of decoherence in potential quantum bits, excitations of strongly-correlated spin systems, spintronics, and the structure and dynamics of biological macromolecules. However, with current technology, it is exceedingly difficult to generate the sequences of high-power sub-THz pulses that are required for these studies. By “slicing” a sequence of pulses from the ~kW output of UCSB’s MM-wave Free-Electron Laser, we have made significant progress towards filling this technological gap, and have demonstrated the world’s first FEL-powered electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrometer at 240 GHz. The existing “pulse slicer” uses high-power doubled Nd:YAG lasers to drive Si wafers from the insulating (transmissive) state to the conducting (reflective) state. It occupies two optical tables and is not easily reproduced.
The project: In collaboration with Bridge12, a small company in the Boston area, we have recently been funded to develop a “compact pulse slicer for high-power sub-millimeter waves.” The goal is to leverage advances in inexpensive solid-state laser and semiconductor wafer-bonding technologies to demonstrate a pulse slicer that can eventually be commercialized and deployed for use with existing submillimeter wave sources called gyrotrons to enable pulsed EPR and pulsed dynamic nuclear polarization. The team includes highly-experienced Ph. D. level scientists at UCSB, Bridge12, in the ThorLabs Crystalline Mirror Coatings division.
The job: The successful post-doc will, in close collaboration with the team, develop the optics and electronics for both reflective and transmissive elements of the compact pulse slicer, model the carrier dynamics in the semiconductor switches, perform pulse slicing experiments, and compare performance with theoretical predictions. With the pulse slicer they develop, the post-doc will be encouraged to pursue a scientific direction they are interested in within the broad range of topics under investigation in the Sherwin group. After completion of the post-doctoral job, the post-doc will be well positioned for a wide range of career options, including in academia, industry, and government labs.
Requirements: Applicants must have demonstrated ability to develop scientific instrumentation, and a Ph. D. in Physics, Applied Physics, Materials, Electrical Engineering, Physical Chemistry, or a related field of science or engineering at the time of application. Experience with optics and lasers, optical properties of semiconductors, numerical modeling of physical phenomena, and pulsed magnetic resonance or quantum sensing is desired.
Facilities: The successful applicant will have full access to ITST’s Terahertz Facility, the facilities of the Materials Research Labs, NanoTech (UCSB’s Nanofabrication facility), and the California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI).
Environment: UCSB is well-known for its rich, open, and friendly interdisciplinary research environment, and has a unique and growing magnetic resonance community in the Physics, Materials, Chemistry & Biochemistry, and Chemical Engineering Departments. The intellectual environment is enhanced by the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics and the recently funded Quantum Foundry.
Interested individuals should submit a cover letter, statement of research, CV, publication list and arrange for 3 letters of reference online at https://recruit.ap.ucsb.edu/apply/JPF01895.
Review of applications will begin 12/3/2020. Applications will be accepted until 1/31/21, but those received after 12/3/2020 will only be considered if the position has not been filled.
The department is especially interested in candidates who can contribute to the diversity and
excellence of the academic community through research, teaching and service.
The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Jr. Specialist - Pooled Recruitment
None at this time
Specialist (Assistant & Associate) - Pooled Recruitment
The Department of Physics is actively seeking Assistant and Associate Specialists to collaborate with faculty and other researchers in the department. This is a large, pooled recruitment covering many disciplines and research foci within the area of Physics. These areas of research include: Astrophysics and Cosmology, Biophysics, Condensed Matter Experimental Physics, Condensed Matter Theory, High Energy Experimental Physics, High Energy Theory, Gravity and Relativity and Mathematical Physics. Screening of applicants is ongoing and will continue as needed through October 31, 2021. Qualified applicants must possess, at minimum, a Master's (or equivalent) degree at the time of application, or five years of experience demonstrating expertise in the relevant specialization. To be considered for Associate rank, applicants must have a Master's (or equivalent) degree or 5-10 years of experience demonstrating expertise in the relevant specialization. Previous research experience in Physics or related science field is preferred.
Interested applicants should submit their CV, cover letter and arrange for 3 letters of reference to be submitted to [https://recruit.ap.ucsb.edu/apply/JPF01916].
The number of positions varies depending on the needs of the department. The use of a pooled recruitment does not guarantee that an open position exists at the time you are applying. Positions may range from part time to full time. The duration is to be determined depending on funding and the available job.
Appointees to the Specialist series engage in specialized research, professional activity, and University and/or public service. Specialists use their professional expertise to make scientific and scholarly contributions to the research enterprise of the University and to achieve recognition in the professional and scientific community. Specialists may participate in University and/or public service depending upon funding source and duties of the position.
Additional Information related to levels (Specialist series ranks)
• Assistant Specialist: Appointees at this level enable research as part of a team and may provide some independent input into the planning and execution of the research.
• Associate Specialist: Appointees normally provide considerable independent input into the planning and execution of the research, have a record of academic accomplishments, including contributions to published research in the field, and a demonstrated record of University and/or public service.
Salary is dependent on experience, qualifications, and hiring level.
The department is especially interested in candidates who can contribute to the diversity and excellence of the academic community through research, teaching and service.
The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Specialist (Full) - Pooled Recruitment
None at this time
Project Scientist (Assistant, Associate or Full)
None at this time