Employment Opportunities at NCU

Offer No.: 4783

Institution: Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Informatics

City: Toruń

Position: assistant professor (adjunkt) - research staff

Discipline: The Field of Exact and Natural Sciences - Physical Sciences

Posted: 2025-08-21

Expires: 2025-09-20

Keywords: quantum scattering, molecular spectroscopy, shapes of optical resonances

Description (field, expectations, comments): The competition is open to persons who meet the conditions set out in Article 113 of the Act of 20 July 2018 - Law on higher education and science (Journal of Laws of 2018, item 1668) and the following qualification criteria:
1. Required: a doctorate in physics, chemistry or a closely related field
2. Required: publication record in atomic/molecular physics
3. Required: experience in experimental molecular physics and laser spectroscopy
4. Required: programming skills and experience in molecular spectral analysis
5. Preferred: experience in vacum and laser technologies
6. Required: good English (both spoken and written)
7. Teamwork skills and strong motivation for research work

We offer employment at a postdoc position in a research grant financed by the National Science Center, Poland within Sonata Bis 12 competition. The candidate must meet requirements of the Center, in particular have a doctoral degree obtained not earlier than 7 years before the year of employment in the project (this period may be extended in the event of breaks in the scientific career as defined by the Center). A person employed at the postdoc position cannot be employed under another employment contract at the same time.

In this project, we will pursue a completely new approach to providing reference spectroscopic line-shape data based on experimentally validated ab initio quantum scattering calculations. We will fully utilize capabilities to populate spectroscopic databases and provide reference spectroscopic data for the studies of the atmospheres of Earth, other planets, moons, and exoplanets. In addition to the calculations, within this project, we will perform complementary highly accurate measurements of collision-perturbed shapes of the molecular optical resonances using cavity-enhanced techniques. This will allow us to validate the quantum calculations (both our quantum-scattering calculations and potential energy surfaces provided by quantum chemists). A strong side of the experimental part of this proposal is access to the recently developed in my group cryogenic cavity-enhanced spectrometer that allows us to acquire molecular spectra at conditions not accessible with conventional instruments, i.e., the 10 - 300 K temperature range. On the one hand, this will allow us to access thermodynamic conditions relevant for some astrophysical studies, for instance, remote spectroscopic studies of the cold Titan’s atmosphere. On the other hand, it will allow us to address the long-standing problem from the field of molecular collisions, i.e., the fundamental discrepancy between the theoretical and experimental collisional line-shape parameters observed under cryogenic conditions for many molecular species.


Key responsibilities include:
1) The post-doc will contribute to the data analysis and experimental part of the project
2) Development of experimental setup and measurement preparations
3) He/She will contribute to collecting the experimental spectra
4) The post-doc will also facilitate knowledge transfer to the MSc students and PhD students


Skills/Qualifications:
• PhD in physics or a closely related field or statement about planned finalization of doctorate (it is required to receive a PhD degree before starting the work)
• Publication record in atomic/molecular physics
• Good command of written and spoken English

Preferred:
• Skills and experience in experimental molecular physics and laser spectroscopy
• Programming skills and experience in molecular spectral analysis
• Experience in vacum and laser technologies
• Excellent problem-solving and communication skills
• Written and verbal communication skills and presentation skills
• Teamwork ability

We offer:
• position in professional, dynamically developing team, recognizable in its field of research
• possibility of conference trips
• collaboration with the best molecular spectroscopy teams
• no teaching duties

Remuneration amount:
140 000 PLN/year gross (full remuneration cost, including full social security and health insurance), approximate amount of net salary 7 300,00 PLN/month.

Full-time employment

Period of contract: 6 months with an option to extend up

Position starts in January 2026

Number of offers: 1

Type of contract: Temporary

Job status: Full-time

Hours per week: 40 hour / week

Institution: Institute of Physics, Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Informatics, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Poland

Project leader: Prof. dr hab. Piotr Wcisło

Project title: „Advancing molecular collision studies to the limits of first-principles quantum calculations and accurate spectroscopy; novel approaches for providing reference spectroscopic data for studying planetary atmospheres”

Required documents:

• Personal questionnaire for the person applying for employment (download here)
• Professional curriculum vitae
• Copy of higher education diploma
• Declaration of consent to the processing of personal data contained in the job offer for the needs of the recruitment process, in accordance with the Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of The Council od 27 April 2016 (L119/1) (download here)
• Declaration under art. 113 ust. 1 ustawy Prawo o szkolnictwie wyższym (o niekaralności) (Art. Paragraph 113 (1) of the Higher Education Act (of no criminal record)) (download here)
• Declaration that Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń will be my primary employer once I have won the contest (download here)
• At least one (max three) reference letter(s)
• Copy of doctorate certificate or statement about planned finalization of PhD (it’s required to receive a PhD degree before starting the work)
• A cover letter including a description of scientific motivation, a description of research interests, and a publication list (addressed to Professor Andrzej Tretyn, Rector of the Nicolaus Copernicus University)

Additional information: Please submit the aforementioned documents to karolina.kitkowska@umk.pl with annotation "Postdoc Sonata Bis.PW.25.02"(offer no. 4783) in the subject field (scanned or pdf versions will be accepted) before 20.09.2025. The project leader reserves the right to interview selected candidates. The applicants will be contacted for an interview to schedule a time. We reserve the right not to select any candidates. Application deadline: 20.09.2025 The contest will be adjudicated no later than 31.10.2025 The university does not provide accommodation. NCU declares the right not to choose any candidate. For more details, please contact us by email: karolina.kitkowska@umk.pl

Please be informed that the person selected through the competition will be obliged to submit a certificate from the National Criminal Register with regard to offences specified in Chapters 19 and 25 of the Penal Code (including offences against sexual freedom and morality), in Article 189a and Article 207 of the Penal Code and in the Act on Counteracting Drug Addiction of 29 July 2005 (Journal of Laws of 2023, item 1939 and of 2022, item 2600), or for the corresponding offences defined in foreign law. The obligation to verify applies to a person whose tasks will be related to the protected activity referred to in Article 21. of the Act of 13 May 2016 on counteracting the threat of sexual offences and the protection of minors (Journal of Laws of 2024, item 560).

Pursuant to art. 24 paragraph 6 of the Act of June 14, 2024 on the protection of whistleblowers (Journal of Laws of 2024, item 928), information on the internal reporting procedure at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń is available at: https://www.umk.pl/en/contact/internal-reporting/

If you wish to apply for this position, please do so online by clicking on the "Apply" button below (email address required).
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