Post-Doctoral Research Associate (Alchemy) (Fixed Term)

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 24 months in the first instance.

One Research Associate position is available from 01/09/26 to work on high-throughput synthesis and characterisation of metal halide perovskites.

Applicants should have experience in inorganic materials synthesis, particularly solution-based or solid-state routes relevant to perovskite semiconductors. Experience with X-ray diffraction and crystallography for phase identification and structural analysis is essential. Candidates should also be familiar with optoelectronic property measurements, alongside Python programming and data analysis for handling and interpreting experimental data.

Experience with hardware instrumentation is desirable, including developing automated setups that integrate synthesis, characterisation, and property testing workflows. Candidates with an interest in combining experimental work with data-driven approaches, including machine learning, are particularly encouraged to apply.

The successful candidate will be expected to contribute intellectually to research on the synthesis and characterisation of metal halide perovskites, including the development of scalable and automated workflows. They will contribute to drafting scientific manuscripts and support the day-to-day supervision of Master's and PhD students.

Applicants should hold a PhD in Materials Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related discipline. They should be committed to collaborative and interdisciplinary research, and demonstrate the ability to work both independently and as part of a team. The successful candidate will work in the Autonomous Materials Group under the supervision of Dr Shijing Sun, and collaborate with groups across the Alchemy Hub.

AIchemy, funded by the EPSRC, is a cross-UK research hub dedicated to advancing artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in the field of chemistry. AIchemy seeks to both develop new AI approaches and to uptake AI into the chemistry community. The Hub brings together AI researchers from various subdisciplines with both experimental and computational chemists, fostering connectivity, training, networking, and state-of-the-art research.

Successful candidates who have not yet received their PhD by 1st September 2026 will be employed on University Grade 5 SP038 as Research Assistants (£34,610). Upon being awarded their PhD, their salary will be upgraded to Grade 7 041 (£37,694) as Research Associates.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

We encourage early applications, as the vacancy may close before the advertised deadline if a sufficient number of suitable applications are received.

Documents in support of applications should include a CV and a research statement.

Should you have any queries, please reach out to Ana Talaban-Bailey: ajt69@cam.ac.uk, with a copy to: hrmsm@cam.ac.uk

Please quote reference LJ49481 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

Key information

Department/location

Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy

Salary

£34,610 - £35,608

£37,694 - £46,049

Reference

LJ49481

Category

Research

Date published

22 April 2026

Closing date

24 May 2026