Research Associate in Next-generation Battery Cathodes

The Department of Chemistry at Lancaster University is seeking to appoint a full time Research Associate in Next-generation K-ion Battery Cathodes to work in the group of Dr Xiao Hua . This role is indefinite, however subject to funding, which is currently available to 31/01/2027.

The project you will be working on involves the development of next-generation cathodes for K-ion batteries (KIBs) and the main duties of the role involve preparing and optimising a series of novel metal fluorides for the KIB cathode applications. The key objective of this work is to develop a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between the structure topology of the metal fluoride frameworks and their electrochemical properties.

ABOUT YOU

You will: 

• Have a PhD degree (or bearing completion with their thesis submitted for examination) in chemistry or a related discipline.
• Have experience in practical laboratory research.
• Have good English communication skills.
• Be able to demonstrate expertise in X-ray or neutron crystallography, or solid-state NMR 

 THE BENEFITS OF THE ROLE

• Generous holiday leave - 25 days (pro-rata) annual leave plus University closure days and bank holidays.
• Access to employee pension scheme, and annual flexible benefits scheme.
• We are committed to promoting Equality, Diversity and Inclusion across the Faculty, and supporting family-friendly and flexible working policies on an individual basis. The Department holds an Athena Swan Bronze Award, which recognises and celebrates good employment practice undertaken to address gender equality in Higher Education and research. Please see the university’s family friendly webpages to find out more - Family- friendly Lancaster - Lancaster University. 

The Department of Chemistry was re-opened in 2012 and has undergone rapid expansion and development. The Department consists of a core complement of more than 20 members of academic staff and a thriving community of post-doctoral researchers, PGR and UG students. It ranks highly in the UK (9th in the Guardian University Guide 2024) with state-of-the-art labs housed in a completely refurbished building. 

Further information about the Department is available at: Chemistry - Lancaster University  

Lancaster University is highly ranked – 11th in the UK according to the Guardian University Guide 2024. It was awarded the Times International University of the Year in 2020 and University of the Year in 2018, and holds a Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) Gold rating. The University’s campus is located in 560 acres of beautiful parkland on the edge of the small but vibrant city of Lancaster.

Informal enquiries are welcome and should be addressed to Dr Xiao Hua (x.hua1@lancaster.ac.uk).

Please upload a cover letter and CV with your application.

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Further details:

• Job Description
• Person Specification

Please note: unless specified otherwise in the advert, all advertised roles are UK based.

Find out what it's like to work at Lancaster University, including information on our wide range of employee benefits, support networks and our policies and facilities for a family-friendly workplace.

The University recognises and celebrates good employment practice undertaken to address all inequality in higher education whilst promoting the importance and wellbeing for all our colleagues. 

We warmly welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of their age, religion, gender identity or expression, race, disability or sexual orientation, and are committed to promoting diversity, and equality of opportunity. 

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