Research Scientist

Element Six, part of De Beers Group, is a global leader in the design, development and production of synthetic diamond and tungsten carbide supermaterials.

With research and development facilities and manufacturing sites in the UK, Ireland, Germany, South Africa and the US, we have been pushing the boundaries of synthetic diamond innovation for more than 60 years. We utilise the extreme properties of synthetic diamond to open up new possibilities in exciting areas such as quantum optics, acoustics and thermal conductivity.  

Our success comes from building strong, collaborative relationships, both internally in our extraordinary teams, and externally with our customers. We strive to deliver extreme performance and we seek talented, ambitious people who will thrive in an environment that fosters individuality, inclusivity, innovation and creativity.

We offer an exciting and varied career, with opportunities to work in various locations and teams, and across different functions and projects.

If you like the idea of an exciting variety of work in a diverse global team, then we want you to get in touch.

An opportunity to work with a committed team of innovative thinkers, developing new diamond materials by chemical vapour deposition (CVD) to deliver ground-breaking technological solutions. CVD-grown diamond is a truly innovative and exciting material to work with, enabling cutting-edge applications in optics, semiconductors, quantum technology and electrochemistry. Together we will advance the understanding and applications of diamond to develop novel products and processes for commercialisation, in partnership with world-leading manufacturers.

We are looking for someone to join our team, working at our world-class Global Innovation Centre in Harwell, Oxfordshire focusing on CVD diamond materials.  This role is ideally suited to a recent graduate/post-graduate looking to acquire new skills and experiences.

You must care about what you do, work well individually and as part of a team, and be creative, motivated, and able to deliver on challenging objectives. You will be welcomed into a project team, given clear responsibilities, trusted to drive progress, and given opportunities for personal growth and career development.

Outline of the role

• Utilise state-of-the-art CVD synthesis reactors, analytical equipment and tools to synthesise, characterise and process diamond materials
• Develop, understand and utilise techniques to enhance material manufacturing capabilities such as polishing and shaping.
• Design and execute work packages and analyse data to inform onward innovation.
• Invent and patent new CVD growth and processing methods towards novel diamond products and solutions.
• Develop value add processes, such as by treatments, brazing, metallization, ion implantation, and mounting, to tailor diamond components for integration into customers applications.
• Collaborate and communicate with internal and external commercial and academic partners on materials and applications development and testing.

Scientist or engineer with an undergraduate degree in Physics, Chemistry, Materials Science or a relevant Engineering subject.

• An ability to complete practical laboratory work which requires attention to detail, in a safe and systematic way.
• A demonstrated willingness and ability to learn quickly and apply new skills and techniques to practically solve novel problems.
• Strong analytical skills for data capture and interpretation.
• Good interpersonal and presentational skills, and able to work effectively as part of a team.

If this opportunity is something that excites you, we are interested to hear about how you can help us shape the future.

All applicants must be able to provide documentation verifying their eligibility to work in the UK. Visa sponsorship is not provided for this role.