Innovation Fellow (Extractive Technology)

This new full-time post is available from 1 April 2025 on a fixed-term basis until 31 July 2028.

The post
The Faculty wishes to recruit an Innovation Fellow (a Postdoctoral Research Fellow carrying out applied research) in Mining Engineering in the Camborne School of Mines, Cornwall to participate in a new UKRI-funded ‘Critical Minerals Accelerating the Green Economy Centre’. This new Centre is co-created and co-funded with industry, government and NGO partners. It will carry out transdisciplinary research to accelerate the start of responsible and sustainable production of critical minerals (lithium, tin, tungsten) in SW England. It will also carry out research with partners working on critical minerals worldwide. The post is available from 1 April 2025 until 31 July 2028 (an earlier start may be negotiable) and is one of six innovation fellows in the Centre, which brings together geology, minerals processing and mining with circular economy, finance, ecology, social sciences, and policy.

About you
The successful applicant will be able to develop research objectives, projects and proposals; identify sources of research funding and contribute to the process of securing funds and make presentations at conferences and other events. They will be a post-doctoral researcher who is enthusiastic about applied research co-created and carried out in direct collaboration with industry, local government and NGO partners. They will be keen to work in a team with colleagues from a wide range of disciplines and sufficiently versatile to work on a range of projects in the Centre. Previous experience of research or professional work with colleagues outside of academia is expected.

A suitable candidate will hold a comprehensive technical background in extractive techniques and the drivers that contribute to the development of a project (financial, technical and other controlling factors). The role will require a combination of technical expertise, project management, problem solving skills and an understanding of technology that can be used to help optimise processes.

The candidate must be able to think ‘out of the box’ and look to apply innovative ways to improve extractive processes. The aim of the project is to generate cutting edge solutions that make a change in the industry providing benefits to a wide range of stakeholders.

Applicants will possess a relevant PhD or equivalent qualification/experience in mining engineering or a related field of study. The successful applicant will be a nationally recognised authority in mining and/or drilling technologies and possess sufficient specialist knowledge in the discipline to develop research programmes and methodologies. The successful applicant will also be able to work collaboratively with researchers from a wide range of other disciplines, supervise the work of others and act as team leader as required. Applicants will be able to and work on several projects with industry and other partners. The projects will relate to a variety of exploration and mining technologies.

Please ensure you read the Job Description and Person Specification (available on the university's website, accessed by the 'Apply' button) for full details of this role.

Further information
For further information please contact Matt Eyre, e-mail m.eyre@exeter.ac.uk.

We welcome applications from candidates interested in working part-time hours or job-sharing arrangements.

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