Research Associate in Metallurgy and Materials Characterisation

Diversity Dashboard; Sheffield; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Sheffield invites applications for a Research Associate in Metallurgy and Materials Characterisation. You will lead Sheffield’s contribution to an ARIA-funded programme developing rare-earth-free magnets from protein-programmed methods.

Based in the School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering, you will use diffraction, microscopy and magnetic testing to drive materials from design through processing to performance.

Qualifications

• PhD in metallurgy or materials science or closely related field.
• Experience with diffraction techniques and materials processing.
• Experience with magnetic materials characterization is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Lead production and consolidation of protein-templated materials into bulk magnets.
• Design and perform diffraction-based characterisation (powder XRD, refinement).
• Conduct microstructure analysis using electron and atomic force microscopy.
• Support magnetic measurements using SQUID and other magnetometers.
• Evaluate manufacturing routes for scale-up and reproducibility.
• Maintain detailed experimental records and data logs.
• Collaborate with Imperial College London and Change Bio on design-build-test cycles.

Skills

Powder X-ray diffraction

Rietveld refinement

Electron microscopy

Atomic force microscopy

SQUID magnetometry

Vibrating sample magnetometry

Diffraction-based characterisation

Education

PhD in Metallurgy or Materials Science

Tools

Spark plasma sintering

Field assisted sintering

Additive manufacturing

Job description

The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world-class university.

We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more. Find out more about our benefits (opens in a new window) and join us to become part of something special.

Overview

The University of Sheffield is seeking a Research Associate in Metallurgy and Materials Characterisation to join an ambitious, ARIA-funded programme developing rare-earth-free permanent magnets through protein-programmed manufacturing. Working within an interdisciplinary consortium spanning Imperial College London, Change Bio and the University of Sheffield, you will lead the Sheffield contribution to the project, converting protein-templated magnetic nanomaterials into dense, anisotropic bulk composites and characterising their structure and performance.

You will be based in the School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering, working with Professors Iain Todd Kathy Christofidou, and will draw on Sheffield's metallurgical processing and characterisation infrastructure, including field assisted sintering, additive manufacturing, powder X-ray diffraction, atomic force and electron microscopy and magnetic measurement facilities.

The role centres on manufacturing routes for novel nanostructured magnetic materials, and on diffraction-based characterisation to track phase, crystal structure and microstructural order through processing. You will work closely with partners at Imperial College London and Change Bio, feeding characterisation data back into the project's design-build-test-learn cycle, and will contribute to milestone reporting and Go/No-Go decisions across the 36-month programme.

This is an excellent opportunity for a metallurgist or materials scientist with strong diffraction and processing expertise to work at the interface of protein engineering, inorganic chemistry and advanced manufacturing, on a high-profile programme with a clear route to real-world application.

Main duties and responsibilities

• Lead the preparation, processing and consolidation of protein-templated mineral and nanoparticle materials into bulk anisotropic magnetic composites, using low-temperature fixation, spark plasma sintering and related manufacturing routes.

• Design and conduct diffraction-based characterisation, principally powder X-ray diffraction and Rietveld refinement, to determine phase identity, crystal structure and microstructural order before and after processing.

• Carry out complementary microstructural characterisation using electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy.

• Support magnetic characterisation of processed samples using SQUID and vibrating sample magnetometry, working with colleagues across the consortium.

• Evaluate candidate manufacturing routes, including sintering and printing-based approaches, for their compatibility with scale-up, reproducibility and downstream manufacturability.

• Maintain accurate experimental records and contribute processing and characterisation data to the project's shared data and decision-log systems.

• Collaborate closely with project partners at Imperial College London and Change Bio, participating in design-build-test-learn review cycles, technical stand