Computational Scientist

UKAEA leads the way in realising fusion energy, partnering with industry and research organisations to bring fusion electricity to the grid. This Computational Scientist joins a team developing advanced computational tools that support fusion energy research, applying scientific computing and numerical methods to complex plasma modelling challenges. A substantial part of the role focuses on FreeGSNKE, UKAEA’s open-source tool for modelling tokamak plasma equilibria and evolution, helping develop and maintain the code, improve its performance on modern computing systems, and apply it to research challenges including plasma scenario design for MAST Upgrade and STEP, alongside work connecting simulation with reduced-order models, AI-assisted applications and the SUNRISE supercomputer.

Key Responsibilities

• Apply computational and numerical methods to solve scientific research challenges, developing robust, maintainable software for modelling tokamak plasma behaviour
• Develop and maintain FreeGSNKE’s Python codebase, including new modelling capabilities and improvements to performance and scalability
• Contribute to JAX-based FreeGSNKE development, including GPU-enabled simulation workflows and their deployment on SUNRISE
• Apply and validate FreeGSNKE through comparison with experimental data, benchmarking and simulation-based studies, including plasma scenario design for MAST Upgrade and STEP
• Contribute to reduced-order modelling, surrogate development and AI-assisted applications using simulation outputs
• Collaborate with technical specialists to deliver modelling and simulation solutions, and support internal and external collaborators using FreeGSNKE
• Produce technical reports and documentation, present research findings at internal workshops and forums, and contribute to scientific publications and conference presentations
• Support and, where required, mentor students, graduates or apprentices on technical work

Requirements

Essential: degree in a scientific, engineering or technical discipline, plus a PhD or equivalent experience in an academic or industrial research environment; demonstrable experience with at least one modern programming language relevant to scientific computing, such as C++, Fortran, Python or Julia; familiarity with modern software engineering practices, including testing, version control and code maintenance; experience writing efficient, maintainable and comprehensible software independently; knowledge of numerical methods used in the simulation of physical systems; experience applying computational or scientific computing techniques to research or engineering problems; experience working in a Unix or Linux environment.

Desirable: knowledge of tokamak plasma physics, equilibrium modelling or scenario design; experience with high-performance computing, GPUs, JAX, or statistical and machine-learning methods.