Research Assistant/Associate Photonics in Newcastle upon Tyne

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 19 February 2026

The Role

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Emerging Technology and Materials research group within the School of Mathematics, Statistics and Physics. You will carry out research as part of a team of researchers working on an EPSRC funded research project that is exploring perovskites for photonics applications. The project will be led by Professor Noel Healy at Newcastle University.

You will be working to optimise the optical properties of the proposed perovskites and on their deployment as core materials for next-generation semiconductor optical fibre devices. Perovskites have superlative optoelectronic and nonlinear optical properties and their integration with the fibre platform will enable new and highly efficient devices for quantum optics, quantum communications and telecommunications.

The position is available on a fixed term, full time basis and is tenable for 24 months from start date, or until the official project end date expected to be 30 April 2028, whichever is soonest.

For informal enquiries, please contact Professor Noel Healy at noel.healy@ncl.ac.uk

As part of our commitment to career development for research colleagues, the University has developed 3 levels of research role profiles. These profiles set out firstly the generic competences and responsibilities expected of role holders at each level and secondly the general qualifications and experiences needed for entry at a particular level.

Key Accountabilities

• Develop and carry out experimental research relating to the development of new materials for photonics and fibre optics. Responsibilities include the development of experimentation and test equipment for device characterisation, reviews of the literature, critical evaluation and interpretation of scientific results.
• Be an important member of a dynamic team delivering an EPSRC funded research project, working jointly and closely with other teams at our project partners as well as industrial partners, and being involved in a series of project meetings and discussions.
• Effectively plan the project tasks, achieve the project deliverables and manage risks under the guidance of PI, co-investigators, and partners.
• Write up technical project reports and scientific research papers to present original theories, key findings and contributions, with publications in leading international journals and presentations at leading international conferences.
• Contribute to the co-supervision of undergraduate, MSc and/or PhD research projects.
• Support the project administrative and management duties such as organising the steering group meetings, workshop planning, showcase and outreach events.
• Participate in and contribute to the development of a vibrant research culture within the school.

The Person

• Expert at undertaking original experimental research in photonics and/or photonic materials development.
• Skilled at building and working with free space optical measurement set-ups and/or materials growth set-ups.
• Strong skills for instrumental control and automated data acquisition.
• Track record of photonics device and/or materials characterisation.
• Effective project and time management skills.
• Good demonstrable understanding of relevant Health & Safety issues.
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written, with the ability to present to internal and external stakeholders.

Attributes and Behaviour

• Self-motivated, enthusiastic and have an open-minded attitude.
• Comfortable working both individually and as part of a team.
• A demonstrated commitment to ensuring our institutional strategy for Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) is embedded in all our research group activities, with a commitment to ensuring dignity and respect in the workplace to the highest standard to all colleagues and students.
• Excellent interpersonal and project management skills, with an ability to think strategically, adopt an active approach to problem solving and prioritising workload in response to deadlines.

Qualifications

• PhD awarded for Associate level (or nearing completion for Assistant level) in relevant discipline: e.g. Photonics, Materials, Semiconductor Technology.

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society. We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a Gold Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality. We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC. We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe.