This position offers a unique opportunity to contribute to forefront research in experimental nuclear physics. The successful candidate will join a vibrant research environment on the UNC Chapel Hill campus, collaborating closely with scientists, engineers, technicians, and students at UNC and Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory (TUNL).

The group is seeking a scientist who would primarily focus on the search for neutrinoless double-beta decay in 76Ge as part of the LEGEND Collaboration. The UNC group is a leading contributor to the LEGEND collaboration, with major roles in detector development and characterization, electronics readout and data acquisition, and software and analysis development activities. The UNC group is also leading the development and validation of novel machine learning methods for LEGEND simulations and analysis. We have been heavily involved in constructing, commissioning, and operating the first phase, LEGEND-200, which started physics data taking in 2023. We are likewise strongly engaged in developing LEGEND-1000, a next-generation ton-scale experiment, with UNC serving as lead institution for a multi-institution NSF Major Research and Facilities Construction proposal. A successful candidate for this position would take on leadership roles in both LEGEND-200 analysis efforts and LEGEND-1000 design and construction tasks. We are especially interested in candidates who would, as part of their research program, develop machine learning methods for LEGEND simulations and analysis.The specific research portfolio for the role is flexible, within UNC s areas of involvement in the LEGEND program.

The candidate is also encouraged to engage with other TUNL experiments to initiate new technical proposals that enhance the lab s research portfolio and attract external funding for neutrinoless double-beta decay. Mentorship and training of staff, students, and postdocs are integral and essential components of the role.

Our UNC group is an integral part of the Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory (TUNL) (https://www.tunl.duke.edu/), a Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Physics Center of Excellence, which provides substantial technical and scientific resources related to our activities. We are also affiliated with the Institute for Cosmology, Subatomic Matter, and Symmetries (CoSMS) (https://cosms.unc.edu/) that offers a stimulating environment for discussions on a broad range of fundamental physics and astronomy topics. This research professor will have the opportunity to work with diverse student populations at the undergraduate and graduate levels. This position also provides the opportunity to work closely with postdoctoral fellows, our scientific and engineering staff, as well as TUNL and CoSMS colleagues. Our professional engineering and technical teams provide world-class expertise in instrumentation, prototyping, detector development, and experiment execution.


Duties and Responsibilities

Manage design and construction of elements of the LEGEND-1000 experiment.

Plan, schedule, procure, and coordinate multiple experimental and analysis projects.

Contribute to analysis sub-group efforts for LEGEND-200 and make scientific contributions to searches for neutrinoless double-beta decay and other BSM physics signatures.

Manage operations the group s laboratory space, including a class-1000 cleanroom.

Engage with other TUNL experiments as opportunities arise and to initiate new technical proposals that enhance the lab s research portfolio and attract external funding.

Develop technical proposals and make presentations to potential customers/grant sponsors.

Mentorship and training of both staff and students are integral and essential components of the role.