Job description and selection criteria

The role

The Research Scientist in Optoelectronics will work with Professor Paul Stavrinou to help establish a new research group at OSCAR in the science and application of soluble semiconductors. She/he will need to have demonstrated expertise in the set-up and management of experimental facilities for the fabrication and characterization of solution-processed semiconductor devices, including the implementation and documentation of health and safety and data protection requirements. She/he will be directly involved in the construction of bespoke experimental apparatus and in the automation of experimental data collection, analysis and archiving. Expertise in fabrication and optical and electrical characterization of solution-processed semiconductor devices, for example transistors, solar cells and LEDs, is also required. In addition, she/he will need to undertake report writing and preparation of journal articles and publicity materials for website and other dissemination channels and to contribute to the development of grant funding applications.

Research will be undertaken within the Nanotechnology and Functional Materials theme at OSCAR in Suzhou. Collaboration will also occur with colleagues in the other OSCAR theme areas and with the Physics, Engineering Science, Chemistry and Materials Departments at Oxford. Further, external, collaborators in China will include the research teams of Professors Wei Huang and colleagues (Institute for Advanced Materials, NanjingTech), Professor Zheng Cui (Printed Electronics Research Center, SINANO, CAS) and Professor Shuit Tong Lee (FUNSOM, Soochow University). The appointee may, consequently, be required to spend a portion of her/his time working within the laboratories of our collaborators.

The post is funded by OSCAR and will be available for three years in the first instance, extendable for up to two further years by mutual agreement. The post is available on a full-time basis.

Responsibilities/duties

The appointee will:

• Carry out original research in the science and application of solution-processed semiconductors, primarily by designing and performing experiments at the OSCAR research centre in Suzhou and undertaking detailed analysis of the results. Fabrication and optical and electrical characterisation of devices and thin films; data management; regular report writing and effective and timely communication with collaborators will be required. A portion of time may be spent working within the laboratories of our external collaborators.
• Help to establish new research facilities and up-grade and maintain existing shared-use facilities. Good working relationships will need to be established with the other groups in the Nanotechnology and Functional Materials theme at OSCAR and work will need to be planned in advance to enable booking of facilities access. There will be a need to set-up and manage experimental facilities for the fabrication and characterization of solution-processed semiconductor devices. This will include construction of bespoke experimental apparatus and the automation of data collection, analysis and archiving. Close liaison with technical and administrative staff in OSCAR and with external suppliers and contractors will be required.
• Support the implementation of health and safety procedures.
• Maintain a current and up-to-date knowledge of the relevant research literature and contribute to the development and writing of new funding proposals deriving from the research carried out.
• Prepare oral and poster presentations for conferences and workshops and draft publications for dissemination of results. Attendance at conferences and workshops to present results will be encouraged where merited by the results.
• Assist in the consideration of intellectual property arising from the research undertaken.  Assessment of potential IP protection, agreed with the Principal Investigator, will be required before any public disclosure of results.
• Work with other members of the group to support the establishment of a considerate and effective working environment. Contribute to group outreach and dissemination activities via preparation and maintenance of web-based and other media (e.g. posters) and conducting lab tours. Actively participate in group meetings, journal clubs and social events.

Selection criteria

Essential

• PhD/DPhil in Engineering, Physics, Chemistry or Materials Science
• Detailed knowledge and direct experience of:
  
  • The set-up and management of experimental facilities, including bespoke systems for the automated collection, analysis and archiving of data.
  • Characterization of soluble semiconductor materials in thin film formats using optical, structural and electrical methods.
  • Design, fabrication and optical and electrical characterization of soluble semiconductor devices, for example solar cells, transistors and light emitting diodes.
• Knowledge and experience of health and safety procedures for chemical handling and disposal, risk assessment, and the preparation of associated documentation.
• Effective oral and written communication skills and willingness to contribute to outreach and dissemination activities.
• Ability to work as part of an effective team both within OSCAR and with external collaborators and willingness to spend time working in collaborator laboratories in UK and China.
• Ability to work independently and to manage time efficiently towards agreed priorities.
• Ability and willingness to assist in the consideration of intellectual property arising from the research undertaken and in the assessment of potential IP protection.

Desirable

• Ability and willingness to contribute to the development of new funding proposals deriving from the research undertaken.
• Ability and willingness to support the establishment of a considerate and effective working environment.

