Research Officer (Fixed Term)

• Fixed-term One-year contract
• Full-time 1.0 FTE
• Based at AUTs City Campus, Auckland CBD

Te Whiwhinga mahi | The opportunity

The AUT Additive Manufacturing Research Centre is looking to recruit a Research Officer for a fixed term of one year to work on a specific project. This Research Officer role involves developing advanced additive processing solutions and their applications in the energy systems, including fuel cells and other energy devices. Application of magnetohydrodynamics in the energy systems, including the generation of H2, based on water electrolysis and other means, is one of the research strands to be pursued. Design optimisation, numerical simulation, and experimental evaluation of complex electrode configurations applied to microfluidic fuel cells and dye-sensitised solar cells are associated areas of research to be explored. This role is proposed to assist in the progress of a project proposal that the principal investigator, Professor Sarat Singamneni, is building, integrating electromagnetics and fuel cell technologies together.

He kōrero mōu | About you

The candidate should have a PhD completed within the area of designing complex electrodes and evaluating the same in microbial, microfluidic, and dye-sensitised solar cells, as well as water electrolysis. In-depth understanding of the use of Ntopology, and direct hands-on expertise in applying advanced additive technologies such as laser sintering and melting for research in fuel cells, and competence in computational fluid dynamics simulations for fuel cell and water electrolysis systems are essential. Furthermore, the candidate must have sound knowledge in magnetically controlled additive manufacturing, managing controlled magnetic heterogeneity, and be able to take initiative to work independently to progress the project under development at AUT. Ready expertise and knowledge in the following aspects are mandatory for the candidate to be considered for this role:

• A deeper understanding and past publications in the rasterization schemes and associated software solutions in additive processing methods relevant to electrode design for fuel cells
• A clear understanding of the fundamentals of magnetism and the structure vs magnetic response relationships, and hands-on experiences in the laser-based magnetic electrode fabrication for energy devices.
• Demonstrated past experiences in additively building magnetic substrates and their use in fuel cells and water electrolysis
• Established past experiences and publications record in the development of micro-energy devices using AM & 3D printing, and the characterisation of the performance of the same
• Expertise in CAD modelling and past publications in the design of advanced electrode architectures, including facile monolithic structures for microfluidic and other forms of fuel cells
• Expertise in the design optimisation of electrodes for fuel cells based on software packages such as nTopology and Blender
• Thorough understanding of renewable energy methods of hydrogen production, such as water electrolysis, and knowledge of numerical analysis of electrochemical processes, such as water electrolysis
• Ready knowledge of the numerical analysis of energy devices, such as supercapacitors, using software packages such as Ansys Electronics.

Me pēhea te tuku tono | How to apply

If this sounds like you, wed love to hear from you. Please submit your cover letter and CV with your application by clicking the "APPLY" button.

For more information on this role, please email Professor Sarat Singamneni

Ngā Utu | Salary: $ 74,000 - $85,000 per annum (appointment level and salary commensurate with skills and experience)

Tohutoro Mahi | Job Reference: 92201

Te rā aukati | Closing Date: 7th May 2025, at 11:55 pm.

• Full-time denotes 37.5 hours per week

Information :

• Company : Auckland University of Technology
• Position : Research Officer (Fixed Term)
• Location : Auckland City, Auckland
• Country : NZ