Senior Lead Scientist, WaterFEL

At the University of Waterloo, we create and promote a culture where everyone can reach their full potential. As an employee, you get support & opportunities that empower you to advance your career. Explore how we can bring big ideas to life, together. The University is a welcoming workplace for those of all abilities, interests, and expertise. As part of our workforce, you can do what you do best, every day.

Learn more about our recruitment process.

Job Requisition ID:

Time Type:

Employee Group:

Job Category:

Employment Type:

Department:

Hiring Range:

Posting Information:

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 program’s 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 Canada’s 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 integration-particularly within organizations involving electron beam accelerators-is 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 at hrhelp@uwaterloo.ca or 519-888-4567, ext. 45935.