Senior Research Fellow (Polymer Upcycling)

The School of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) provides a vibrant and nurturing environment for staff and students to carry out inter-disciplinary research in key areas such as Computational Materials Science, Characterisation Materials Science, Defence Composite Materials, Functional Composite Materials, Energy, Nanomaterials, Low Dimensional Materials, Biomaterials Materials, Biological Materials, Bioinspired Materials and Sustainable Materials.

Our research group focuses on research areas relevant to macromolecular and hybrid materials, including topics in the fields of polymer science and engineering, composite science, environmental science, and so on.

Key job purpose is to develop green and scalable mechanical or chemical polymer upcycling technologies, particularly for polyurethane.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop green and scalable mechanical or chemical polymer upcycling technologies, particularly for polyurethane.

• Conduct research and development activities on polymer pre-treatment and mechanical/chemical upcycling, including formulation of problem statement, design and execution of lab-scale and pilot-scale experiments/operations, sample characterizations, data analysis, and so on.

• Engage and communicate with existing or future industrial and academic collaborators to advance the developed technologies from lab-scale verification to pilot implementation.

• Prepare technical reports, intellectual properties documents, safety documents, and academic publications

Job Requirements:

• PhD degree in Materials Science, Polymer Science, Chemical Engineering, or fields related to polyurethane.

• At least 6-8 years graduate study or working experience in research and development on topics on polymer science, chemical engineering, and green technologies

• Proficiency in hands-on and characterization techniques such as TGA, DSC, FTIR, DMA, rheology, NMR, CHNS, XRD, XPS, engineering design and drawing etc.

• Able to exhibit leadership roles in handling and managing multi-disciplinary projects

• Experienced in preparation of academic and pilot-operation proposals

• Good team-player, good communication skill, problem solver, thinker and doer

• Good wet laboratory practice and familiar with considerations on laboratory safety

• Passionate in research and solving real-time environmental issues related to plastic upcycling

• Software skills relevant to process design, mass balance, cost analysis, and life-cycle-analysis are favorable

• Industrial experience in polymer upcycling and productization is favorable

We regret to inform that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.