Researcher – Battery Materials Characterisation & Design for Direct Recycling (CIRCULOOP)

Descrizione

Testo originale dell'annuncio (in inglese)

Who we are The Energy Materials Laboratory at the Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia (ISSP UL) is the largest battery materials research group in Latvia. Led by Dr. Gints Kučinskis — who completed his PhD in Physics at the University of Latvia and a postdoctoral position at the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research under Prof. J. Maier — the group works across synthesis, characterisation and electrochemical validation of battery materials, in collaboration with both local start-ups and Europe’s leading lithium-ion battery manufacturers. This position is part of CIRCULOOP, a Horizon Europe project (Cluster 5 – Batteries and Energy) developing a scalable direct-recycling platform for LFP, LMFP and sodium-ion cathode materials recovered from gigafactory production scrap. Rather than breaking materials down to their elements, CIRCULOOP recovers cathode materials with their structure intact and regenerates them to near-virgin performance. The consortium brings together eight partners across six countries, coordinated by EURECAT (Spain), with ISSP UL leading the project’s Design-for-Direct-Recycling work. The position You will establish whether recovered and regenerated battery materials actually perform — characterising them, validating them electrochemically, and translating what the consortium learns into practical guidance on how batteries should be designed for recyclability. The role is roughly half hands-on characterisation and electrochemistry, half analysis, synthesis and consortium coordination. Within the team, your main responsibilities will be: Characterise recovered and regenerated materials (XRD, XPS, Raman, SEM-FIB) to quantify contamination, alkali restoration and structural and morphological integrity against virgin-material benchmarks, supporting the dry-delamination and green-solvent purification routes Validate regenerated cathode active materials electrochemically (coin-cell testing) across LFP, LMFP and Na-ion chemistries to confirm capacity and performance recovery meets project targets Build and maintain the consortium’s Design-for-Direct-Recycling evidence base — collecting friction-point data from partners on disassembly, delamination, purification and regeneration, and structuring it into a constraint matrix linking cell design choices to recyclability Translate validated process data into practical design guidance, co-authoring a ranked set of design rules and a policy brief aligned with the EU Battery Regulation (2023/1542) Serve as ISSP UL’s technical point of contact within the consortium, coordinating data exchange with EURECAT, AVESTA, FZJ, CellCycle, RWTH, MTC and HOLOSS, and co-authoring the associated work-package deliverables and reports You will have access to state-of-the-art synthesis labs, materials characterisation infrastructure and electrochemical testing facilities within ISSP UL. Requirements PhD in Chemistry, Materials Science, Physics, Chemical Engineering or a related field — or an MSc with substantial relevant experience Hands-on experience with materials characterisation: XRD essential; XPS, Raman and SEM/FIB strongly preferred Experience in electrochemical testing, ideally including coin-cell assembly and cycling Ability to turn data from many different sources into structured, defensible conclusions Good written and spoken English What would make you shine: Experience or interest in battery recycling, circularity or battery manufacturing Experience coordinating within international academic and industrial consortia Experience in EU-funded R&D project implementation Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a highly interdisciplinary environment Compensation and benefits Salary: €12–19 gross per hour depending on experience and qualifications (approximately €2,000–€3,200 gross per month at full-time) Full-time position on a 2-year contract, with the possibility of extension Travel support for consortium meetings, partner visits and internatio