Recent publications

• Hamilton, N. Chander, N.J. Cheetham, M. Suh, M. Dyson, X. Wang, P.N. Stavrinou, M. Cass, D.D.C. Bradley, J.-S. Kim, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 10 (2018), 11070-11082. DOI: 10.1021/acsami.8b00243
• D. Lubert-Perquel, E. Salvadori, M. Dyson, PN Stavrinou, R. Montis, H. Nagashima, Y. Kobori, S. Heutz, CWM Kay arXiv preprint arXiv:1801.00603
• J.-Y. Lin, B. Liu, M.-N. Yu, X.-H. Wang, L.-B. Bai, Y.-M. Han, C.-J. Ou, L.-H. Xie, F. Liu, W.-S. Zhu, X.-W. Zhang, H.-F. Ling, P.N. Stavrinou, J.-P. Wang, D.D.C. Bradley, W. Huang, J. Mater. Chem. C 6  (2018), 1535-1542. DOI: 10.1039/c7tc04833e
• J.-Y. Lin, B. Liu, M.-N. Yu, Z.-F. Lei, X.-H. Wang, C. Ou, L. Xie, W.-S. Zhu, H.-F. Ling, X.-W. Zhang, P.N. Stavrinou, J.-P. Wang, D.D.C. Bradley, W. Huang, J. Mater. Chem. C 5 (2017), 6762-6770. DOI: 10.1039/c7tc01541k
• Andreas Braendle, Aleksandr Perevedentsev, Nathan J Cheetham, Paul N Stavrinou, Jörg A Schachner, Nadia C Mösch-Zanetti, Markus Niederberger, Walter Caseri, CHIMIA International Journal for Chemistry 71 (2017), 733-733
• Pascal Grégoire, Eleonora Vella, Matthew Dyson, Claudia M Bazán, Richard Leonelli, Natalie Stingelin, Paul N Stavrinou, Eric R Bittner, Carlos Silva, Physical Review B 95 (2017), 180201
• Andreas Braendle, Aleksandr Perevedentsev, Nathan J Cheetham, Paul N Stavrinou, Jörg A Schachner, Nadia C Mösch‐Zanetti, Markus Niederberger, Walter R Caseri, Journal of Polymer Science Part B: Polymer Physics 55 (2017) 707-720
• Pierre Boufflet, Gianluca Bovo, Luca Occhi, Hua‐Kang Yuan, Zhuping Fei, Yang Han, Thomas D Anthopoulos, Paul N Stavrinou, Martin Heeney, Advanced Electronic Materials (2017)

About OSCAR (Oxford Suzhou Centre for Advanced Research)  

OSCAR, the first overseas research centre of the University of Oxford, is working closely with the Suzhou Industrial Park and both academic and industrial collaborators in China to progress a range of exciting societal and economic development opportunities.

As a multidisciplinary research, innovation and technology centre, OSCAR focuses on research challenges and technologies that both complement the Centre’s location in Suzhou Industrial Park and capitalise on current Oxford research strengths. Research will initially be focused around the areas of biomedical engineering, biomedicine, advanced functional materials, electronic / optoelectronic / photonic devices, environmental technology, energy, mathematical and computational applications in finance and in health, and other related science and engineering disciplines.

The Centre is positioned in Suzhou Dushu Lake Science and Education Innovation District (SEID), a district in southern SIP with a high concentration of science, education and innovation activity. SEID is the prototype of higher education internationalization in China which hosts 32 local and foreign universities and institutions. The Centre, housed in a nine-storey building with a gross space of 20,000m2, offers flexible access to facilities for multi-functional activities such as labs, seminars, workshops, training, public events, and administration, etc. 

Guidance for Applicants

Thank you for your interest in applying for posts at the Oxford-Suzhou Centre for Advanced Research (OSCAR). Please read the following tips to help you proceed with the application process.

Before the application: 

Please read carefully the job description and selection criteria for the post for which you are applying at the OSCAR website: https://oscar.web.ox.ac.uk to determine whether you have the required skills, knowledge, and experience as advertised. Please DO NOT apply for the posts which are currently unavailable. We typically receive many applications for each post, and so you will need to show in a covering letter how you meet the essential criteria and the desirable criteria in order to be shortlisted for interview.

Required Application documents:

1. Please submit a covering letter and CV (both in English and in PDF) by email attachment to info@oxford-oscar.cn.
    
2. Email subject: the title of the post for which you are applying. 
    
3. Email content: please include your contact information, name, telephone number, and any dates for which you would not be available for interview.

Covering letter (no longer than one page)

Use the covering letter to explain your motivation for joining OSCAR, and state how your skills and experience match these requirements. Please provide evidence that you have the skills, knowledge, experience, qualifications that match the requirements of the post. The strongest applications provide examples of previous work that demonstrate how you meet the essential and desirable criteria.  Check your spelling and grammar; successful applications are typically proof-read to give the best impression to the selection panel.

Curriculum Vitae (CV, no longer than 8 pages)

Check that your CV is up-to-date and keep your CV within the page limit.  Highlight the skills and experience that are relevant to the post for which you are applying. Avoid sending a generic CV; the strongest applications are those for which CVs are tailored for the needs of the post for which the candidate is applying.  Give details of your education, employment history, publication record, lists of prizes, and voluntary experience.

After the application:

When you submit an application, the information you supply on your application will be provided to a selection panel, who will use it to assess your suitability for the post against the published selection criteria. You may be contacted via e-mail at any date regarding your application.

Your information is held securely in a database that is owned by OSCAR. The data will not be passed to external organisations or individuals other than those acting in a capacity as agents for OSCAR for software support purposes, or where an external body is party to the recruitment process.

When you submit an application to OSCAR you must confirm that you agree to these Terms and Conditions of Use, including the following declaration. 

• The information provided in the application materials is true and complete. I understand that any offer of employment may be conditional upon satisfactory screening. 
• I consent to be contacted by OSCAR at any date regarding my application. 
• I consent to the information given in this application being stored and processed in accordance with the data protection rules at OSCAR. 

Thank you again for your interest in applying for a post at OSCAR.

Recruitment Office

Oxford Suzhou Centre for Advanced Research

Email: info@oxford-oscar.cn