Research Associate in Circular Economy

About the role:

We are seeking to appoint a Research Associate to work on a funded research project involving the use of ionic liquids in circular economy concepts, including wastewater treatment and metal recycling, in the Department of Chemical Engineering.

This position will focus on two of the biggest challenges facing society – the provision of clean water and circular materials for our growing population. Our research efforts have established ionic liquids as viable media for processing waste materials in a circular economy. Here we seek the use of immobilised ionic liquids to recover rare earth and heavy metal contaminants from waste streams. We seek both batch and continuous process options using ionic liquids. The Research Associate will synthesise novel ionic liquids, immobilise them on solid inorganic supports and build a continuous apparatus for trace element removal from contaminated waste streams.

This will be a fixed term appointment for up to 12 months in the first instance.

What you would be doing:

You will take initiative in the design of your research programme and performance of experiments and direct a team of researchers from the PhD and Masters level in the pursuit of a viable process option. You will be able to synthesise ionic liquids, analyse their immobilised state on inorganic supports and perform trace element analysis on liquid and solid streams to monitor extraction success.

What we are looking for:

• Hold a PhD in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering or a closely related field, or equivalent research, industrial or commercial experience.
• Practical experience within a research environment and / or publication in relevant and refereed journals
• Practical experience in a broad range of techniques including chemical synthesis, trace element analysis and wastewater analysis
• Experience with ionic liquids (synthesis and use)
• Experience with trace element analysis (i.e. ICP-MS)
• Ability to conduct a detailed review of recent literature
• Willingness to work within a team and to be open-minded and collaborative

*Candidates who have not yet been officially awarded their PhD will be appointed as Research Assistant within the salary range £43,0003 – £46,297 per annum.

What we can offer you:

• The opportunity to work with world-leading research groups in the field on problems of direct relevance to society’s growing mission for sustainability
• The opportunity to continue your career at a world-leading institution and be part of our mission to continue science for humanity.
• Grow your career: gain access to Imperial’s sector-leading dedicated career support for researchers as well as opportunities for promotion and progression.
• Sector-leading salary and remuneration package (including 39 days off a year and generous pension schemes).
• Be part of a diverse, inclusive and collaborative work culture with various staff networks and resources to support your personal and professional wellbeing.

Further Information

The post is available immediately.

This project will be part of a wider circular economy/sustainable chemical manufacturing team led by Professor Jason Hallett and Professor Paul Fennell within the Department of Chemical Engineering.

If you require any further details about the role, please contact: Professor Jason Hallett - j.hallett@imperial.ac.uk.                                                                    

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