Research Fellow in Plasma Technology

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A prestigious UK university is seeking a talented Research Fellow to develop innovative air sterilisation technologies for future hospital environments. You will work in a multidisciplinary team under the supervision of Prof. Minkwan Kim and collaborate with the European Space Agency. The role requires a PhD in Plasma Physics, Electrical or Aerospace Engineering, with a focus on experimental experience. Responsibilities include designing power systems and optimising a plasma reactor. Candidates are encouraged to have strong communication skills and a commitment to diversity.

Benefits

Generous maternity policy

Onsite childcare facilities

Staff benefits

Qualifications

• PhD or equivalent in Plasma Physics, Electrical or Aerospace Engineering is essential.
• Experimental experience is required.
• Knowledge of power electronic design is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Design Power Processing and Control Unit.
• Develop PASTA testbed for remote control and monitoring.
• Optimise a PASTA plasma reactor.
• Develop a PASTA pilot test system.

Skills

Experimental experience

CFD or non-thermal plasma knowledge

Power electronic design expertise

Excellent communication skills

Writing skills

Education

PhD or equivalent experience in Plasma Physics, Electrical or Aerospace Engineering

Job description

Organisation/Company UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON Research Field Engineering Engineering Physics Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Country United Kingdom Application Deadline 31 Dec 2025 - 00:00 (UTC) Type of Contract Other Job Status Full-time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

We are seeking a talented and motivatedResearch Fellow to join a multidisciplinary team developing innovativeair sterilisation technologies for infection control in future hospital environments. The project adaptsspace technologies originally designed for propulsion and in-situ resource utilisation (ISRU) to healthcare applications.

You will work under the supervision ofProf. Minkwan Kim, collaborating with theEuropean Space Agency (ESA) andNHS Hampshire Hospitals. More information about the project is available athttps://project-pasta.com .

Key responsibilities include:

• Designing Power Processing and Control Unit, targeting compact and robust power delivery.
• Developing a PASTA testbed enabling remote control and monitoring.
• Optimising a PASTA plasma reactor.
• Developing a PASTA pilot test system

You should hold aPhD (or equivalent experience) inPlasma Physics,Electrical orAerospace Engineering. Experimental experience is essential; CFD or non-thermal plasma and power electronic design expertise is desirable. Excellent communication and writing skills are required.

This role offers the opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research at the intersection ofaerospace technology and healthcare innovation.

Equality, diversity and Inclusion is central to the ethos in the School of Engineering. We particularly encourage women, Black, Asian and minority ethnic, LGBT and disabled applicants to apply for this position. In recognition of our continued commitment to improving equality for women in science we were awarded an Athena SWAN bronze in 2013 and 2016. We give full consideration to applicants that wish to work flexibly including part-time and due consideration will be given to applicants who have taken a career break. The University has a generous maternity policy**, onsite childcare facilities.

The University of Southampton is in the top 1% of world universities and in the top 10 of the UK’s research-intensive universities. The University of Southampton is committed to sustainability and being a globally responsible university and has recently been awarded the Platinum EcoAward. This commits all of our staff and students to take responsibility for managing their activities to minimise harm to the environment, whether this through switching off non-essential electrical equipment or using the recycling facilities.

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