Research Fellow

Contract Type: Fixed Term contract up to June 2027

Role Summary

Join our award-winning research team at the High Temperature Research Centre (HTRC) that has recently been recognised through the Queen’s Anniversary Prize. The centre is a partnership between the University and Rolls-Royce plc. Equipped with an advanced materials and formulation characterisation laboratory alongside a dedicated manufacturing process line, the centre replicates Rolls-Royce’s production investment casting capability for nickel-superalloy single-crystal turbine components. Approximately 100 academics, researchers, designers, engineers, and technicians collaborate in a dedicated facility on projects spanning fundamental science, capability acquisition, engine demonstrator and manufacturing technology. The project brings together a team of academics and industrial researchers covering turbine component design, advanced materials and process modelling to realise step-change advances in technologies to enable more cost effective, fuel efficient and sustainable turbines for aircraft propulsion systems.

The primary focus of the post is the formulation of ceramic systems for additive manufacturing of cores and shells capable of withstanding the demands of the single crystal casting process. There are significant challenges associated with achieving fine features and tight dimensional tolerances necessary for producing complex future component designs. You will develop and utilize novel laboratory procedures to explore the effect of the ceramic system on the mechanical properties of the sintered ceramic, reducing the inherent anisotropy and propensity for dimensional variation, thereby enabling complex and defect free geometries. You will contribute to the scientific community by delivering conference and journal publications using non-IP sensitive model systems.

Person Specification

• Candidates must have, or be near to completion of a PhD/ EngD degree in a related engineering or physical science discipline.
• First degree in Engineering or physical science.
• Show an interest in additive manufacturing of ceramic systems.
• Experience or good understanding of ceramics formulation and processing research, including mixing, forming, debind & sintering as well as techniques used for finishing and inspection.
• Experience or good understanding of research relating to additive layer manufacturing.
• Experience or good understanding of material characterisation techniques, such as rheometry, particle size distribution, DSC, TGA, BET, dilatometry, optical microscopy, SEM, x-ray diffraction, x-ray tomography.
• Experience or good understanding of statistical analysis. 
• Experience or good understanding of numerical modelling. 
• High level analytical capability.
• Ability to communicate complex information clearly.
• Ability to assess resource requirements and use resources effectively.
• Understanding of and ability to contribute to broader management/administration processes.
• Co-ordinate own work with others to avoid conflict or duplication of effort.
• Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day to day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly.

You will join an active research group working on various aspects of materials modelling and a large collaborative project encompassing topics spanning experimental, theoretical/ modelling and machine-learning domains.

Informal enquires can be made to Associate Professor Alex Cendrowicz, email: a.cendrowicz@bham.ac.uk

To download the full job description and details of this position and submit an electronic application online please click on the 'Apply' button.

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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

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