Senior Materials Scientist

Agratas – A Tata Enterprise; Oxford; Vor Ort; GBP 70.000 - 95.000; Vollzeit

Zusammenfassung

Agratas – A Tata Enterprise is seeking a Senior Materials Scientist to lead battery materials development at Milton Park, Oxfordshire. You will translate concepts into prototype cells, study performance, degradation, and interfaces, and drive materials integration for next‑gen battery technologies.

The role requires deep expertise in electrochemistry, materials science and hands-on R&D, with a culture of rigorous experimentation, safety and collaboration across the organisation.

Qualifikationen

• PhD in Chemistry, Materials Science, Electrochemistry or related field.
• Significant hands-on battery R&D experience.
• Demonstrated expertise in emerging battery chemistries or advanced cell architectures.
• Experience translating material concepts into demonstrator prototypes.
• Strong understanding of electrochemistry and interfacial science in energy storage.

Aufgaben

• Lead development of emerging battery materials and interfaces across concept to prototype validation.
• Design and build proof-of-concept cells and components in lab environments.
• Deliver structured experimental programmes with clear milestones and success criteria.
• Characterise materials and investigate degradation mechanisms to inform design iterations.
• Collaborate with cell design, modelling, process engineering and IP teams to drive technology maturation.

Kenntnisse

Electrochemistry

Interfacial science

Materials behaviour

Data analysis

Scientific communication

Ausbildung

PhD in Chemistry or Materials Science

Tools

XRD

SEM/EDX

XPS

Raman

FTIR

Thermal analysis

Particle size and porosity

Jobbeschreibung

Purpose of the Role

Senior Materials Scientist

Cell Technology | Milton Park Oxfordshire, UK

Help Shape the Future of Battery Technology

At Agratas, we're building the next generation of sustainable battery technologies that will power the future of mobility and energy storage. As we continue to expand our Cell Technology team, we are looking for an exceptional Senior Materials Scientist to drive the development of emerging battery chemistries and advanced cell architectures from concept through to prototype validation.

This is a unique opportunity to work at the forefront of battery innovation, applying deep expertise in materials science and electrochemistry to solve some of the industry's most challenging technical problems. You'll play a critical role in identifying, developing and integrating novel materials that will underpin future battery technologies, working alongside world-class scientists and engineers in a highly collaborative research environment.

The Role

Reporting to a Principal Scientist, you will lead hands‑on research and development activities focused on battery materials and interfaces. You will translate promising scientific concepts into practical prototypes, investigate performance and degradation mechanisms, and provide the evidence needed to support technology maturation and scale‑up.

You will combine fundamental scientific understanding with practical experimental expertise, helping to reduce technical uncertainty and accelerate the development of next‑generation battery technologies.

Key Responsibility Areas

Lead Development of Emerging Battery Materials

• Identify, evaluate, formulate and optimise materials for next‑generation battery chemistries and advanced cell architectures.
• Develop deep understanding of the interaction between active materials, electrolytes, binders, conductive additives, separators, coatings and interfaces.
• Assess how material properties influence electrochemical performance, stability, safety, ageing and reliability.

Design and Build Prototype Cells

• Develop proof‑of‑concept cells and components using laboratory and controlled‑environment techniques.
• Establish robust and repeatable build processes for benchtop and small‑scale prototypes.
• Translate innovative material concepts into experimentally validated battery components and cells.

Deliver Rigorous Experimental Programmes

• Design structured test plans to evaluate technical feasibility and performance.
• Define meaningful success criteria, controls and development milestones.
• Analyse complex datasets to generate clear technical conclusions and development recommendations.

Characterise Materials and Understand Failure Mechanisms

• Apply electrochemical and materials characterisation techniques to understand performance drivers.
• Lead post‑mortem analysis and prototype teardowns.
• Identify degradation pathways, interfacial instabilities, corrosion mechanisms and other failure modes.
• Feed findings back into material design and development strategies.

Drive Innovation and Technology Assessment

• Evaluate emerging technologies through scientific literature, patents, supplier engagement and experimental evidence.
• Assess scientific novelty, technical maturity, manufacturability and scale‑up potential.
• Contribute to technology roadmaps and future research directions.

Collaborate Across the Organisation

• Work closely with teams across cell design, modelling, process engineering, safety, analytical science, testing, IP and supply chain.
• Provide technical guidance to research partners, universities and specialist suppliers.
• Present recommendations and findings to technical and project stakeholders.

Job Context

What You’ll Bring

Essential Experience

• PhD in Chemistry, Materials Science, Electrochemistry, Chemical Engineering or a related scientific discipline.
• Significant hands‑on experience within battery research and development.
• Demonstrable expertise in emerging battery chemistries and/or advanced cell architectures.
• Experience translating material concepts into benchtop or small‑scale demonstrator prototypes.
• Strong understanding of electrochemistry, interfacial science and materials behaviour in energy storage systems.

Technical Expertise

You Will Bring Experience In Several Of The Following

• Battery materials development and optimisation.
• Electrode and cell fabrication.
• Electrochemical testing techniques including:
• Galvanostatic cycling
• Cyclic voltammetry
• Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy
• Pulse and rate capability testing
• Self‑discharge analysis
• Materials characterisation techniques such as:
• XRD
• SEM/EDX
• XPS
• Raman spectroscopy
• FTIR
• Thermal analysis
• Particle size and porosity measurements
• Failure analysis and degradation investigations.
• Experimental design, statistical analysis and technical problem solving.

Personal Attributes

• Curious, innovative and scientifically rigorous.
• Passionate about developing breakthrough battery technologies.
• Strong analytical and troubleshooting capabilities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Able to work independently while thriving in multidisciplinary teams.
• Committed to high standards of safety, quality and technical excellence.

Preferred Experience

• Postdoctoral research or industrial R&D experience in advanced battery technologies.
• Track record of scientific leadership through technical project ownership.
• Publications, patents or demonstrable contribution to technology development.
• Experience working with academic partners, research organisations or specialist material suppliers.
• Experience supporting the progression of technologies from laboratory research towards scaled demonstrations.

Why Join Agratas?

At Agratas, you'll be part of a mission‑driven organisation committed to transforming sustainable energy and mobility. You'll work alongside leading scientists and engineers, access world‑class facilities, and have the opportunity to make a tangible impact on the future of battery technology.

If you're excited by cutting‑edge research, scientific discovery and the opportunity to turn innovative materials into real‑world battery solutions, we'd love to hear from you.