Research Assistant/Associate in Embedded Systems Design for Autonomous Water Metering Infrastructure

Salary: 

Research Assistant: £30,619 to £32,411 per annum

Research Associate: £33,348 to £35,308 per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 08 June 2023

The Role

Do you have a prior research background in embedded systems design and electronic engineering? The Engineering department at Newcastle University could be the place for you. 

The Microsystems Research Group is seeking to appoint a highly motivated researcher to support the School of Engineering’s EPSRC IAA project on  “Commercialization of our non-intrusive, autonomous smart water metering infrastructure for flow measurement and leak monitoring”.

The Microsystems Group is prominent in the UK. It has an international reputation for world-leading research across microelectronics design and computer systems engineering with seven academic members, 10+ Research Assistants/Associates and 20+ PhD students. 

This project aims to commercialise our non-intrusive and self-contained water metering infrastructure for flow measurement and to adapt our technology to monitor leaks within a water distribution system. We have already designed and developed a reference infrastructure for smart water metering (a demonstration prototype was created with NWG and tested on our in-house testbed, TRL6), which still requires further development and testing to become a commercial solution.

The successful candidate will support the hardware and software design of low-power embedded systems for IoT sensor applications.  Within the project, the nominated candidate will work on both aspects, the hardware and software design of this infrastructure. 

The nominated candidate will perform tasks under the guidance of the Principal Investigator, and work closely with a multidisciplinary team, external academic partners and industrial partners (Northumbria Water Group, EML).

For more information about the School of Engineering and our research, please click here.

We are committed to building and maintaining a fair and inclusive working environment and we would be happy to discuss arrangements for flexible and/or blended working.

The appointment is fixed-term, tenable for 12 months in the first instance from 1st July 2023. The position is available on a full-time basis (37 hours per week).

To apply, please complete an online application and upload a CV and cover letter. Your cover letter is a supporting statement, and you should outline how you meet the essential criteria of the role and evidence this with examples.

For an informal chat about the role or the project, please contact Dr Domenico Balsamo, Senior Lecturer in Microsystems Design, at: Domenico.Balsamo@newcastle.ac.uk. 

Key Accountabilities

• Utilise IoT applications, communication protocols and knowledge of hardware/software co-design for embedded systems.
• Work on the different tasks in the research project to generate deliverables in a timely manner and meet the project objectives
• Provide active intellectual contributions to the research project by ways of, e.g., planning for implementation, generating new ideas, and conducting lab experiments
• Prepare clear, well-written reports and draft scientific papers to meet the requirements of high-impact journals on time according to the project timeline set out by the Principal Investigator
• Present research findings at conferences or through publications in reputable outlets appropriate to the discipline

The Person

Knowledge, Skills and Experience 

• Sufficient knowledge and research experience in embedded systems design and electronic engineering
• Knowledge of hardware/software co-design applied in embedded systems
• Knowledge of energy-efficient/low-power design principles
• Knowledge of low-power embedded systems design, e.g. energy harvesting systems
• Experience in PCB design and programming languages, such as C/C++
• Ability to program microcontrollers (e.g. Texas Instrument MSP430 series)

Desirable

• A developing track record of peer-reviewed publications in internationally recognised journals and conferences and experience in presenting to the national and international research community
• Relevant industry experience in presenting research at national and international conferences

Attributes and Behaviours 

• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• Excellent interpersonal skills to build trust and collaboration with internal and external stakeholders
• Ability to manage research data and maintain records in a professional manner for research projects
• Capacity for original thought and initiating new research ideas
• Willing to learn and expand your research area and carry out challenging research studies
• Maintaining a high level of professional conduct and ethics in research
• Committed to embedding the values of equality and diversity in all aspects of your work
• Demonstrable commitment to our values of academic excellence; ambition; social responsibility and accountability

Desirable

• Industrial experience

Qualifications

• A Bachelors or Masters degree in a discipline closely related to the discipline

Desirable

• A PhD (or nearing completion) in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Computer Science or Computer Engineering and Communication
   

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.  As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society.  We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent.  We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a silver Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality.  We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe. 

Requisition ID: 25526