Salary

Research Assistant: £32,296 - 33,882 peer 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 [1].

As this position will be funded by a specific research grant [2], 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 [3], 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).

It is only fair to expect that we will support your career aspirations. Whether you want to build your research track record, seek a position in industry, or launch your own independent academic career, we are very well placed to provide guidance and support. Our previous group members work in leading companies, hold prestigious research fellowships, and have started their own research groups. If you invest your time in us, we will support you to reach your goals.

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.

Newcastle University is a Russell Group University, situated in a modern, vibrant, affordable, mid-sized city. Most other major UK cities can be reached within 2-3 hours by train, there are multiple national parks and coastal areas within 1-2 hours, and there is significant regional investment in battery manufacturing, carbon capture, and hydrogen production.

For more information about the School of Engineering at Newcastle University, please click here .

As part of our commitment to career development for research staff, the University has developed 3 levels of research role profiles. These profiles set out firstly the generic competences and responsibilities expected of role holders at each level and secondly the general qualifications and experiences needed for entry at a particular level.

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.

References

[1] https://www.ncl.ac.uk/engineering/research/chemical-engineering/materials-concepts-reaction-engineering/

[2] https://synhisel.com/

[3] https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2019/TA/C9TA01979K

Key Accountabilities

Reporting to Professor Ian Metcalfe and Dr Greg A. Mutch, as well as other members of the Materials, Concepts & Reaction Engineering Group [1]

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 [1], 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. (e.g., conference presentations, journal publications, a well-written cover letter and CV, working with international project partners, speaking at public or industry engagement events etc);
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. (e.g., previous experience of working in collaborative research teams/consortia, taking responsibility to outline (some of) the goals of your PhD, evidence of delivering complex projects on schedule, examples of overcoming barriers to progress etc);
Teamwork: Demonstrable experience of working in a collaborative manner with team colleagues at all levels, as part of a diverse, inter-disciplinary team. An understanding of, and commitment to, embedding the values of equality, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of your work. A willingness to supervise research students (e.g., previous experience of working in an inter-disciplinary research group or project, evidence of teamwork leading to research outputs such as collaborative journal publications, a demonstrated understanding of ED&I principles or activities leading to improved workplace culture etc)
Adaptability: Demonstrated ability to work independently under leadership, taking responsibility for making decisions within the remit of the role and their outcomes. Demonstrated willingness to travel locally and internationally, and a readiness to work flexibly by mutual agreement (e.g., authorship of research articles, experience in roles with devolved responsibility, pride in past achievements, previous experience of travelling to meet the deliverables of a project etc)

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 in chemical engineering, materials science, chemistry, or a closely related subject

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society. We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a silver Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality. We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC. We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe.

Requisition ID: 27886

Newcastle University

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