Research Fellow; Sustainable Manufacturing - School of Metallurgy and Materials - Grade 7

The University of Birmingham is seeking a Research Fellow in Sustainable Manufacturing within the School of Metallurgy and Materials. This full-time, fixed-term role involves leading impactful research on green steel, overseeing industry engagement, and supervising PhD students. The position requires expertise in sustainability measurement and strong industrial liaison skills. The starting salary ranges from £36,636 to £46,049, with potential progression up to £48,822.
Position: Research Fellow (Sustainable Manufacturing) - School of Metallurgy and Materials - Grade 7 - 107118
Location: Victoria Garesfield

Position Details

School of Metallurgy and Materials

Location:

University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £36,636 to £46,049 with potential progression once in post to £48,822

Grade: 7

Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to March 2027

Closing date: 1st April 2026
Background

People are at the heart of what we are and do. We want to attract outstanding, inspirational, and talented people, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success. Working at the University of Birmingham gives you access to the best financial and physical resources, a beautiful campus and an intellectually stimulating and diverse community.

The IGNITE Manufacturing Hub is a major collaboration between Swansea University, the University of Birmingham, the University of Warwick, the University of Sheffield and the University of Leicester working alongside industry partners to accelerate the UK’s transition to green steel and a fully sustainable manufacturing future. The programme brings together leading expertise to address the technical, economic and societal challenges of transforming steelmaking into a circular, low carbon and high value sector.

IGNITE focuses on three Grand Challenges: developing next generation green-steel products for future manufacturing, enabling a resilient and circular steel supply chain, and advancing Steel as a Service to extend material lifetime and improve long term reuse and recycling. These ambitions are supported by four crosscutting research themes covering sustainable metallurgical design, durability and performance monitoring, servitization enablers, and optimised steel use and reuse.
Role

Summary

The role involves leading original, high impact research that advances national and emerging international reputation, while directing a cross-sector assessment of green steel requirements for the EPSRC IGNITE Sustainable Manufacturing Hub. The post holder will design and coordinate research programmes, oversee a 12-month programme of industry engagement, sustainability metrics development, lifecycle assessment and circularity strategy formulation, and publish high quality outputs.

They will supervise PhD students, contribute to research strategy, and engage actively in knowledge transfer, enterprise, business engagement and publication activities across the School, College and University.

In addition, the post holder will contribute to research leadership and departmental administration, high value impact activities and strategic development. The position requires strong industrial liaison skills, expertise in sustainability measurement, a proven record of academic achievement and the ability to shape research directions that support the success and visibility of the IGNITE Hub and the wider University.
Main Duties

The responsibilities may include some, but not all of the responsibilities outlined below.
• Develop research objectives and proposals for own or joint research, with assistance of a mentor if required
• Adapt, extend and maintain modelling, data management and cloud-based exchange systems to enable effective collaboration and delivery across the IGNITE Hub
• Contribute to writing bids for research funding
• Collect, analyse, interpret research data through a variety of research methods, such as scientific experimentation, literature reviews, research interviews
• Apply knowledge in a way which develops new intellectual understanding
• Disseminate research findings for publication, research seminars, presenting talks etc
• Supervise students on research related work and provide guidance to PhD students where appropriate to the discipline
• Contribute to developing new models, techniques and methods
• Undertake management/administration arising from research
• Contribute to Departmental/School research-related activities and research-related administration
• Contribute to enterprise, business development and/or public engagement activities of manifest benefit to the College and the University, often under supervision of a project leader
• Present research outputs, including drafting academic publications or parts thereof, for example at seminars and as posters
• Provide…