Research Assistant in Chemical Engineering

Research Assistant in Chemical Engineering

Newcastle University

United Kingdom

Requisition ID: 27886
Location: Newcastle, GB
Contract Type: Fixed Term
Working Pattern: Full Time
Posted Date: 29 Jan 2025

Salary:
Research Assistant: £32,296 - 33,882 per annum
Research Associate: £34,866 - £45,163 per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 26 March 2025

The role
We want to work with highly-talented, ambitious scientists and engineers. You should therefore be able to demonstrate a track record (suitable for your career stage) that is based upon collaborative, thought-provoking laboratory research aligned with the Materials, Concepts and Reaction Engineering Group.

As this position will be funded by a specific research grant, you must have experience in laboratory experiments with ion-conducting ceramic membranes or molten salts, and, in addition, experience in one of the following: carbon dioxide separation processes; experimental study of gas-solid and/or gas-liquid reactions; experimental study of ion transport processes.

Your role will be to fabricate and characterise supported molten-salt membranes, which will include inorganic materials synthesis, gas sorption/permeation testing, and (typically via external collaboration) inorganic materials characterisation (diffraction, tomography, microscopy, spectroscopy, surface area and porosity analysis etc).

Due to the funding associated with this award, you will be provided with opportunities for collaborative research (including travel to partner universities) and researcher development training as part of multi-institution cohorts. Additionally, there is financial support to attend national and international conferences.

The position is available immediately on a full time, fixed term basis with a 1-year initial appointment. We will consider applications to work flexibly wherever possible and encourage remote working (subject to delivering the key laboratory experimental goals of the project you will be funded by).

Our group is inherently multi-disciplinary, across chemical engineering, chemistry, and materials science. Typically, we have ~15 members at one time, which allows us to form a tight-knit, collaborative, and supportive environment. We will encourage you to work across our different projects and to supervise PhD and undergraduate students, whilst also giving you the freedom to pursue your own interests (subject to delivering the key laboratory experimental goals of the projects you will be funded by).

We particularly encourage applications from groups that are currently underrepresented in academia, such as members of the LGBTQ+ and Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities.

For any informal enquiries, contact ian.metcalfe@ncl.ac.uk or greg.mutch@ncl.ac.uk who will be the Newcastle University Principal Investigators on the research grants associated with this position.

Key Accountabilities
Reporting to Professor Ian Metcalfe and Dr Greg A. Mutch, as well as other members of the Materials, Concepts & Reaction Engineering Group.
Responsible for developing supported molten-salt membranes for carbon dioxide separation and delivering the key goals of the projects you will be funded by.
The Person (Essential)
Knowledge, Skills and Experience
Experience in laboratory experiments with ion-conducting ceramic membranes or molten salts, and, in addition, experience in one of the following: carbon dioxide separation processes; experimental study of gas-solid and/or gas-liquid reactions; experimental study of ion transport processes. A track record of authoring journal publications appropriate for your career stage and consistent with a high-achieving individual. An understanding of the research conducted by the Materials, Concepts & Reaction Engineering Group, and a clear explanation of how your skills and experience will complement this.
Desirable
Experience in inorganic materials synthesis and characterisation (e.g., diffraction, tomography, microscopy, spectroscopy, surface area and porosity analysis etc). Experience in supervising research students.
Attributes and Behaviour
Communication: Evidence of an ability to communicate complex information clearly, both orally and through the written word, and evidence of good inter-personal skills with the ability to communicate with local and international stakeholders. Organisational: Evidence of an ability to prioritise, plan, and execute tasks within a larger project. Demonstrated ability with time management, organisation, and balancing competing objectives. Teamwork: Demonstrable experience of working in a collaborative manner with team colleagues at all levels, as part of a diverse, inter-disciplinary team. Adaptability: Demonstrated ability to work independently under leadership, taking responsibility for making decisions within the remit of the role and their outcomes.
Qualifications
PhD awarded (Associate) or nearing completion (Assistant) or equivalent in chemical engineering, materials science, chemistry, or a closely related subject. Minimum 2:1 Honours degree or equivalent in chemical engineering, materials science, chemistry, or a closely related subject.

In your application, please refer to Polytechnicpositions.com