Materials science/engineering/physics The Manchester Metropolitan University in United Kingdom

AMMIC will combine technical expertise in advanced materials and surface engineering, with digital materials engineering (digitisation, modelling and digital twins) along with additive manufacturing, and a programme of capacity building to develop both technical and soft skills within companies, to provide viable, scalable and sustainable manufacturing routes for advanced materials. We will deliver a GM-wide step change in business R&D through applying academic technological expertise combined with business capacity building to GM businesses.

About the role:

AMMIC will extend and develop our approach to provide a supercluster of business-university innovation, through a key focus on advanced materials, additive manufacturing and sustainable development, including surface engineering, metamaterials and materials for ‘green' energy. We will address GM's need for rapid development and rollout of sustainable solutions for a wide range of applications through providing a one port of call for innovation-ready businesses to access technological expertise and capacity building to embed and exploit these technologies for long-term growth. AMMIC will contribute to net zero, develop industry digital skills, improve efficiencies, and create increased international competitiveness in GM.

The Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMMIC) brings together world leading research facilities and expertise to stimulate new investment in research and development (R&D) to address regional and national materials and manufacturing challenges. The AMMIC team will be undertaking a series of projects with industrial collaborators in the areas of:

• materials synthesis (e.g. PVD techniques, Metamaterials);
• digitalisation of processes through real-time data acquisition and analytics;
• component fabrication (additive manufacturing);
• characterisation (e.g. SEM, EDX, XRD, XPS, Raman spectroscopy, nanoindentation, AFM, etc.);
• and testing, e.g. wear testing, corrosion testing, performance and durability testing.

We are inviting ambitious and talented individuals with a background in materials science/engineering/physics to apply to join our multidisciplinary research team. The positions are available from 1st April 2025 to 30th September 2028.  The successful candidates will work within the Surface Engineering Laboratory at Manchester Metropolitan University. There will also be opportunities to work at our academic and industrial partners' facilities. The Surface Engineering Lab is equipped with state-of-the-art thin film deposition systems (magnetron sputtering), ranging from lab-scale to pilot production scale. We undertake the development of new functional films, characterisation of film properties and the optimisation of deposition processes. The Surface Engineering lab is co-located with the Manchester Fuel Cell Innovation Centre. MFCIC is home to electrochemists, materials scientists and engineers who use state-of-the-art electrochemical techniques to investigate materials and diagnostic tools for energy conversion and storage technologies.

Role: Grade 8 Postdoctoral Research Associate

The PDRA will undertake research to produce, characterise and test materials and components and measure the performance and durability of materials and components relevant to our collaborators. They will have proficiency in the application of relevant equipment, software and techniques such as component and material fabrication (including wet chemical, additive manufacturing and/or PVD techniques), materials characterisation (e.g. SEM, EDX, XRD, XPS, Raman spectroscopy, AFM, etc.), tribological testing, corrosion testing, and assessment of performance and durability data.

Ideal Candidates:

Our ideal candidates should hold a PhD in materials science, materials engineering or related discipline. Expertise in physical vapour deposition is desirable. You should have the ability to plan and prioritise research, identify research objectives, work collaboratively with project partners from academia and industry to deliver project outcomes. You should have the ability to present results and findings, in writing and orally, to diverse audiences. Candidates should be team-oriented researchers who are highly motivated and excited by materials and technology developments in the advanced materials and surface engineering field.

Please read the full job description and person specification for all essential and desirable selection criteria for these posts.

To apply to a specific position, please upload a CV and cover letter describing why you are applying to this position.  Your cover letter should also include a supporting statement explaining how you meet the “skills and attributes” listed above.

Manchester Met University is committed to creating an intentionally inclusive culture of belonging that promotes equity and celebrates diversity. We understand the importance of having a diverse workforce and the benefits it can bring to ensuring diversity of thought and innovation in everything we do. We, therefore, encourage applications from our local and international communities, in particular people from ethnic minority groups, disabled people and people who identify as LGBTQIA+.