Research Associate​/Fellow

About The Role

We are looking for a Postdoctoral Research Associate / Fellow to join a two-year fixed-term project in sustainable engineering, advanced materials, and biohybrid energy systems. You will help develop adaptive conductive materials and experimental platforms for solar‑driven carbon utilisation. Your work will focus on designing and testing responsive material systems, fabricating and characterising functional structures or electrodes, and generating high‑quality data to support publications, project reporting, and future funding activity.

You will work across materials synthesis, device fabrication, electrochemical testing, and interface characterisation. Depending on your background, your typical activities may include preparing conductive nanomaterial‑based coatings or composites, supporting printed or structured prototype development, carrying out microscopy and surface characterisation, and analysing performance under changing operating conditions. You will also contribute to mentoring students, preparing papers, and building collaborations with project partners.

Mechanical Materials & Manuf Eng

Jubilee Campus

£31,387 to £40,497

Friday 19 June 2026

ENG
406026

We are a collaborative and interdisciplinary research environment spanning manufacturing, materials, and electrochemical systems. We welcome applicants from different disciplinary backgrounds and value inclusive working practices, openness to new methods, and a willingness to work across traditional subject boundaries.

• A PhD, or be close to completion, in materials science, physics, chemistry, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, or a related area
• Experience in at least two of the following: conductive or functional materials, electrochemistry, electrode fabrication, microscopy, or bio interface/material characterisation
• Experience planning experiments, analysing data, and communicating results through publications or presentations
• The ability to work independently while contributing effectively to a wider interdisciplinary team
• Good written and spoken communication skills

Experience with nanomaterials, printed devices, CV/EIS, or surface and structural characterisation would be an advantage.

• A friendly, diverse, and supportive working environment
• A hybrid working arrangement with the blended approach of home and office working each week
• Generous holiday entitlement of 27 (30) days (or pro‑rata) plus standard bank holidays and five university closure days including closure between Christmas and New Year.
• Our reward scheme grants bonuses of numerous values for excellent work
• We are committed to staff development through the provision of training, continued support, and career progression opportunities
• Access to a range of benefits and rewards, including fitness and health facilities, staff discounts, travel schemes, and many more

Our university is a supportive, inclusive, caring, and positive community. We welcome those of different cultures, ethnicities, and beliefs – indeed this very diversity is vital to our success, it is fundamental to our values, and it enriches life on campus. Visit our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion website.

We are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level
2) employer. Increasing the diversity of our community is extremely important to us and we are committed to the aims of the Disability Confident Scheme.

We are the first university to have achieved Athena Swan Gold Award.

Your application will be considered on an equal basis, subject to the relevant permission to work in the UK as set out by UK Visas & Immigration.