Faculty Positions in Chemistry and Materials Science

Position Overview

DEPARTMENT: Chemistry and Materials Science/ School of Sciences 

ACADEMIC DISCIPLINE: Chemistry and Materials Science 

POSITION TITLE: Open rankfaculty appointment 

LOCATION: Suzhou, Jiangsu, China

POSITION OPENDATE: 31st Mar 2025

ADVERTISEMENT CLOSING DATE: until filled

JOBID: 3962

CONTRACT TYPE: Fixed-Term/3-year contract, renewable. The 3rd contract is open-ended

ABOUT THE POSITION

We are looking to recruit and hire highly experienced, motivated, productive, andaccomplished scholars/researchers at the forefront of Materials Science and Engineering to help support our academic programme and researchgrowth in this area. Ideal candidates will demonstrate a track record of impactful research contributions in one or more of the followingkey areas: Metallurgy, Ceramics, Polymer Materials, Biomaterials, Energy Materials, Semiconductor Materials, Nanomaterials, andComputational Modeling of Materials. Expertise in experimental synthesis and characterisation or advanced computational approaches is highlyvalued.

In addition to research excellence, candidates must demonstrate strong teaching potential and a commitment to curriculumdevelopment and innovation in education. Those with expertise in related fields but not directly linked to the core areas of MaterialsScience and Engineering are also encouraged to apply, provided they have an outstanding profile in leadership, research productivity,funding acquisition, and interdisciplinary collaboration. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in advancing both the academicand research missions of the Department and School, contributing to its dynamic growth and international environment.

ABOUT XJTLU

In 2006 Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) was created by the University ofLiverpool and Xi’an Jiaotong University – a top ten university in China. Offering a unique international education experience,XJTLU brings together excellent research practice and expertise from both institutions and gives students the skills and knowledge they needto secure careers in a global marketplace. XJTLU now has over 25,000 enrolled students in both Suzhou and Liverpool in the UK, with plans togrow to about 28,000 students by 2025. There are currently about 2,000 staff, among which about 1,000 academic staff, with an almost evensplit between citizens of the People’s Republic of China and international passport holders. XJTLU offers our undergraduates andpostgraduates over 100 programmes with a diverse spectrum of courses.XJTLU is entering a new and exciting phase of its development as partof its strategic priorities for the next ten years. Adopting a new higher education model based on the concept of Syntegrative Education(SE), XJTLU is currently opening a new Entrepreneurial Education site in Taicang, part of wider Suzhou, where the Entrepreneur College(Taicang) is located. The Taicang site will be a pioneer of, and educational model for, the future campus in addressing challenges arisingfrom the 4th Industrial Revolution. Other new initiatives include new working partnerships with Xi’an Jiaotong University, thecontinued development of the four new Academies, and exploration of further potential locations to develop the SE model.

With a focuson innovative learning and teaching, and research, XJTLU draws on the strengths of its parent universities, and plays a pivotal role infacilitating access to China for UK and other institutional partners. At same time, XJTLU is exploring future education by blending theeducational theory, best practice and culture from west and east.

For detailed information about the university, please visit theuniversity website: www.xjtlu.edu.cn.

ABOUT THEDEPARTMENT

The Department belongs to the School of Science and focuses on Chemistry and Materials Science. It hasrecruited faculty from globally distinguished institutions working in these disciplines. Although relatively young, the Department hasalready established a solid reputation, as indicated by its large number of high quality research publications in impactful journals (Q1), growing number of grant awards to its staff (e.g., from the National Natural Science Foundation of China and major industry partners)and national and international research collaborations. It has state-of-the-art instrumentation housed in custom-built labs, and providesexcellent technical support. Current research areas include: Advanced materials, High-performance batteries and supercapacitors, Nano porousmaterials, Microfluidic-based biosensors, Nano-electrocatalysts - Energy nanomaterials, Biomaterials and their biomedical applications,High-throughput screening, Carbohydrates Chemistry and Medicinal Chemistry, and AI/Robotics for Chemistry among others. The Department isdedicated to providing an international environment for both teaching and research, with around half of its academic staff born out ofmainland China. The Department also collaborates closely with the newly established Advanced Materials Research Center (AMRC), auniversity-level research center specialized in the development and application of novel materials.

The academic unit was firstestablished in 2010 as the Department of Chemistry and recently was renamed into the Department of Chemistry and Materials Science to betterdescribe its growing work and impact in the two fields. The Department currently delivers one undergraduate BSc programme in ‘AppliedChemistry’ and a BEng programme in ‘Materials Science and Engineering’ expected to start in September of 2025, two Masterprogrammes ‘MRes in Advanced Chemistry’ and ‘MRes in Materials Science and Engineering’ and a ‘PhD inChemistry.’ In 2017 our BSc in Applied Chemistry programme was accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry, the first RSCaccreditation of its kind in China.

Staff also benefit from the fact that Suzhou is a ‘hot-spot’ forbiotechnology/biomedical science and materials science research and entrepreneurship. Cold Spring Harbor Asia (http://www.csh-asia.org/index.html) is located within walking distance andthere are over 1000 biotechnology companies in BioBay (http://en.biobay.com.cn/main/index.asp) providing ample industry collaboration and entrepreneurship opportunities.

