Research Fellow (Battery Recycling) - School of Metallurgy and Materials - 106986 - Grade 7 in Birmingham

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £36,636 to £46,049 with potential progression once in post to £48,822

Grade: 7

Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to March 2028

Closing date: 8th March 2026

Background

The post is a fixed term (2 year) Research Fellow position funded by the ReLiB (Recycling and Reuse of Lithium-ion Batteries) research grant, provided by the Faraday Institution, the UK's independent institute for electrochemical energy storage research and skills development. The overall aim of the ReLiB project is to understand the conditions required to ensure the sustainable management of lithium-ion batteries at the end of their useful life in electric vehicles.

Researchers at the University of Birmingham will be investigating separation technology efficiency and characterisation of separated lithium-ion battery fractions, in addition to closing the loop of these material streams through manufacturing efforts and electrochemical testing.

To help us achieve our ambitious goal we are looking to recruit a post-doctoral staff member within the Metallurgy and Materials department. The postholder will support black mass valorisation efforts and contribute to re-manufacturing recycled Li-ion battery streams produced from the project, on a reel-to-reel scale.

The successful candidate will be responsible for remanufacturing cells (pouch format) on pilot plant scale, using materials produced from project partners, and effectively benchmarking the performance of these recycling routes to determine and evaluate processing characteristics on the material streams.

A truly interdisciplinary project within the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, this post will work closely with other researchers in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Metallurgy and Materials as well as collaborators at central facilities such as Diamond Light Source and in industry.

As part of this role the post holder will work within the Energy Materials Group and contribute to writing future bids; operating within area of specialism. They will analyse and interpret research findings and results; contribute to generating funding; and contribute to licensing or spin out deals with demonstrated commercial success and public understanding of the discipline.

Role Summary

• Work within the ReLIB projects and contribute to writing bids
• Operate within area of specialism
• Analyse and interpret research findings and results
• Contribute to generating funding
• Contribute to licensing or spin out deals with demonstrated commercial success and/or public understanding of the discipline or similar
• Materials synthesis and reconditioning of reclaimed materials
• Electrode formulation and coatings
• Manufacturing test cells (pouch format) on pilot plant scale, using materials produced from project partners, and effectively benchmark performance of these recycling routes to determine and evaluate processing characteristics on the material streams.
• Collaborating with academic and industrial partners to achieve the objectives of the project.
• Supporting the day-to-day running of the ReLIB project including contributing to an inclusive working culture.

Main Duties

• Develop research objectives and proposals for own or joint research, with assistance of a mentor if required
• Contribute to writing bids for research funding
• Analyse and interpret data
• Apply knowledge in a way which develops new intellectual understanding
• Disseminate research findings for publication, research seminars etc
• Supervise students on research related work and provide guidance to PhD students where appropriate to the discipline
• Contribute to developing new models, techniques and methods
• Undertake management/administration arising from research
• Contribute to Departmental/School research-related activities and research-related administration
• Contribute to enterprise, business development and/or public engagement activities of manifest benefit to the College and the University, often under supervision of a project leader
• Collect research data; this may be through a variety of research methods, such as scientific experimentation, literature reviews, and research interviews
• Present research outputs, including drafting academic publications or parts thereof, for example at seminars and as posters
• Provide guidance, as required, to support staff and any students who may be assisting with the research
• Deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines
• Promotes equality and values diversity acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.

Person Specification

• An undergraduate degree in Chemistry, Physics, Materials Science or related subject, and a PhD (or close to completion) in an area relevant to materials synthesis and scale-up, recycling or cell manufacture.
• High level analytical capability
• Ability to communicate complex information clearly
• Prior knowledge, experience and achievements in battery materials and their recovery from spent batteries, re-manufacture and processing, electrode manufacture and electrochemical testing protocols for batteries is highly desirable. However, training will be given to the right candidate in these areas
• Ability to assess resource requirements and use resources effectively
• Understanding of and ability to contribute to broader management/administration processes
• Contribute to the planning and organising of the research programme and/or specific research project
• Co-ordinate own work with others to avoid conflict or duplication of effort
• Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day to day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly

Informal enquiries to Emma Kendrick, email:

Use of AI in applications: We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy.