Research Assistant/Research Fellow

Brunel University London; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 37,000 - 49,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave + closure days

Pension scheme

Health-related support

Job summary

Brunel University London invites applications for a part-time, fixed-term research position within the TURBOCOOLING project, hosted by the BCAST. The role focuses on experimental and modelling work to advance aluminium brazing with induction heating and integrated temperature monitoring.

The successful candidate will optimise brazing processes, simulate temperature fields, and assess microstructure and mechanical properties of joints, contributing to high-integrity brazed joints.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Materials Science, Physics or closely related discipline.
• PhD in Materials Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or related field desirable.

Responsibilities

• Develop and optimise aluminium brazing processes.
• Simulate temperature distributions in aluminium workpieces during brazing.
• Characterise brazed joints microstructure and mechanical properties.
• Develop apparatus and methodologies for high-integrity brazed joints.

Skills

Experimental work

Modelling

Aluminium brazing

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Engineering/Materials Science/Physics

PhD desirable

Job description

This position is funded by an Innovate UK project entitled TURBOCOOLING: Energy-Efficient and Frost-Resistant Heat Exchangers Enabled by Advanced Aluminium Brazing, for a period of nine months. The project commenced on 1 July 2026 and aims to develop advanced aluminium brazing technology for high-performance heat exchanger applications. It focuses on brazing aluminium alloy components using an induction heating system with integrated temperature monitoring and control to ensure high-integrity, high-quality brazed joints.

Position Title: Research Assistant/Research Fellow - 17059

Department/College: Brunel Centre for Advanced Solidification Technology - BCAST

Location: Brunel University of London, Uxbridge Campus

Salary:

Salary for Research Assistant: Grade R1 from: £37,118 to £39,144 per annum inclusive of London Weighting with potential to progress to £40,202 per annum inclusive of London Weighting through sustained exceptional contribution. (Pro-rata for Part-time)

Salary for Research Fellow: Grade R1 from: £41,292 to £44,762 per annum inclusive of London Weighting with potential to progress to £48,557 per annum inclusive of London Weighting through sustained exceptional contribution. (Pro-rata for Part-time)

Hours: Part-time at 9.58 hours per week

Contract Type: Fixed-term for 3 months

Brunel University of London was established in 1966 and is a leading multidisciplinary research-intensive technology university delivering economic, social and cultural benefits.For more information please visit: https://www.brunel.ac.uk/about/our-history/home

The Brunel Centre for Advanced Solidification Technology (BCAST) is a speciality research centre focusing on solidification and wider metallurgical research with an international reputation. BCAST is well equipped with state-of-the-art facilities for both metal processing and materials characterisation. See https://www.brunel.ac.uk/research/Centres/BCAST for more information.

This position is funded by an Innovate UK project entitled TURBOCOOLING: Energy-Efficient and Frost-Resistant Heat Exchangers Enabled by Advanced Aluminium Brazing, for a period of nine months. The project commenced on 1 July 2026 and aims to develop advanced aluminium brazing technology for high-performance heat exchanger applications. It focuses on brazing aluminium alloy components using an induction heating system with integrated temperature monitoring and control to ensure high-integrity, high-quality brazed joints.

The position involves both experimental and modelling aspects of aluminium brazing. The successful candidate will focus on optimising aluminium brazing process, simulating temperature distributions within aluminium workpieces during brazing, and characterising the microstructure and mechanical properties of brazed joints. Responsibilities include developing apparatus and methodologies for manufacturing high-integrity, high-quality brazed aluminium joints, with the aim of optimising joint microstructures and maximising mechanical performance.

Candidates must hold at least a Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or a closely related discipline. A PhD in Materials Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related field is desirable.

We offer a generous annual leave package plus discretionary University closure days, excellent training and development opportunities as well as a great occupational pension scheme and a range of health-related support. The University is committed to a hybrid working approach.

Closing date for applications: 10 November 2026

For further details about the post including the Job Description and Person Specification and to apply please visit https://careers.brunel.ac.uk

If you have any technical issues please contact us at: [e-mail]

Brunel University of London is fully committed to creating and sustaining a fully inclusive workforce culture. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and communities, we particularly welcome applicants who are currently under- represented in our workforce.