As a state-level economic and technical development zone (ETDZ), Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) boasted a No.1 ranking among 218 zones ofits kind in China for five consecutive years (2016-2020) by the Ministry of Commerce based on the zone‚Äôs comprehensive developmentlevel. The broader Suzhou area encompasses the spirit of both old and new in China, with the historic old town‚Äôs canals, UNESCO WorldHeritage Site gardens, and the I.M Pei-designed Suzhou Museum attracting millions of tourists annually. SIP offers an excellent quality oflife. The nearby Jinji Lake provides attractive views, by day and night, and there are a variety of shopping facilities, international andlocal restaurants, entertainment hubs and a great nightlife.  Suzhou became the world's largest industrial city in 2021, with thegross industrial output value reaching the milestone of 4 trillion RMB.

For more information: https://www.xjtlu.edu.cn/en/study/departments/school-of-science/chemistry-and-materials-science

RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES

‚Ä¢           To teach and examine courses atundergraduate and postgraduate levels

¬∑           To contribute to thedevelopment of teaching and teaching methods and assessment

¬∑           Tomaintain active and productive research and obtain research funding 

¬∑           To carry out various administrative duties related to universityteaching and research     (e.g., Research Officer, Lab Safety Officer, and Examination Officer etc.)

¬∑           To supervise postgraduate students and support teaching and researchstaff

¬∑           To establish an innovative and well-funded research groupthat is open to interdisciplinary collaboration that yields productive research outcomes. 

PERSONALATTRIBUTES

‚Ä¢    Effective communication skills; fluent in written and spoken English

‚Ä¢   Problem-solving/creativity

‚Ä¢    Adaptability and flexibility

‚Ä¢    Professionalism and workethic

‚Ä¢    Interpersonal abilities to manage a research team

‚Ä¢    Positive attitude andenergy

‚Ä¢    Diversity / Sensitivity

QUALIFICATIONS/EXPERIENCESEssentialRequirements:

PhD Degree: A PhD degree in Materials Science, Materials Engineering, or an Engineeringrelated discipline is required.

Teaching Experience: Demonstrable knowledge in the core areas of the materialsscience and engineering curriculum with demonstrated teaching experience or strong potential for effective teaching. The successfulcandidate is expected to contribute to the teaching and learning endeavours in the discipline of Materials Science and Engineering,including all aspects of the development and delivery of teaching & learning at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Research Publications: Proven track record of high-quality, high-impact research publications.

PreferredQualifications:

Field of Expertise: Priority will be given to candidates with research expertise ina fieldrelevant to fundamental materials research, such asMetallurgy, Ceramics, Polymer Materials, Biomaterials, Energy Materials, SemiconductorMaterials, Nanomaterials, and Simulation of Materials. This includes either experimental synthesis and characterisation or computationalmaterials modelling of advanced materials.

Current Position: Candidates currently holding the position of AssistantProfessor or above will be prioritized.

Research Leadership: Active engagement at the forefront of MaterialsScience, with a strong national and international research profile.

Funding Success: A successful history ofsecuring external research funding.

Academic Supervision: Demonstrated ability in academic supervision and mentoringof UG and PG students.

The ideal candidate will combine excellence in both teaching and research, with a commitment to advancingknowledge in their field through innovative approaches and interdisciplinary collaboration.

CITIZENSHIP AND VISAREGULATIONSEmployment at Xi‚Äôan Jiaotong-Liverpool University is regulated by Chinese Labour Laws, and must comply withthe regulations of the provincial government. These regulations stipulate who is eligible for legal employment with regard to obtaining workpermits and visas.  Please be advised candidates over 65 may be not eligible for a work visa in the P.R. China.

CAREER DEVELOPMENT1.    Clear career development path with annual review.2.   Professional development training is provided.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

SALARY: Competitive salary in the market

BENEFITS:

1.    Allowance:XJTLU provide various month/annual/one-off allowances such as 

o    Housing allowance

o   Travel allowance

o    Kids‚Äô education allowance

o    Relocation allowance

o    Etc.

2.    Commercial insurance: international insurance plans customized for XJTLUstaff and family members (for details please refer to the University Policy).

3.   Paid holidays: 

o    Statutory Holidays (13 days)

o    Annual Leave (34 days)

o    FamilyMatters Leave

o    Paid Sick Leave

o    Marriage Leave

o    PaternityLeave

o    Parental Leave

o    Etc.

4.    Working visa and residencepermit in China: XJTLU sponsors working visa and residence permit in China for the staff.

HOW TOAPPLYPlease submit your application on our university website

https://career15.sapsf.cn/sfcareer/jobreqcareer?jobId=3962&company=xjtlu 

Applications must be submittedin a single pdf file that includes the following three parts in the order:

‚Ä¢    A cover letter

‚Ä¢   A current CV, including date of birth, country of citizenship, and highest degree level

‚Ä¢    Contact details forthree referees 

For enquiries relating to the position, please email acting Head of Department, Dr. Lifeng Ding, Lifeng.Ding@xjtlu.edu.cn and copy HR at Zhi.Yang@xjtlu.edu.cn  Please quote the position and job ID in yourenquiry.