Job Description

Position Details

School of Engineering

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £36,636 to £46,049 with potential progression once in post to £48,822. As this vacancy is limited funding the maximum salary that can be offered is Grade 7, Salary £46,049.

Full Time , Fixed Term contract up to September 2027

Closing date: 6th October 2026

UK and International travel may be required for this role

Background

To create and contribute to the creation of knowledge in the area of Smart Monitoring and Autonomous Systems by undertaking a specified range of activities within the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education.

Role Summary

• Work within specified research grants and projects within the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education, and contribute to writing bids
• Operate primarily within the area of Smart Monitoring and Autonomous Systems, but also within the broader area of Railway Engineering
• Devise, develop, and deploy research prototypes and systems within the rail domain
• Analyse, interpret, and present research findings and results
• Contribute to generating funding
• Contribute to licensing or spin out deals with demonstrated commercial success (such as revenues, asset or company sales, IP generated) and/or public understanding of the discipline or similar

Main Duties

The responsibilities may include some but not all of the responsibilities outlined below.

• Develop research objectives and proposals for own or joint research, with assistance of a mentor if required
• Contribute to writing bids for research funding
• Develop systems to collect data from and/or manipulate the railway environment
• Deploy research solutions in both the laboratory and the operational railway, including travelling as appropriate
• Analyse and interpret data
• Apply knowledge in a way which develops new intellectual understanding
• Liaise with project funders to support the planning, implementation, and reporting of research activities
• Disseminate research findings for publication, research seminars etc
• Supervise students on research related work and provide guidance to PhD students where appropriate to the discipline
• Contribute to developing new models, techniques and methods in the area of Smart Monitoring and Autonomous systems for the rail domain
• Undertake management/administration arising from research
• Contribute to Departmental/School research-related activities and research-related administration
• Contribute to enterprise, business development and/or public engagement activities of manifest benefit to the College and the University, often under supervision of a project leader
• Collect research data; this may be through a variety of research methods, such as scientific experimentation, literature reviews, and research interviews
• Present research outputs, including drafting academic publications or parts thereof, for example at seminars and as posters
• Provide guidance, as required, to support staff and any students who may be assisting with the research
• Deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines
• Fosters a fair and equitable workplace for all staff
• Identify and respond to equality and diversity issues in line with relevant university policies and procedures
• Other relevant criteria from our equality and diversity duties document.

Person Specification

• A PhD relevant to the research area (or near completion), or equivalent PhD level qualifications.
• High level analytical capability
• Ability to communicate complex information clearly
• Proven experience in the development of instrumentation or autonomous systems, and their deployment in both laboratory and field (rail) environments
• Experience of railway (depot or trackside) safe working practices
• Experience of using MATLAB for data analysis
• Experience with numerical modelling and analysis
• Fluency in relevant models, techniques or methods and ability to contribute to developing new ones
• Ability to assess resource requirements and use resources effectively
• Understanding of and ability to contribute to broader management/administration processes
• Contribute to the planning and organising of the research programme and/or specific research project
• Co-ordinate own work with others to avoid conflict or duplication of effort
• Knowledge of the protected characteristics and duties under the Equality Act 2010. Including fostering good relations and advancing the universities Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED).
• Other relevant criteria from our equality and diversity knowledge, skills and experience document.

Informal enquiries to Edward Stewart, email: e.j.c.stewart@bham.ac.uk

Use of AI in applications: We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website.