Postdoctoral Research Assistant to develop a self-driving laboratory for organic photovoltaics

Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Assistant to develop a self-driving laboratory for organic photovoltaics. The post is available initially for a fixed-term duration of 3 years.

This project will develop and operate a self-driving laboratory for vacuum-processed organic photovoltaics (OPV), centred on the UK’s National Thin Film Cluster Facility. Working within Prof Riede’s Royal Academy of Engineering Green Future Fellowship, the postholder will design and integrate automated experimental workflows and data pipelines to accelerate the discovery and optimisation of OPV devices for equitable, multi-terawatt, ultra-low-carbon solar power.

The successful candidate will be the first postdoctoral researcher on the Fellowship and will take a leading role in building and operating the self-driving lab infrastructure for vacuum-processed OPV. They will develop, implement and refine experimental protocols, automation routines and data workflows for high-throughput device fabrication and characterisation, including instrument control, experiment scheduling and monitoring, and standardised, reusable pipelines for NTCF users. They will analyse OPV materials and device data, contribute to the design of new studies, proposals and routes to impact, and collaborate closely with PhD students, postdocs, industrial partners and international collaborators to advance OPV towards terawatt-scale deployment. The post-holder will have the opportunity to teach.

Applicants should hold a PhD, or be close to completion, in physics, engineering, computer science or a closely related discipline and have a strong background in laboratory automation, control of experimental systems and data-intensive research. Previous experience in the field of photovoltaics or related optoelectronic devices, particularly organic semiconductors or thin-film materials, will be an advantage.

Candidates are expected to demonstrate experience in developing and running automated experimental setups or laboratory control systems; strong programming skills (e.g. Python or similar) and data-workflow design; an excellent track record of research dissemination; and the ability to work effectively in an interdisciplinary and international team.

Please direct enquiries about the role to Professor Moritz Riede (moritz.riede@physics.ox.ac.uk).

Only applications received before midday (UK time) 12 May 2026 can be considered. You will be required to upload a statement of research interests, CV and details of two referees as part of your online application.

Pay Scale: RESEARCH GRADE 7
Salary: £39,424 - £47,779 per annum
Contact Person: HR Team
Contact Email: recruitment@physics.ox.ac.uk
Closing Date & Time: 12-May-2026 12:00