Requirements
Candidates must hold a PhD (or be near submission) in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or Material/Polymer science. Essential requirements include experience in polymer synthesis, characterization techniques, and the ability to communicate complex technical information effectively.
Job Description
Working at Durham University
As one of the UK’s leading universities, Durham is an incredible place to define your career.The University is located within a beautiful historic city, home to a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and surrounded by stunning countryside. Our talented scholars and researchers from around the world are tackling global issues and making a difference to people's lives.
We believe that inspiring our people to do outstanding things at Durham enables Durham people to do outstanding things in the world. Being a part of Durham is about more than just the success of the University, it’s also about contributing to the success of the city, county and community.
Our University Strategy is built on three pillars of research, education and wider student experience, but also on our keen sense of community and of inspiring others to achieve their potential.
We want our university to be a place where people can be free to be themselves, no matter what their identity or background. Together, we celebrate difference, value one another and are each responsible for creating an inclusive community that is respectful and fair for all.
Find out more about the benefits of working at the University and what it is like to live and work in the Durham area on our Why Join Us? - Information Page
The Role and Department
The Department of Engineering is consistently one of the very best UK engineering departments with an outstanding reputation for excellence in teaching, research and employability of our students. The Department is ranked 6th in the Guardian University Guide and 7th in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026 in the UK for General Engineering. Ranked in the top six in the UK for overall profile in REF 2021 (with 95%25 of publications rated as 4* and 3*), this dynamic Department is an excellent place to work. The strategic vision for the Department includes a growth plan of over 50%25 over the next five years, with a significant enhancement of the research challenge portfolio and a drive to enrich our undergraduate, postgraduate taught and postgraduate research provision. It is an exciting time to join this expanding Department and make your mark.
The Department holds an Athena SWAN Silver Award, recognising our commitment to diversity in STEM academic and reflecting the supportive and positive environment within the Department.
The Role
Applications are invited for a post-doctoral Research Associate to work in the Materials Research Group of the Department of Engineering at Durham University in close collaboration with the Department of Chemistry. The successful candidate will join a dynamic, multidisciplinary research group committed to excellence, working on an EPSRC funded “Electrical Composites” (EleComp), a five-year EPSRC Programme Grant involving eleven academics from Imperial College London, University of Bristol and Durham University. The successful applicant will work within a multidisciplinary team of electrochemists, material scientists, composite engineers, anthropologists and sustainability experts on structural power composites (SPCs). These transformative materials can do two things at once: store electrical energy whilst carrying mechanical loads. SPCs have been heralded by the World Economic Forum (WEF) as one of the Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2025, which recognised their potential to fundamentally reshape how infrastructure, aerospace, automotive, and electronic products are designed and manufactured. By simultaneously delivering lightweight and efficient energy storage, these materials will provide huge weight and volume savings. They will offer tremendous design freedoms, delivering products that just can’t be achieved with conventional batteries.
The EleComp team will meet the overarching scientific, engineering and societal goals required to realise Electric Composites. Pursuit of these goals will be directed by new Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) tools that include an anthropological perspective; a unique approach to responsible and inclusive engineering and material science. As well as working directly with the pioneers and international leaders in SPCs, you will closely interact with a broad international academic, policy and industrial network. EleComp will provide you with an inspirational and supportive research environment to cross-fertilise ideas and develop new multidisciplinary skills. With SPCs having garnered considerable public, academic and industrial interest, this is an opportunity for you to contribute to unveiling an Electric Composites future that will impact future generations and profoundly affect everybody’s lives.
Key responsibilities:
- To understand and convey material of a specialist or highly technical nature to the team or group of people through presentations and discussions that leads to the presentation of research papers in conferences and publications.
- To prepare and deliver presentations on research outputs/activities to audiences which may include research sponsors, academic and non-academic audiences.
- To publish high quality outputs, including papers for submission to peer reviewed journals and papers for presentation at conferences and workshops under the direction of the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder.
- To assist with the development of research objectives and proposals.
- To conduct individual and collaborative research under the direction of the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder.
- To work with the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder and other colleagues in the research group, as appropriate, to identify areas for research, develop new research methods and extend the research portfolio.
- To deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines by discussing with the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder and offering creative or innovative solutions.
- To liaise with research colleagues and make internal and external contacts to develop knowledge and understanding to form relationships for future research collaboration.
- To plan and manage own research activity, research resources in collaboration with others and contribute to the planning of research projects.
- To deliver training in research techniques/approaches to peers, visitors and students as appropriate.
- To be involved in student supervision, as appropriate, and assist with the assessment of the knowledge of students.
- To contribute to fostering a collegial and respectful working environment which is inclusive and welcoming and where everyone is treated fairly with dignity and respect.
- To engage in wider citizenship to support the department and wider discipline.
- To engage in continuing professional development by participation in the undergraduate or postgraduate teaching programmes or by membership of departmental committees, etc. and by attending relevant training and development courses.
This post is initially advertised on a fixed term basis for two years with the possibility to extend up to a five-year period, subject to performance. The post is subject to standard probationary terms. Further information will be issued in the contract of employment.
The post-holder is employed to work on a research project which will be led by another colleague. Whilst this means that the post-holder will not be carrying out independent research in his/her own right, the expectation is that they will contribute to the advancement of the project, through the development of their own research ideas/adaptation and development of research protocols.
Successful applicants will, ideally, be in post in September 2026 or as soon as possible.
Working at Durham
A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University:
- You’ll receive 30 days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year – a total of 42 days per year. The University closes between Christmas and New Year.
- We offer a generous pension scheme, and as a new member of staff you will be automatically enrolled into the University Superannuation Scheme (USS).
