King's College London

Lecturer in Physics (Dual Appointment: 50% King’s College London (UK) and 50% The Institute of Particle and Nuclear Studies (Japan)

About us:

The Department of Physics at King’s College London (KCL) and The Institute of Particle and Nuclear Studies (IPNS) are seeking an accomplished and motivated physicist for an exciting dual Lecturer position. This 50:50 role offers a unique opportunity to contribute equally to two prestigious institutions, advancing cutting-edge research in particle and nuclear physics while fostering cross-institutional collaboration.

The expectation is that the post holder will work equally between KCL and IPNS for a term of 5 years and during this period they will have two separate employment contracts of employment (50/50 with each institution). After the end of this term, the post holder will be employed 100% as a Lecturer in Physics by KCL based in London.

About KCL’s Physics Department. Located on the historic Strand Campus in central London, the KCL Physics department is a vibrant and diverse community with over 45 nationalities represented among staff and a student body where 56% of students are from outside the UK. Known for its collegial atmosphere, KCL’s Physics Department is deeply committed to diversity, flexibility, and support for work-life balance. The department offers flexible working options, dedicated funds for parents and carers, extensive professional development, and an array of diversity and inclusion networks. With significant recent investment in new faculty positions, research infrastructure, and laboratory refurbishment, KCL’s Physics Department is poised for growth and innovation in both research and teaching.

About the Institute of Particle and Nuclear Studies (IPNS) As part of the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK) in Japan, IPNS is a leading institution in particle and nuclear physics research with global impact. IPNS is dedicated to advancing our understanding of fundamental particles and forces, conducting experiments in particle, nuclear, and astroparticle physics. IPNS is known for its pioneering collaborations in international research projects, such as those involving particle accelerators, neutrino detection, and advanced nuclear experimentation. The institute’s researchers contribute to high-profile collaborations with CERN and J-PARC, addressing fundamental questions about the nature of matter and the origins of the universe.

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to engage with the rich research environment of both KCL and IPNS. Within KCL, they will join and contribute to research in the Experimental Particle and Astroparticle Physics (EPAP) Group in the Department of Physics. They are expected to lead a research programme in one of the international experiments the group is engaged in together with KEK.

This dual position is ideal for candidates who are passionate about research at the frontiers of particle and nuclear physics and who seek to influence the global scientific community through teaching, mentorship, and collaboration across institutions.

This role is based between King’s College London and The Institute of Particle and Nuclear Studies in Japan with, reasonable funded travel between KCL and IPNS, where the candidate will be integrated into IPNS’s dynamic research teams and contribute to its international research mission. The appointee will also participate in KCL’s undergraduate and postgraduate teaching programs, with opportunities to develop courses and mentor students across BSc, MSci, MSc, and PhD programmes.

It is anticipated that the candidate will spend their time equally split between each institution. The post holder will be responsible for arranging and funding their own accommodation in the UK and Japan. The post holder will be renumerated by both KCL and IPNS in the currency of each institution’s respective country and the candidate will be expected to manage their own tax liabilities during the period of employment.

About the role:

The Department of Physics is seeking to appoint a Lecturer in the Experimental & Astroparticle Physics Research Group to undertake high-quality original research in areas of Particle Physics.

The successful candidate must have developed a creative, original and distinctive research vision, a high-quality publication record and should have the potential to secure external research funding. We are looking for researchers with the qualities to build and lead a project team, who can function within a group and who possess the ability to provide high quality teaching. Given the dual appointment with IPNS/KEK, the candidate is also expected to conduct cutting-edge research in experiments carried out at IPNS/KEK and to contribute to the development and maintenance of the large-scale experimental infrastructure that underpins this research.

We seek candidates who can demonstrate creativity, enthusiasm for group, intergroup and interdepartmental collaboration and qualities which will help maintain and enhance the culture of the Physics Department.

Ensuring an inclusive and supportive working and learning environment is a key part of the Department of Physics' equality and diversity strategy. In 2024 the Department of Physics was awarded an Athena SWAN Silver award, in recognition of its work to embed equality of opportunity in all areas of work and ensure that all members and prospective members of staff and students are treated solely on merit, ability and potential.  We want new staff to embrace and support our efforts in this area.

This is a full-time post with two separate 0.5 FTE contracts – one with KCL and the other with IPNS / KEK. At the end of the 5 year term, you will be offered an indefinite post at King’s College London.

Important information to note:

This a novel role and as such comes with more complex arrangements. Please therefore ensure that you consider the following before applying:

• The post holder will spend their time equally split between each institution with 6 months of the year in the UK and 6 months of the year in Japan. These will be consecutive periods, and the preference is that the candidate is in the UK for the second semester.
• The post holder will be responsible for arranging and funding their own accommodation in the UK. A housing allowance to contribute towards the cost of housing in Japan will be available from IPNS / KEK.

For the different contracts of employment, the post holder will be renumerated directly by both KCL and IPNS. Salary payments will be subject to the standard mandatory deductions applicable in each host country. Given the novel nature of the post, appropriate associated guidance and support will be provided by each institution.

More details related to the post can be found in the attached checklist.

About you:

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

Essential criteria

1. PhD and postdoctoral experience in Particle Physics or related discipline.
2. To have developed a creative and distinctive research vision within the field, which complements existing research in the EPAP group and IPNS and will bolster its international reputation of excellence.
3. Demonstration of an international level research record within the field, as evidenced by a high-quality publication record.
4. Proven ability to lead a clear and coherent long-term research programme.
5. Excellent presentation, organisation and administrative skills, highly effective oral and written communication skills.
6. Demonstrable ability to teach relevant subjects at undergraduate and postgraduate level in the Department of Physics and to convey conceptual and complex ideas and information.
7. Potential to provide academic leadership, with experience of successfully contributing to and building teams and a proven ability to plan and prioritise workload.

Desirable criteria

1. Experience in teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate level.
2. Experience in securing external research grants.

Downloading a copy of our Job Description

Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the page. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

Further information:

At King’s, we believe that the diversity of our community and a culture that is welcoming, open, inclusive and collaborative, are great strengths of the university.

The Equality Act of 2010 protects the rights of our students and staff and provides a framework to fulfil our duties to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and in addition, to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between those who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. At times, this will include balancing rights and beliefs that can feel in tension.

We are committed to free speech and to academic freedom, believing that our foundational purpose as a university, is to create spaces where a wide range of ideas, including ideas that are controversial, can be discussed and debated, and where members of our community can express lawful views without fear of intimidation, harassment or discrimination.

When engaging in the robust exchange of ideas, we ask that our community is mindful of our Dignity at King’s guidance.

We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the person specification section of the job description. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.

We reserve the right to close adverts early due to the volume of applications we receive. While the closing date may change, all adverts will close at 23:59 to allow sufficient time for applications to be submitted on that day.

We encourage you to apply at the earliest opportunity to avoid disappointment as once we have closed a vacancy you will be unable to submit your application.

To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our ‘ How we Recruit’ pages.