Ref Number
B04-07508
Professional Expertise
Research and Research Support
Department
UCL BEAMS (B04)
Location
London
Working Pattern
Full time
Salary
£43,981-£52,586
Contract Type
Fixed-term
Working Type
On site
Available for Secondment
No
Closing Date
21-Jun-2026
University College London (UCL) UCL is a multi-disciplinary university with a population of over 13,000 staff and 42,000 students from 150 different countries. Degree programmes are provided in Arts and Humanities, Built Environment, Brain Sciences, Engineering Sciences, Education, Laws, Life Sciences, Mathematical & Physical Sciences, Medical Sciences, Population Health Sciences and Social and Historical Sciences. For more information, please visit http://www.ucl.ac.uk/about UCL Mechanical Engineering UCL Mechanical Engineering has been pioneering the development of engineering education, having taught the core discipline for over 165 years. UCL was home to the UK’s first-ever Professor of the Mechanical Principles of Engineering, Eaton Hodgkinson, in 1847. It was also where Sir Alexander Blackie William Kennedy introduced organized laboratory practicals in university education training; a world-leading educational innovation at the time.
You will be part of a multidisciplinary research team within the Multiscale X-ray Imaging (MXI) Lab, working at the interface of advanced materials processing, characterisation, and industrial translation. Your role will focus on developing a sustainable manufacturing route to convert waste titanium powder into high-value wire using Conform™ continuous extrusion technology. You will carry out failure analysis of extrusion tooling, design and evaluate novel abutment materials and geometries, and apply modelling and experimental approaches to understand thermo-mechanical behaviour during processing. You will establish process–structure–property relationships linking powder feedstock, process conditions, and final wire performance, and contribute to the development of data-driven characterisation and quality assurance methodologies. You will work closely with industrial collaborators, supporting feasibility trials and translation of research outputs into manufacturing environments. The role will involve collaboration across academic and industrial partners, and participation in experimental campaigns at UCL and partner facilities. This post is initially for 6 months. The job description and person specification can be accessed at the bottom of this page. If you wish to discuss the post informally, please contact Chu Lun Alex Leung ([email protected]), or for application process queries Ruikang Xue ([email protected]).
The successful candidate will hold a PhD in materials science, mechanical engineering, or a closely related discipline, with strong expertise in metal processing and physical metallurgy. They will have experience in materials characterisation (e.g. SEM, XCT, mechanical testing) and the ability to design and conduct rigorous experimental research, ideally supported by knowledge of modelling approaches such as finite element or thermodynamic modelling. Their experience should be at a level appropriate for conducting independent research and publishing in leading international journals. They will demonstrate initiative, the ability to work both independently and collaboratively, and possess strong communication and organisational skills. You will join a dynamic group of academics, postdoctoral researchers and PhD students working on advanced manufacturing and materials characterisation within the MXI Lab (https://www.ucl.ac.uk/engineering/mechanical-engineering/mxi-lab). The group, led by Prof. Lee and Dr. Leung, is located at the Research Complex at Harwell (RCaH, www.rc-harwell.ac.uk) in Oxfordshire.
For information about our rewards and benefits please visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/reward-and-benefits.
As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce. These include people from Black, Asian, and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people and LGBTQI+ people.
