Assistant Professor/Associate Professor in Chemical Engineering

Salary range:

Assistant Professor: £70,718 to £80,148 per annum
Associate Professor: Minimum starting salary of £82,969 per annum

Location: South Kensington Campus, London

About the role

Due to the strategic importance of the chemical engineering discipline at Imperial and beyond to address global challenges, the Department of Chemical Engineering at Imperial is growing and invites applications from outstanding individuals to join our academic staff at the Assistant and Associate Professor levels and establish an ambitious and world-leading research programme. Two positions are available.

While we are open to multiple research areas in chemical engineering/related fields and prioritise research innovation and promise of the candidate’s work, we particularly encourage candidates interested in catalysis & reaction engineering (including and not limited to photo-, electro- and thermal processes) and polymers, interfaces & colloidal science. We will consider synergies with existing research in the Department as well as with current and upcoming research clusters and initiatives at Imperial (e.g. Sustainable Futures Lab, The Sargent Centre for Process Systems Engineering, automation and high-throughput experimental research facilities: ATLAS & DigiBAT, Future Vaccine Manufacturing Hub, The Centre for Synthetic Biology, Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein, Rio Tinto Centre for Future Materials, Imperial Schools of Convergence Science).

The Department is consistently recognised as world-leading and we are committed to building on this success through the recruitment of talented academic staff. We attribute our achievements to the wide range of skills and expertise of our students and staff. Our research interests go from the microscopic e.g. molecular organisation and interactions - to the megascale e.g. design and optimisation of enterprise-wide networks. Our research is centred on nine research themes that span the whole Chemical Engineering discipline. Much of our research is collaborative and cross-disciplinary within and across departments, faculties, as well as with other Universities, and with industrial partners. We welcome professional engagement in consultancies and actively support translational activities. Our Department is committed to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion. Full details of the Departments activity can be found here.

Imperial is a world-leading university for science, technology, engineering, medicine and business (STEMB) whose mission is “To be useful”. Imperial strives to combine exceptional teaching, world-class facilities and a habit of interdisciplinary practice to unlock scientific imagination in everyone. The Department of Chemical Engineering is committed to this mission and aspires to be recognised as leading the global chemical engineering community, through excellence in teaching and research, leadership, inspiration, and through transformational societal impacts.

What you would be doing

Research

• To direct, lead, or contribute to, a research area at the highest scientifically rigorous levels.
• To develop a broad range of research within the department.
• To supervise, train and mentor research staff and students.
• To manage research projects.
• To obtain funds and research grants.
• To publish high quality research in peer reviewed journals.
• To attend and present work at national and international conferences.
• To collaborate and strengthen links with colleagues within the Department of Chemical Engineering, across all departments as well as with external partners.
• To play a role in the national and international research community and/or learned societies.

Education

• To teach at all levels – undergraduate, masters and higher research degrees – through lectures, seminars, practicals and
• To examine courses at all levels – undergraduate, masters and higher research degrees – exam setting, coursework setting, marking and viva style examinations
• To mentor students of all levels, undergraduate, masters and higher research degrees through personal tutorials, and supervision.
• To provide pastoral support for students.
• To plan and review own approach to teaching.
• To take a leading role in, or contribute to, curriculum development.
• To contribute to the enhancement of teaching within the field.
• To work with national bodies on curriculum development and quality assurance.

Contribution to the running of the Department and Imperial

• To participate in the planning and objective setting process for the Department and campus.
• To show initiative in managing your individual performance and academic group.
• To contribute to the leadership of academic teams, the department, Faculty, College, and national/international initiatives commensurate with the grade of your post and as directed by the Head of Department.
• To work collaboratively with all members of the department and other parts of Imperial.
• To attend relevant academic or management committees.

Full information on duties, responsibilities and criteria can be found in the Job Description.

What we are looking for

Essential requirements (commensurate with career stage)

• A PhD (or equivalent) in Chemical Engineering or a related discipline.
• A proven track record in conducting high quality independent research, as evidenced by high quality publications in peer reviewed journals.
• Experience of training undergraduate and postgraduate students.
• Experience of preparing grant applications for submission.
• An ability to convey ideas and concepts clearly and effectively to a range of audiences through a variety of methods and media.
• An ability to raise significant research funding from a variety of sources, commensurate with your career stage.
• A strong dedication to teaching and student supervision and mentoring.
• A willingness to engage in collaborative research.

What we can offer you

• The opportunity to continue your career at a world-leading institution and be part of our mission to continue science for humanity.
• Grow in your career with tailored training programmes for academic staff including mentoring and dedicated support with navigating your career and managing research as well as a transparent promotion process.
• Sector-leading salary and remuneration package (including 41 days off a year and generous pension schemes)
• Be part of a diverse, inclusive, and collaborative work culture with various staff networks and resources designed to support your personal and professional wellbeing.

Please see Further Particulars for more information about Imperial and the benefits available to staff.

Further Information

This is a full-time, open-ended position

You will find this vacancy by searching either the position title or job number: ENG03684v (via the ‘Apply’ button above). Within your submission, please include the following documents:

• a completed application form
• a full CV (including a list of publications) that covers any aspects of your career
• a statement of your research plans over the next 5 years (2 pages maximum)
• a statement of your teaching philosophy and interests (1 page maximum)

Candidates are advised that, where the information requested in the application form is already provided in their curriculum vitae (CV), it is not necessary to duplicate the same details in the form. In such cases, applicants should insert a clear note stating “See attached CV” in the relevant section. If only part of the information is in your CV, please complete the remaining fields in the form as necessary.

Applications are accepted until October 30, 2025, 23:59 hours GMT. For the applicants who will be present at the 2025 AIChE Annual Meeting, note that Imperial is hosting a reception at the conference on November 3, 2025, from 7:30 pm to 10:00 pm in Sheraton Boston, Back Bay Ballroom D.

Closing Date: October 30, 2025 (23:59 hours GMT)

Interview Dates (invitation only): Three interview dates are planned for shortlisted candidates: January 19, 2026, January 28, 2026, January 29, 2026. Candidates are asked to take note of these dates to ensure their availability if shortlisted.

For an informal discussion please contact the Head of Department, Professor Omar Matar (o.matar@imperial.ac.uk).

Should you have any queries about the application process please contact Ms Leah Grey (leah.grey@imperial.ac.uk).

If you encounter any technical issues while applying online, please don't hesitate to email us at support.jobs@imperial.ac.uk. We're here to help.

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