Research Fellow (Battery Materials Recycling)

University of Birmingham; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 37,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Birmingham invites applications for a fixed-term Research Fellow within the Energy Materials Group (EMG) in the School of Metallurgy and Materials. The project, HERMES, develops safe shredding and material-recovery methods for lithium-metal batteries, building on Recyclus Group Ltd's and the University’s capabilities.

You will identify passivation, discharge, shredding, and separation methods, contribute to bid-writing, and support the industrial scale-up to create a UK LMB

Qualifications

• Hold a Bachelor's degree in a Science or Engineering discipline relevant to the project.
• Hold, or be close to completion of, a PhD in an area relevant to materials recycling, battery manufacture, minerals or process engineering, chemistry, or mechanical, electronic or chemical engineering.
• Demonstrated analytical capability and ability to communicate complex information clearly in an interdisciplinary team.

Responsibilities

• Design and carry out experimental work to identify safe discharge and passivation methods for reactive lithium-metal battery chemistries.
• Investigate shredding parameters and processing atmospheres suitable for safely handling LMB cells.
• Develop and evaluate materials separation and recovery methods for shredded battery output streams, assessing recovery efficiency and purity.
• Generate data to inform industrial partner shredder redesign and process scale-up, working with their engineering team.
• Conduct safety and hazard assessments of materials and processes.
• Contribute technical input to life-cycle assessment of shredding/passivation routes.
• Prepare technical reports, publications, and conference outputs arising from the research.
• Support supervision of postdoctoral and technician staff and contribute to day-to-day laboratory coordination.

Skills

Analytical capability

Communication of complex information

Interdisciplinary teamwork

Coordination of own work

Resource assessment

Education

Bachelor's degree in Science or Engineering

PhD near completion in materials recycling / battery manufacture / minerals or process engineering / chemistry / mechanical engineering

Job description

Salary: Full time starting salary is normally in the range £36,636 to £46,049 with potential progression once in post to £48,822

Job Summary

This is a fixed-term Research Fellow position funded through HERMES (Hazardous Energy Recycling: Methods for Emerging Specialist Chemistries), a 30-month Innovate UK-funded project led by Recyclus Group Ltd in partnership with the University of Birmingham.

Lithium-metal batteries (LMBs) are widely used across offshore energy, defence, healthcare, and IoT applications but currently have no viable commercial recycling route in the UK — unlike lithium-ion batteries, LMBs remain chemically reactive at end-of-life and pose serious fire, explosion, and emission risks under conventional shredding. This has driven large UK stockpiles and continued reliance on overseas disposal. HERMES will develop and validate a safe shredding and materials-recovery process for LMBs, building on Recyclus' existing commercial lithium-ion recycling capability.

You will join the Energy Materials Group (EMG) in the School of Metallurgy and Materials to identify and validate optimum passivation, discharge, shredding, and materials-separation methods for reactive LMB chemistries, working within your area of specialism and contributing to bid-writing and funding generation as the project develops. This work will directly inform industrial shredder redesign and scale-up, contributing to a first-of-a-kind UK LMB processing capability.

Main Responsibilities

• Design and carry out experimental work to identify and characterise safe discharge and passivation methods for reactive lithium-metal battery chemistries.
• Investigate shredding parameters and processing atmospheres suitable for safely handling LMB cells.
• Develop and evaluate materials separation and recovery methods for shredded battery output streams, assessing recovery efficiency and purity.
• Generate data to inform industrial partner shredder redesign and process scale-up, working closely with their engineering team.
• Conduct safety and hazard assessments of materials and processes.
• Contribute technical input to life-cycle assessment of shredding/passivation routes.
• Prepare technical reports, publications, and conference outputs arising from the research.
• Support supervision of postdoctoral and technician staff and contribute to day-to-day laboratory coordination.

Person Specification

• Hold a Bachelor's degree in a Science or Engineering discipline relevant to the project, or equivalent qualifications.
• Hold, or be close to completion of, a PhD in an area relevant to materials recycling, battery manufacture, minerals or process engineering, chemistry, or mechanical, electronic or chemical engineering.
• Prior knowledge, experience and achievements in mechanical shredding or comminution processes, particle/material separation techniques, battery safety or reactive/hazardous chemistry handling, and analytical characterisation (e.g. ICP-OES, SEM, XRD, or XRF) is highly desirable; however, training will be given to the right candidate in these areas.
• Demonstrably high level of analytical capability; ability to communicate complex information clearly to a diverse audience; ability to work in an interdisciplinary team; ability to coordinate own work with others to avoid conflict or duplication of effort.
• Proven ability to assess resource requirements and use resources effectively.

Informal enquiries can be made to Rob Sommerville ([e-mail]).

Valuing excellence, sustaining investment. We value diversity and inclusion at the University of Birmingham and welcome applications from all sections of the community and are open to discussions around all forms of flexible working.

£36,636 to £46,049. Grade 7