At a Glance
- Tasks: Join a dynamic team researching sustainable engineering plastics and develop innovative recycling technologies.
- Company: University of Warwick, a leading research-intensive university with a focus on sustainability.
- Benefits: 30 days holiday, flexible working, excellent learning opportunities, and a generous pension scheme.
- Other info: Exciting career growth in a collaborative environment dedicated to circular economy solutions.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on sustainability in engineering while collaborating with top universities and industry partners.
- Qualifications: PhD in relevant field or near submission, with a passion for sustainable materials.
The predicted salary is between 34610 - 34610 £ per year.
This is a re-advertisement. Previous candidates for this role need not apply.
Location: University of Warwick Campus, Coventry
Department: WMG
Position Type: Fixed Term
Duration: Fixed-term contract for 2 years
About the Role
WMG’s Centre for Polymers and Composites (CPC) are looking for a talented and motivated Research Fellow to contribute to pioneering research in Sustainable Engineering Plastics. The successful candidate will join the newly established EPSRC Manufacturing Research Hub in Sustainable Engineering Plastics—a £13M collaboration between the University of Warwick, the University of Manchester, and University College London. This ambitious programme addresses the sustainability challenges of engineering plastics in the transport, electronics, and construction sectors. It investigates a wide range of solutions, including novel materials, digital technologies, reuse and repair strategies, recycling and upcycling methods, and integrated sustainability assessments. The Hub offers a highly collaborative and interdisciplinary environment, where post-doctoral researchers and PhD students work closely with industry partners across sectors and institutions to develop practical solutions that support the social, economic, and environmental sustainability of engineering plastics.
About You
We are seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Research Fellow to join the newly funded EPSRC Manufacturing Research Hub in Sustainable Engineering Plastics (SEP) at the University of Warwick. Working within an interdisciplinary team, you will contribute to a major multi-year national research programme, delivered in partnership with the University of Manchester, UCL and more than 60 industrial partners. The Hub aims to transform the production, reuse and recycling of durable plastics, accelerating the transition to a circular economy for engineering plastics.
Your research will focus on developing innovative technologies for the efficient disassembly of multi-material products to enable repair, remanufacturing, reuse and high-value recycling. This will involve designing and characterising reversible joining technologies, including dynamic polymer networks, reversible adhesives and functional interlayers, alongside investigating selective trigger mechanisms - such as thermal, light, magnetic or chemical stimuli - that enable controlled debonding while maintaining structural integrity throughout service life. The project spans both fundamental materials science and applied engineering, encompassing interface design, manufacturing compatibility, product integration and the development of scalable solutions for applications in the automotive, construction and electronics sectors. There will also be opportunities to integrate sensing technologies, digital tools and sustainability assessment methods to support intelligent disassembly and circular product design.
The successful candidate will undertake both independent and collaborative research, while contributing to the wider objectives of the SEP Hub in advancing the reuse and recycling of engineering plastics. You will play an active role in project management and reporting, publish in leading international journals, develop future research funding opportunities, and engage closely with academic and industrial partners. Working alongside researchers at the Universities of Warwick, Manchester and UCL, you will help advance cutting-edge polymer science and engineering while strengthening Warwick's national and international reputation in sustainable materials research.
For details on the experience and skills required, please refer to the job description attached as a PDF below.
PhD Status
If you are near submission of your PhD, or have not yet had it conferred, any offers of employment will be made at Research Assistant level, at the highest spinal point of pay grade 5 (£34,610 per annum). Upon receipt of evidence confirming the successful award of your PhD, you will be promoted to Research Fellow, at the lowest spinal point of grade 6 (£35,608 per annum).
About the Department
This role is based at WMG’s Materials Engineering Centre at the University of Warwick, home to the Centre for Polymers and Composites (CPC). This centre drives innovation in sustainable plastics, composites, hybrid materials, and scalable technologies, supporting projects from TRL 1 through to TRL 6. This is an exciting opportunity to join a dynamic team dedicated to advancing the science and engineering of sustainable polymers. Your passion, expertise, and innovation will play a crucial role in shaping a future of more circular materials and responsible manufacturing.
The Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) is the largest department at the University of Warwick, with over 800 staff and nearly 3,000 students across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in management, technology, and applied engineering. We are globally recognised for our world-class research, innovative industry partnerships, and teaching excellence, and we are proud holders of the Athena SWAN Silver Award and the Institutional Silver Award.
Closing Deadline: Sunday 30th August 2026 at 11:55pm (UK Time)
What we Offer
- An attractive pension scheme.
- 30 days holiday plus University Christmas closure.
- Generous parental/adoption leave policy.
- Onsite childcare facilities.
- Excellent learning and development opportunities.
- We recognise the importance of a healthy work/life balance and offer access to flexible working arrangements.
- Where possible, we offer hybrid working arrangements that combine office-based and remote working. Opportunities for hybrid working will depend on the requirements of the role, business needs of the department and can be discussed during the recruitment process.
We are proud to be a Living Wage employer. Warwick is committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive and respectful community where everyone can thrive. We welcome applications from all backgrounds, cultures, and communities, and actively encourage candidates from underrepresented groups to apply. The University of Warwick is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all those we work with. Roles involving regulated activity are subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check at the appropriate level, in line with the DBS Code of Practice. The University will ensure that anyone subject to a barring order does not undertake any work with the barred group (children and/or adults). All employees, volunteers, and partners are expected to share our commitment to safeguarding.
Rehabilitation of Ex-Offenders
The University will not discriminate against applicants who make a disclosure relating to a conviction. Disclosures at application stage are only visible to the DBS team, not to hiring panels. This ensures fairness and removes bias from the shortlisting process.
If you do not yet have the right to work in the UK and/or are seeking sponsorship for a Skilled Worker visa, please follow this link which contains further information about obtaining the right to work in the UK.
Research Fellow (Sustainable Engineering Plastics) (110841-0826) in Coventry employer: University of Warwick
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