Research Assistant/Fellow in Reforming Catalysts for Hydrogen

School/Department School of Water, Energy and Environment
Based at Cranfield Campus, Cranfield, Bedfordshire
Hours of work 37 hours per week, normally worked Monday to Friday. Flexible working will be considered.
Contract type Fixed term contract
Fixed Term Period until 31/07/2023
Salary £33,809 per annum (Research Fellow) or £30,600 per annum (Research Assistant)
Apply by 13/02/2022

Role Description

We are looking for a researcher with outstanding expertise in catalyst synthesis and scale up as a part of the HyPER project (www.hyperh2.co.uk ). This project is funded by the UK Government, department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and is in collaboration with Doosan Babcock and the Gas Technology Institute.

About the Role

This position will be responsible for developing the next generation of catalysts for the sorbent enhanced steam methane reforming process in a fluidised bed reactor and will be scaled up for use in the HyPER pilot plant. 

It is expected that you will produce manuscripts for publications in high impact journals based on the research you conduct and will be able to present this research at conferences, technical review meetings and technical workshops with industry.

About You

You will have a PhD (obtained or near completion) in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Materials Science or another related discipline, in which you worked on catalyst development for similar reactions.

It essential you will have significant experience in catalyst synthesis, characterisation, and testing. You should have an awareness of how catalysts are manufactured and how your catalyst formulations and designs can be scaled up. We are looking for the successful candidate to be confident to make recommendations for material selection and develop methodologies for the catalyst synthesis.

You should also be comfortable using and troubleshooting analytical equipment. We would expect that you are comfortable working with Microsoft office suite as well as MATLAB (or python) for data analysis and have experience in preparing high quality figures and reports for publication and presentation.

You will work closely with the project partners and other members of the HyPER team at Cranfield University to deliver this project and will need to be a highly self-motivated individual who can work independently. You should be able to communicate complex information clearly and be able to manage the day-to-day delivery of the research. It is expected that you will work meet the values of the university and be a positive, creative, and solution focussed individual.

About Us

As a specialist postgraduate university, Cranfield’s world-class expertise, large-scale facilities and unrivalled industry partnerships are creating leaders in technology and management globally. Learn more about Cranfield and our unique impact here .

The School of Water, Energy and Environment leads in delivering Cranfield’s Mission within Water, Energy and Power, and Environment and Agrifood. The School is committed to leading in its areas of expertise through investing in world class staff and facilities over the long term.

Cranfield has been a leader in energy and power for 20 years. Providing a sustainable, secure and affordable energy supply is fundamentally important to our lives. Cranfield is advancing the potential solutions in energy and power to ensure our future needs are met.

Our Values and Commitments

Our shared, stated values help to define who we are and underpin everything we do: Ambition; Impact; Respect; and Community. Find out more here .

We aim to create and maintain a culture in which everyone can work and study together and realise their full potential. Find out about our key commitments to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and Flexible Working here . We are currently piloting hybrid working arrangements until April 2022.  This means the majority of our staff are spending between 40% and 60% of their time working from the office where job roles allow.

How to apply

For an informal discussion, please contact Dr Peter Clough, Senior Lecturer in Energy Engineering, on +44 (0)1234 75 4875 or (E) [email protected]

Please do not hesitate to contact us for further details on E: [email protected] . Please quote reference number 3898.

Closing date for receipt of applications:   13 February 2022