University of Zurich, Department of Physics
Position ID:
UZH-Department of Physics-PHD7 [#31879]
Position Title:
PhD position on CMS experiment
Position Type:
Other
Position Location:
Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
Subject Area:
Appl Deadline:
2026/05/01 23:59:59 (posted 2026/03/30)
Position Description:
Position Description
The experimental, high-energy particle physics group of Prof. Dr. Ben Kilminster at the University of Zurich invites applications for two PhD positions in high-energy physics as part of the CMS collaboration at CERN. The successful candidates will contribute to data analysis and detector development. The data analysis research will include searches for new physics with tau leptons and tau-lepton object reconstruction using CMS Run-3 data. The detector development will include the construction and testing of the pixel tracker extension (TEPX) of the phase-2 CMS experiment, which will start collecting data in 2030. The group has played leading roles at CMS in physics analysis with tau leptons, including searches for high-mass leptoquarks, searches for lepton flavor universality violation in B-meson decays to tau leptons, measurements of the anomalous magnetic moment of the tau lepton, as well as rare decays to tau leptons. Members of the group have developed ML-algorithms for tau-lepton identification and reconstruction, and have served as conveners and sub-conveners in the tau-lepton object group. The group has also conducted a wide range of searches for heavy, new particles decaying to W, Z, and Higgs bosons. The UZH group has also played a leading role in the R&D, construction, and operation of the pixel detectors at the CMS experiment. The TEPX detector will be built and tested at UZH during the period of this PhD position with a group of scientists, engineers, technicians, and other students. Other activities of the group include pixelated, precise-timing sensor R&D for the FCC-ee, superconducting nanowire single-particle detectors (SNSPDs) for high-energy experiments, and direct-dark matter searches with DAMIC-M. The University of Zurich has a strong particle physics group of 15 professors, contributing to theoretical calculations and models of new physics, as well as experimental efforts on CMS, LHCb, Xenon-nT, LZ, SHIP, TESSERACT, QROCODILE, LEGEND, DES, and LSST/DESC, among others. A master’s degree or diploma in physics and research experience in experimental particle physics are required. Software skills and experience with detector instrumentation are desirable. The ideal candidate will have an interest in both data analysis and detector instrumentation. Proficiency in English is required. PhD positions are fully funded according to Swiss salary regulations and typically last 3–4 years. For applicants from outside the EU, employment is subject to approval by immigration authorities, a process that may take up to three months. Applicants should submit a curriculum vitae, academic transcripts, a research statement, and arrange to have at least two reference letters submitted via the academicjobsonline.org link.Application Materials Required:
Submit the following items online at this website to complete your application:
- Cover letter
- Curriculum Vitae
- Research statement
- Academic Transcript
- Two reference letters (to be submitted online by the reference writers on this site
)
And anything else requested in the position description.
Further Info:
Department of Physics
University of Zurich
Winterthurerstrasse 190
CH-8057 Zurich
Switzerland
University of Zurich
Winterthurerstrasse 190
CH-8057 Zurich
Switzerland