Research Assistant

Job number

ENG03744

Faculties

Faculty of Engineering

Departments

Department of Materials

Salary or Salary range

£43,863- £57,472 per annum

Location/campus

South Kensington Campus - On site only

Contract type work pattern

Full time - Fixed term

Posting End Date

12 Dec 2025

About the role

The post is funded by the DSTL to investigate the processing of highly textured ceramics for armour applications

The parasitic nature of armour systems means that their weight imposes a limit on the protection levels that are achievable for a given vehicle. Lightweight ceramic armour systems are also generally expensive to produce. Maximising ballistic resistance per unit weight for ceramic armour materials, at the lowest possible economic cost, is therefore important.

Ballistic resistance in ceramics is closely related to microstructure and grain size. In general, increases in performance can be seen until a critical grain size is reached. Grain boundary stresses are further exacerbated when the grains in a microstructure are randomly aligned, as is the case for most ceramic materials.

What you would be doing

Main Duties:

• Process ceramics with aligned microstructures.
• Characterise the microstructure and residual stresses in the samples.
• Ensure the validity and reliability of data at all times.
• Maintain accurate and complete records of all findings, and manage the generated data.
• Assist with the writing of reports to research sponsors.
• Present findings to colleagues.
• Provide advice to other staff and students.
• Assist with the publication of findings.
• Attend relevant workshops and conferences as necessary.

What we are looking for

• Research Associate: Hold a PhD in Materials Science, Chemistry or a relevant / closely related engineering discipline, or equivalent research, industrial or commercial experience

• Candidates who have not yet been officially awarded their PhD will be appointed as Research Assistant.

• Research Assistant: A first / masters degree (or equivalent) in Materials Science/Chemistry/Chemical Engineering/Mechanical Engineering

• Practical experience within a research environment and / or publication in relevant and refereed journals
• Practical experience in a broad range of techniques including ceramic powder processing, sintering, SEM, XRD
• Practical experience with EBSD and TEM
• Experience in mechanical testing at micro to macro levels

What we can offer you

• We will provide you with an excellent research environment to grow as a research leader.
• We will support you in future funding proposals and applications and fully include you in any collaborations/networks.
• Opportunities for professional development, e.g. through the award-winning Early Career Researcher Institute.
• The opportunity to continue your career at a world-leading institution and be part of our mission to continue science for humanity.
• Grow your career: gain access to Imperial's sector-leading dedicated career support for researchers as well as opportunities for promotion and progression.
• Sector-leading salary and remuneration package (including 39 days off a year and generous pension schemes).
• Be part of a diverse, inclusive and collaborative work culture with various staff networks and resources to support your personal and professional wellbeing.

Further information

• Candidates who have not yet been officially awarded their PhD will be appointed as Research Assistant within the salary range £43,863 to £47,223 per annum.

Additional information please contact: Professor Finn Giuliani,

Guidance may be sought from Darakshan Khan ).

Please note that job descriptions are not exhaustive, and you may be asked to take on additional duties that align with the key responsibilities mentioned above.

If you experience any technical issues while applying online, please don't hesitate to email us at We're here to help.

Available documents

Attached documents are available under links. Clicking a document link will initialize its download.

Please note that job descriptions are not exhaustive, and you may be asked to take on additional duties that align with the key responsibilities mentioned above.

We reserve the right to close the advert prior to the closing date stated should we receive a high volume of applications. It is therefore advisable that you submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

If you encounter any technical issues while applying online, please don't hesitate to email us at We're here to help.

About Imperial

Welcome to Imperial, a global top ten university where scientific imagination leads to world-changing impact.

Join us and be part of something bigger. From global health to climate change, AI to business leadership, here at Imperial we navigate some of the world's toughest challenges. Whatever your role, your contribution will have a lasting impact.

As a member of our vibrant community of 22,000 students and 8,000 staff, you'll collaborate with passionate minds across nine London campuses and a global network.

This is your chance to help shape the future. We hope you'll join us at Imperial College London.

Our Culture

We work towards equality of opportunity, to eliminating discrimination, and to creating an inclusive working environment for all. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries, and are committed to employing a team that has diverse skills, experiences and abilities. You can read more about our commitment on our webpages.

Our values are at the root of everything we do and everyone in our community is expected to demonstrate respect, collaboration, excellence, integrity, and innovation.

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