Senior Materials Scientist Full Time

By 2050, the planet could be using twice as much electricity compared to today. Are you interested in contributing and helping to shape the future of the world’s energy? If so, read on.

Fusion, the process that powers the Sun and Stars, is one of the most promising options for generating the cleaner, carbon-free energy that our world badly needs.

UKAEA leads the way in realizing fusion energy, partnering with industry and research for groundbreaking advancements. Our goal is to bring fusion electricity to the grid, supported by tomorrow’s power stations. In pursuit of our mission, UKAEA embraces core values: Innovative, Committed, Trusted, and Collaborative.

As an employee of UKAEA you will benefit from:

• Outstanding defined benefit pension scheme, details of which can be found at the end of this advert.
• Corporate bonus scheme up to 7% and a Relocation allowance (if eligible).
• Flexible working options including family friendly policies and the right to request flexible working from the start of your employment.
• Employee Assistance Programme and trained Mental Health First Aiders,
• Generous annual leave allowance starting with 25 days, plus 3 days Christmas closure and 2.5 privilege days, in addition to UK bank holidays
• Wide range of career development opportunities
• A vibrant culture committed to equality and being fully inclusive

What to expect in our recruitment process:

For a step-by-step overview of how we hire from application to offer please see our Recruitment Process page: careers.ukaea.uk/join-us/recruitment-process

Job Description

The salary for this role is £57,117 (inclusive of a Specialist Allowance). Onsite working is expected for 3 days each week, however, we actively support requests for flexible working.

This role can be based at any of the following sites; Culham, Oxfordshire.

This role requires employees to complete an online Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), including The Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks for criminal convictions and possibly a search of open source data.

The Role

As a member of the Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) team within the Materials Division at UKAEA, you will play a key role in advancing the understanding of materials for fusion applications. The Materials Division brings together three complementary groups: the Materials Research Facility (MRF), providing capabilities for the characterisation of active nuclear materials and irradiation damage through advanced microstructural, thermophysical and mechanical analysis; the Fusion Materials Interfaces (FMI) team, which studies how materials interact with fusion-relevant environments such as neutrons, coolants, oxidants and plasma using multiscale modelling, experiments and diagnostic development; and the Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) team, which develops and tests materials across a range of technology readiness levels, including metals, ceramics, composites, coatings and engineered interfaces, for operation within fusion environments.

In this role, you will work both independently and collaboratively with academic, industrial and international partners to define project scope, deliver experimental programmes, and develop or lead project teams where appropriate. You will analyse and communicate results through internal reports, conferences and peer-reviewed publications, while also contributing to project management, funding applications, and the supervision and development of early-career researchers.

The position is based within the MSE team, specifically within the Metallics Team, supporting the NEURONE steels development programme. The role focuses on development and testing of joining/welding and associated processes for structural metallics. This work will develop the understanding of how microstructure evolves under radiation damage, and critically, how joined and welded regions respond to this damage, alongside other coupled loads (such as thermal and mechanical). Collaboration with the UKFE Materials team to develop and assess joined materials for the STEP fusion device will also form part of the role. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and coordinate short- and long-term research projects, including defining scope, securing resources, arranging equipment access, and managing experimental, testing and modelling activities.
• Develop and deliver advanced, high-quality characterisation capabilities in nuclear materials through independent research and innovative scientific input.
• Analyse, compile and communicate results through technical reports, peer-reviewed publications, and presentations at national and international conferences.
• Build, lead and manage small teams of materials scientists and engineers, providing technical direction, allocating work, and overseeing experimental and modelling activities, including full line management and recruitment responsibilities.
• Lead and contribute to the characterisation of materials for fusion power plant applications, working closely with internal stakeholders and external partners across academia, industry, international fusion and Generation IV fission programmes.
• Develop and manage external collaborations and research funding, including proposing and securing new projects (e.g. STEP, EPSRC, PhD and Masters programmes), while representing UKAEA at conferences, workshops and stakeholder meetings.

Qualifications

Essential Requirements:

• Degree or equivalent experience in materials science, physics, chemistry, mathematics, or a related discipline.
• Technical expertise in at least one of the following areas:
• Metallics (ideally ferritic-martensitic steels, refractory alloys (ideally W-based) and/or Cu alloys (inc. CuCrZr))
• Materials analysis (including the use of electron microscopy, indentation testing and other basic lab characterisation and mechanical testing techniques)
• Materials fabrication / processing – primarily focussed on joining techniques (particularly brazing, electron beam, laser welding and TIG welding)
• Experience working in a laboratory, materials research group, or experimental campaign environment.
• Strong teamwork and communication skills, with the ability to convey complex technical concepts to both specialist and non-specialist audiences.
• Proven ability to deliver high-quality results to tight deadlines.

Desirable Requirements:

• PhD in materials science or a related discipline.
• Experience in materials processing, development, characterisation, modelling, or qualification for engineering applications.
• Understanding of nuclear environments and irradiation damage effects.
• Prior experience of developing, planning and performing irradiation campaigns (using beamlines or other facilities) and subsequent post-irradiation examination (PIE).
• Experience with advanced characterisation techniques (e.g. XRF, TEM, STEM), computational tools (e.g. Fortran, C#, finite element analysis), or engineering design codes.
• Strong publication record in peer-reviewed journals.
• Experience contributing to funding proposals or grant applications.

Additional Information

A full list of our benefits can be found here https://careers.ukaea.uk/life-at-ukaea/employee-benefits/

UKAEA’s mission is clean energy for all, and we welcome talented people from all backgrounds to help us achieve this goal. We are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion and strive to ensure fair representation across our workforce. We particularly encourage applications from groups currently underrepresented in STEM, including women and individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds, while ensuring all appointments are made on merit.

UK Atomic Energy Authority is committed to being accessible. Please email talent@ukaea.uk if you have any questions or require help or adjustments to compete on a fair basis, for example, changes to the way we interview or share information.

Please note that vacancies are generally advertised for 4 weeks but may close earlier if we receive a large number of applications.