- No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered. We have ample parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies. You can also take advantage of our cost-effective and environmentally friendly Tusker Car Benefit Scheme, allowing you to lease a brand-new electric or hybrid vehicle with savings on tax and National Insurance.
- We have a genuine commitment to developing our colleagues professionally and personally. There is a comprehensive range of development courses, apprenticeships and access to qualifications and routes to develop your career in the University. All staff have dedicated annual time to concentrate on their personal development opportunities.
- We provide wide-ranging health and wellbeing support including discounted membership for our state-of-the-art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme.
- Our on-site nursery is rated Outstanding by Ofsted, and you can access holiday camps for children aged 5-16.
- Our family-friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers).
- We offer all staff the opportunity to take part in volunteering activities to make a difference in the local community.
- You can access exclusive discounts via our benefits portal including money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, eating out and days out at various attractions.
- Various salary sacrifice schemes are also available to help you take advantage of tax savings on benefits.
- If you are moving to Durham, you may be eligible for help with removal costs, and we have a dedicated team who can help you with the practicalities such as house hunting and schools. If you need a visa, we cover most visa costs and offer an interest-free loan scheme to pay for dependant visas.
Discover more about our total rewards and benefits package here.
Durham University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion
Equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key component of the University’s Strategy and a central part of everything we do. We also live by our Purpose and Values and our Staff Code of Conduct. At Durham we actively work towards providing an environment where our staff and students can study, work and live in a community which is supportive and inclusive.
We welcome and encourage applications from those who are currently under-represented in our work force, including people with disabilities and from racially minoritised ethnic groups.
If you have taken a career break or periods of leave that may have impacted on the volume and recency of your research outputs and other activities, such as maternity, adoption or parental leave, you may wish to disclose this in your application. The selection committee will take this into account when evaluating your application.
The University has been awarded the Disability Confident Leader status. If you are a candidate with a disability, we are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to support the interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, reasonable adjustments will be made to support people within their role.
Contact Information
Department contact for academic-related enquiries
For informal enquiries please contact Dr Natasha Shirshova (natasha.shirshova@durham.ac.uk) or Dr Karen Johnston (karen.johnston@durham.ac.uk). All enquiries will be treated in the strictest confidence.
Contact information for technical difficulties when submitting your application
If you encounter technical difficulties when using the online application form, we prefer you send enquiries by email. Please send your name along with a brief description of the problem you’re experiencing to e.recruitment@durham.ac.uk
Alternatively, you may call 0191 334 6801 from the UK, or +44 191 334 6801 from outside the UK. This number operates during the hours of 09.00 and 17.00 Monday to Friday, UK time. We will normally respond within one working day (Monday to Friday, excluding UK public holidays).
How to Apply
To progress to the assessment stage, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification below. It will be at the discretion of the recruiting panel as to whether they will also consider any desirable criteria, but we would urge candidates to provide evidence for all criteria.
While some criteria will be considered at the shortlisting stage, other criteria may be considered later in the assessment process, such as questions at interview.
Submitting your application
We prefer to receive applications online. We will update you about your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to make sure you have not missed any of our updates.
What to Submit
All applicants are asked to submit:
- Your CV, including a publication list.
- Your cover letter which details your experience, skills, and achievements in meeting (or the potential to meet) the criteria within the person specification of the job description.
Next Steps
Short-listed candidates will be invited to the University, either virtually or in-person and will have the opportunity to meet key members of the Department. The assessment for the post will normally include a presentation followed by an interview and we anticipate that the assessments and interviews will take place in the beginning of September 2026.
In the event that you are unable to attend in person on the date offered, it may not be possible to offer you an interview on an alternative date.
Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement Job Applicants/Potential Job Applicants - Durham University which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.
Durham University is a UKVI sponsor. Applicants who require sponsorship to work in the UK should note that not all roles are eligible. Further information on visa requirements and eligibility can be found on the UKVI website.
Person Specification
Essential Criteria:
Qualifications
1. A good first degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Material/Polymer science or related disciplines.
2. A PhD (or be close to submission) in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Material/Polymer science or a related subject.
Experience
3. Experience in conducting high quality academic research.
4. Demonstrable ability to write material of a quality commensurate with publication in highly ranked journals.
5. Demonstrable ability to present research papers at national/international conferences and communicate complex information to specialists and within the wider academic community.
6. Experience in polymer synthesis, including ATRP or RAFT, and/or polymer blends preparation and characterisation.
7. Knowledge and experience of various research methods and techniques, specifically for the polymer characterisation, including NMR, electron microscopy (SEM/TEM), thermal-mechanical analysis (DMTA), electrochemistry; mechanical properties characterisation.
8. Knowledge of kinetic study using rheology/ FT-IR/ NMR.
Skills
9. Demonstrable ability to work cooperatively as part of a team, including participating in research meetings.
10. Ability to work independently on own initiative and to strict deadlines.
11. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
Desirable Criteria
Experience
12. Strong publication record in peer-reviewed journals, commensurate with stage of career.
13. A track record of presenting research at conferences, symposia, or meetings, commensurate with stage of career.
14. Demonstrable ability to develop research proposals and designs in collaboration with other academics.
15. Experience of overseeing students with respect to the development of their practical/research skills e.g. acting as a demonstrator; supervising student projects/practicals.
16. Knowledge and experience of the processing/manufacturing of fibre reinforced composites, their performance characterisation, including DCB and pull-out tests.
17. Knowledge of the operating principles of common electrochemical energy storage devices.
Skills
18. Demonstrable ability to plan and manage independent research.