Research Fellow

The School of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering at Queen’s University Belfast, is currently seeking to recruit a Research Fellow to be a highly productive, ambitious, and collaborative member of the OVERCOMP research project/team.

The post holder will focus on interface formation and bond strength prediction in composite injection over-moulding. This role involves contributing to the development of a multi-scale model to predict interfacial strength in over-moulded components, aiming to enhance the manufacturing efficiency and reliability of composite materials in the automotive and aerospace sectors.

The successful applicant will engage in computational analyses, and experimental validation including CFD and FEA, to understand and predict the flow behaviour and interface bonding during injection over-moulding. They will work closely with leading partners, including Collins Aerospace, CIMCOMP, Denroy Plastics, and academic collaborators from the University of Nottingham, to drive innovations in high-volume manufacture of hybrid thermoplastic composite components for the automotive and aerospace sectors.

The successful candidate must have, and your application should clearly demonstrate that you meet the following criteria:

• Have or be about to obtain a PhD in a field relevant to polymer composite materials, fluid mechanics, mechanical engineering, or a related discipline, with a focus on computational modelling, materials science, or polymer engineering.

• Demonstrable experience in computational analyses, specifically CFD and FEA, applied to the study of material behaviour and interface bonding in composite materials.

• A track record of research in the context of composite injection over-moulding or similar high-volume manufacturing processes.

This post is available on a fixed term contract for 24 months, or available until 30/04/2026, whichever is sooner. Fixed term contract posts are available for the stated period in the first instance but in particular circumstances may be renewed or made permanent subject to availability of funding.

Please note the above are not an exhaustive list. For further information about the role including the essential and desirable criteria please visit our website.

At Queen’s our people are at the heart of everything we do. As a staff member you will become part of a vibrant organisational culture, which will provide you with the opportunity to achieve your full potential and enhance your career through a continuous focus on learning and development.

Queen’s University is committed to promoting equality of opportunity to all. We have created an inclusive culture by establishing staff networks such as iRise (Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic and International Staff Network) and PRISM (LGBTQ+) which help us progress equality.

We also subscribe to Equality Charter Marks such as the Diversity Charter Mark NI in addition to Athena Swan. For further information on our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, please visit our website.