Research Assistant/Associate in Polymer Membrane

Salary:  

Research Assistant: £32,546 to £34,132 per annum

Research Associate:  £35,116 to £38,249 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: 20 July 2025

The Role

We are seeking to appoint a talented and enthusiastic PDRA with experience in polymer synthesis and membrane fabrication to join our group in studying membranes for alkaline based water electrolysers. The candidate will be joining a team of researchers across five institutes working on 5 year programme grant Ocean Refuel. Ocean Renewable Energy Fuels project will explore ways of converting ocean energy into fuels including hydrogen and ammonia for use in heating, energy storage and difficult to decarbonise transport applications.

Newcastle University is a world class research-intensive university. We play a leading role in economic, social and cultural development of the North East of England. Attracting and retaining high-calibre people is fundamental to our continued success.

Electrochemical Engineering group at School of Engineering is recognised as world leading with expertise focusing on electrochemical energy conversion and storage. Prof. Mohamed Mamlouk has long track record and international standing in hydrogen research. You will be working with additional PDRAs (electrocatalyst, membrane, system testing and electrode modelling) at Newcastle on the project and closely with project partners universities.  At Newcastle, you will be part of multiplanetary international teams of over 15 researchers in area of Electrochemical Engineering with access to state-of-the-art facilities.

For more information about Ocean Refuel, please visit: https://www.oceanrefuel.ac.uk/ or https://www.ncl.ac.uk/press/articles/archive/2021/07/oceanrefuel/

For informal enquiries about the role, or for requests for more detailed project information, please contact Mohamed Mamlouk via email Mohamed Mamlouk mohamed.mamlouk@newcastle.ac.uk

Or visit the school colleague profile via https://www.ncl.ac.uk/engineering/staff/profile/mohamedmamlouk.html

For more information on the School of Engineering, please click here

This is a full time role (37 hours per week) on a fixed term basis for a duration up to Summer 2028 with a potential start date of 1st July 2025, however we aim to be flexible with this date.

To apply, please complete the online application and provide your CV and a covering letter. The covering letter should be no more than two pages long and should detail how you meet the person specification as noted below.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience 
•    Experience in various methods of polymerisation and functionalisation
•    Experience in synthesis, fabrication and chemical-physical characterisation of polymers (preferably ion exchange or ion solvating) and study of their degradation
•    Experience in polymer membrane film fabrication from polymers solutions
•    High level of analytical and problem-solving capacity
•    Ability to communicate complex information (verbally and written) with clarity and to encourage the commitment of others
•    Ability to design and prepare professional reports and manuscripts and present findings to industrial and academic project partners at conferences and project meetings and write high quality scientific publications
•    Ability and experience of supervision of junior staff, postgraduate and undergraduate research projects
•    Willingness to travel abroad for short research visits at international project partners
Desirable
•    Experience in composite and polymer reinforcement
•    Experience in anion exchange water electrolysers 
•    Experience in electrochemical devices fabrication and testing 
•    knowledge of electrochemical analysis techniques to test performance and stability of ion exchange membranes in electrolysers and how they impact cell performance and stability 

Attributes and Behaviour
•    Excellent written and oral communication skills 
•    Professional approach with a demonstrable commitment to dignity and respect in the workplace 
•    Demonstrated interpersonal skills with the general public and external stakeholders and the ability to interact with people from different disciplines 
•    Good project organizational skills and the ability to work to strict deadlines. 
•    Monitor and, where appropriate, manage research resources (e.g. time, materials, finance, laboratory space, equipment) effectively 
•    Ability to work in a diverse team but also independently. Contributing to the development of effective and mutually supportive working relationships and practices 
•    Play a major part in the dissemination of individual or team-based research outputs 
•    Ensure intellectual rigour and adherence to ethical standards in the research for which they are responsible 
•    Assist colleagues in interpretation of their data, to manage competing priorities, and to develop their research skills 
•    Ensure that knowledge and methodological/technical skills in their own, and related, areas of scholarship are extended and inform research activities

Qualifications
Essential for Research Assistant post:
•    Working towards or nearing completion of a PhD (within 3 months max) in chemical science, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, polymer science and engineering, materials science or a closely related discipline
Essential for Research Associate post:
•    A fully completed and awarded PhD in chemical science, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, polymer science and engineering, materials science or a closely related discipline

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: 28226