Research Assistant in Sustainable Battery Materials Manufacturing: Sodium-ion Hard Carbon Anodes

About the Role

This is an exciting opportunity to join a high-impact, industry-academic consortium project funded by Innovate UK's Battery Innovation Feasibility Studies Round 1. The project is led by AM Technology in partnership with Imperial College London, Queen Mary University of London, and VARTA Microbattery GmbH.

The UK currently lacks the high-pressure, pilot-scale manufacturing infrastructure needed to scale next-generation battery materials from laboratory discovery to the scale necessary for commercial validation. This project directly addresses that gap by developing a first-of-its-kind, low-carbon, continuous-flow manufacturing platform for advanced sodium-ion battery anode materials derived from renewable UK feedstocks.

The role sits within QMUL’s contribution to the project, leading Work Package 2 (WP2) – Composite Anode Technology Transfer. We will validate the manufacture of high-performance carbon–tin composite anodes for sodium-ion batteries, scaling production from laboratory batch synthesis (TRL4) to continuous-flow manufacturing (TRL5) using a high-pressure Coflore reactor system developed by AM Technology.

About You

• A PhD (or equivalent) or first/Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Materials Science/Engineering, or a closely related discipline
• Strong experience in the synthesis and characterisation of carbon materials, particularly hard carbon or biomass-derived carbons for battery applications
• Experience in electrochemical characterisation of battery anode materials and battery cell assembly (coin and/or pouch cell formats)
• Experience in materials characterisation (Raman, SEM, XRD, BET)
• Experience working with inert atmosphere and glovebox techniques
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work effectively within a large, multi-institutional consortium
• Ability to work independently, manage milestones, and produce high-quality publications and reports
• Experience with continuous-flow chemistry or chemical process scale-up

 What we can offer you:

• To contribute to a nationally significant project at the forefront of sustainable battery materials and UK manufacturing innovation
• To work in a creative and diverse research environment at the forefront of sustainable materials
• Access to world-leading battery labs and advanced materials characterisation facilities.
• The opportunity to continue your career at a world-leading institution.

About Queen Mary

At Queen Mary University of London, we believe that a diversity of ideas helps us achieve the previously unthinkable.

Throughout our history, we’ve fostered social justice and improved lives through academic excellence. And we continue to live and breathe this spirit today, not because it’s simply ‘the right thing to do’ but for what it helps us achieve and the intellectual brilliance it delivers.

We continue to embrace diversity of thought and opinion in everything we do, in the belief that when views collide, disciplines interact, and perspectives intersect, truly original thought takes form.

Benefits

We offer competitive salaries, access to a generous pension scheme, 30 days’ leave per annum (pro-rata for part-time/fixed-term), a season ticket loan scheme and access to a comprehensive range of personal and professional development opportunities. In addition, we offer a range of work life balance and family friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements, and campus facilities.

Queen Mary’s commitment to our diverse and inclusive community is embedded in our appointments processes. Reasonable adjustments will be made at each stage of the recruitment process for any candidate with a disability. We are open to considering applications from candidates wishing to work flexibly.

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