Senior Researcher

Technology Innovation Institute (TII) is a publicly funded research institute, based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It is home to a diverse community of leading scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and researchers from across the globe, transforming problems and roadblocks into pioneering research and technology prototypes that help move society ahead.

Position and Person Overview:

We are looking for an experienced, motivated, and technically proficient Senior Researcher to contribute to the development of materials solution for renewable energy with the focus on solar PV application. This person will be responsible for managing process development activities, conducting material characterizations, and applying design of experiment and statistical process control tools to improve and refine processes. The ideal candidate will have a solid background in materials science, hands-on experience with thin film solar PV fabrication, and a strong understanding of characterization techniques and statistical analysis.

We are looking for a type of person who is self-motivated by achieving success in their work and finds enthusiastic delight in achieving that. You’ll find problems a welcome challenge to be overcome, and work through issues or intellectual barriers to produce unique results that other less driven individuals may not. You will be immensely curious and highly motivated to understand why things do what they do, and you will be the type of person who finds genuine delight in gaining that understanding. You will thrive on the challenge of doing new things brilliantly, and welcome operating outside of your immediate skills to widen your knowledge and capabilities. You will be entrepreneurial and regularly spot connections and the opportunities that flow from your work and ever increasing knowledge; you’ll build these into valuable ideas that we can develop as a team.

You will be able to work effectively within a team and/or on your own, maintaining a positive, constructive attitude even in times of pressure or when deadlines loom. Your teammates will quickly recognize you as a highly motivated deliverer, a knowledgeable practical researcher of very high worth to them and the wider company.

For our part, we will provide the environment, tools and resources (and challenges and pressure!) to allow you to demonstrate that you are that person.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and contribute to the development, optimization, and scaling up of thin film solar PV materials and device fabrication processes.
• Conduct in-depth material characterization, including optical analysis (UV-Vis, PL), structural analysis (TEM, SEM, XRD), thin film characterization, and electrical characterization.
• Utilize design of experiment and statistical process control tools (JMP, Origin, Minitab, etc.) to design, analyze, and optimize process performance.
• Work with technicians and vendors to maintain, troubleshoot, and optimize lab equipment, including clustered Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) systems, glove boxes, and other specialized tools used in thin film fabrication.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless transition of new materials/processes from lab-scale to pilot-scale.
• Maintain a strong focus on continuous improvement and innovation, ensuring process stability and scalability under fast-paced and dynamic conditions.
• Collaborate effectively with external partners, including companies, research institutions, and universities, to drive innovation and accelerate project milestones.
• Stay current with the latest trends and advances in solar technology.
• Provide mentorship to junior researchers and technicians, helping to foster a culture of collaboration and growth within the team.
• Write technical reports, draft patent application, and present results to internal and external stakeholders.
  
  

Required Qualifications:

• PhD in Materials Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related field.
• 3-5 years of R&D experience specifically in materials and process development, fabrication, and characterization of solar photovoltaic devices such as organic PV, perovskite, CZTS, CdTe, and Si.
• Experience in an industrial or commercial research and development environment would be very useful.
• Hands-on experience with thin film deposition techniques (e.g., sputtering, thermal evaporation, CVD, ALD).
• Expertise in optical characterization techniques, such as UV-Vis spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL).
• Strong background in structural and morphological characterization using techniques like Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD).
• Deep understanding in advanced thin film characterization techniques (e.g., Ellipsometry, XPS, FTIR, TOF-SIMS).
• Proficiency in design of experiment and statistical process control and analysis tools (JMP, Origin, Minitab, etc.).
• Experience in troubleshooting and optimizing complex laboratory systems.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment and adapt quickly under pressure.
• A proactive and can-do attitude with excellent work ethic, and a strong passion for research and innovation.
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to quickly learn new techniques and processes.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Detail-oriented and able to work independently while also collaborating with multidisciplinary teams.
• Knowledge of solar module manufacturing process.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications:

• Previous experience with solar PV technology commercialization or scale-up.
• Programming skills for data analysis, process optimization, or automation.
• Experience with optical or thin film device simulation tools (e.g., Setfos, FilmStar, TFCalc, COMSOL) for thin film design and performance prediction.
• Experience with the development of workflow for AI-driven high-throughput screening and optimization for materials discovery, particularly in the context of solar PV technologies.
  
  

At TII, we help society to overcome its biggest hurdles through a rigorous approach to scientific discovery and inquiry, using state-of-the-art facilities and collaboration with leading international institutions. Our rigorous discovery and inquiry-based approach helps to forge new and disruptive breakthroughs in advanced materials, autonomous robotics, cryptography, digital security, directed energy, quantum computing and secure systems.

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