Senior Materials Scientist

Overview of Responsibilities

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.