SCM, a scientific software company located in Amsterdam and operating in the area of computational quantum chemistry and materials science, is about to receive a sizable grant from the EU for a 4-year collaboration with Prof. Heine's group at Jacobs University Bremen (Germany) to develop new methods for quantum simulations of nanoscale systems. The formal agreement with the EU is currently being negotiated. A 4-year position will be created at SCM for an [experienced] scientific software developer with a PhD degree in a relevant field. Permanent employment at SCM in Amsterdam is envisaged - but not guaranteed - afterwards.
The 1st and 4th years will be spent in Amsterdam and years 2 and 3 in Bremen. Several staff exchanges are planned between Jacobs University and SCM. An intensive collaboration with a method developer in a similar position in Bremen and with several people applying the new methods, including part-time supervision of Ph.D. students, is part of the job. The developer's tasks will include a mixture of development, implementation, testing, porting, documenting, and debugging work, primarily in SCM's new software programs dealing with thousands of atoms.
Scientific Computing & Modelling NV, SCM, is a (now independent) spin-off company of the VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. SCM develops, maintains, and markets the Amsterdam Density Functional (ADF) package, consisting of the molecular ADF program, the periodic structure program BAND, the COSMO-RS module for thermodynamics of mixed liquids, and their respective graphical interfaces. The working atmosphere at SCM is that of an informal small team of Ph.D.'s doing intellectually challenging work. SCM shares office space and closely interacts with the well-known Theoretical Chemistry (TC) group led by professors Baerends, Bickelhaupt, and Visscher. The TC group consists of about 20 people, including a very international mix of Ph.D students, postdocs, and guests. SCM cooperates with a large and growing number of academic method developers around the world and is now increasing its scope in methods beyond DFT. SCM is a science-focussed company which has been around for 15 years. It is financially solid, free of debt, growing, and profitable. SCM is located in Amsterdam, the very lively, internationally oriented, and enjoyable capital of The Netherlands.
Jacobs University is a private, modern, and highly international university with students from 98 nations. The campus language is English. The Heine group (Theoretical Physics / Computational Materials Science) is part of the School of Engineering and Science, and carries out research on computational nanotechnology, with concentration on environmental aspects such as hydrogen storage, proton conductance, biofuel production, treatment of mining waste, and nanoelectromechanics of carbon and inorganic nanostructures. Three postdoctoral fellows and 5 PhD students are presently working in the group. The group (as well as SCM) has access to excellent supercomputer facilities. Bremen is located in the north-west of Germany, with historical city centre (UNESCO world heritage), and active cultural life. Bremen, not too far from the Dutch border, and Amsterdam are conveniently connected by railway, highway, and direct flights.
We especially invite women to apply. Both employers are equal opportunity employers. In principle, applicants can have any nationality, and any current residence (although immigration rules apply). In view of EU mobility rules, please notify us if you have lived in Germany for more than 12 months in the last 3 years.
Detailed information on SCM and ADF can be found at SCM's website. Information on Jacobs University and the Heine group is available online. Those interested in this position are encouraged to contact Dr. Stan van Gisbergen, SCM's Chief Executive Officer (vangisbergen at scm dot com, tel: +31-20-5987626) for further information. Job applications can be sent by E-mail to the same address until February 28, 2010, but preferably sooner. Applications should contain a CV, a letter explaining the motivation for applying and, if applicable, a list of publications. References may be requested at a later stage.
