Research Fellow in Raman Spectroscopy Full-time

Research Fellow in Raman Spectroscopy

The Chemistry Department at University College London is the oldest in England, and today is one of the best in the UK, ranked 3rd in the UK for research excellence in REF (2021). Our department is situated in Bloomsbury, at the heart of London, and we offer an exciting and vibrant environment in which to study at one of the UK's top universities. The Chemistry Department has over 50 members of academic staff carrying out world-leading research. We specialise in the areas of organic synthesis, chemical biology, computational chemistry, nanotechnology, inorganic and materials chemistry, physical chemistry, and chemical physics. The department has an annual research income of around £15 million, derived from many sources including the Research Councils (EPSRC, BBSRC, MRC, and NERC), European Commission and a wide range of charities and industrial partners in the UK, Europe and the USA.

We are seeking to appoint a Postdoctoral Researcher to contribute to a project on quantifying triplet states and charge carriers in organic photovoltaic materials using Raman spectroscopy. The overall goal of the project is to develop a new quantification methodology to assess the impact of triplet states in state-of-the-art organic photovoltaic systems.

In this project, you will develop, test, and utilise a new experimental methodology for triplet state and charge carrier quantification. Strategies to achieve this will include electroluminescence and spectroelectrochemistry, with measurement techniques of Raman spectroscopy and transient absorption spectroscopy. The use of computational tools for spectral analysis will also be involved. The work will be supervised by Dr Tracey Clarke in the Department of Chemistry at UCL.

The post is funded for 12 months in the first instance, with a start date of 1st August 2026 or shortly thereafter.

The postholder will have:

• A PhD (or about to be awarded a PhD) in Chemistry, Physics, Engineering, Materials Science or a closely related discipline
• Expertise in Raman spectroscopy and other laser spectroscopy techniques (such as transient absorption spectroscopy)
• Expertise in designing, building and operating complex optical experimental setups
• Excellent spectroscopy data analysis and interpretation skills
• Strong track record of conducting original research and publishing research papers

To apply for the vacancy please click on the 'Apply Now' button below. Please upload a CV, list of publications and covering letter stating why you are interested in the role and how you meet the criteria.

For informal enquiries please contact Tracey Clarke (tracey.clarke@ucl.ac.uk). Any queries on the application process can be directed to hr.chem@ucl.ac.uk, as we wish to encourage online applications.

As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits some of which are below:

• 41 Days holiday (including 27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days)
• Additional 5 days' annual leave purchase scheme
• Hybrid Final Salary Pension Scheme
• Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan
• On-Site nursery
• On-site gym
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
• Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service
• Discounted medical insurance

Visit UCL Staff Rewards and Benefits to find out more.

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; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.

Our department holds an Athena SWAN Silver award, in recognition of our commitment to advancing gender equality.

You can read more about our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion here: Equality Diversity & Inclusion