Research Associate/Senior Research Associate in High Performance Electrical Drives

Salary:

Research Associate: £32,248 to £42,155 per annum

Senior Research Associate: £43,414 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: 22 March 2023

The Role

The Newcastle University School of Engineering and our partner Dyson are excited to offer an opportunity for an experienced research professional to join a team of dedicated engineers on a five-year EPSRC project. The project will examine electrical drives and the control of novel high-speed, high-efficiency motors, with research outputs directly feeding into the next generation of Dyson consumer products.

As Senior Research Associate you will be a central member of the team, focussing on research, simulation, hardware design and embedded control of electric drives and power electronic converters.

You will have extensive experience of academic research, large collaborative projects and strategic leadership. You will also be able to demonstrate knowledge of the critical aspect of electrical machines. You will hold a PhD in the field of electric drives, and a Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy or the equivalent level of experience.

You will be based at Newcastle University, but will regularly visit Dyson, with short work spells based in their UK offices and secondment opportunities to overseas research institutions.

We are the UK’s largest academic research group in Electrical Power, involved in activities from Nano Watts to Giga Watts. Through our state-of-the-art research laboratory facilities, our activities are highly cross-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary. We are well known for our high level of industrial engagement.

https://www.ncl.ac.uk/engineering/research/eee/power/
https://www.ncl.ac.uk/engineering/
https://www.ncl.ac.uk/sage/

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. Additionally, the post is eligible for blended working between campus and home. 

The appointment is fixed-term and available on a full-time basis (37 hours per week). The position is tenable from 1st May 2023 until September 2025 in the first instance. 

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 informal queries please contact Prof. Barrie Mecrow, at: Barrie.Mecrow@newcastle.ac.uk. 

Key Accountabilities

• The day-to-day management of other research associates, as required
• Co-supervision of postgraduate researchers
• Strategic leadership of the power electronics research element of a large project
• Coordinating, writing, and presenting of industrial reports and professional papers for publication and to our industrial partners
• Contribution to the teaching of undergraduates and postgraduates.
• The simulation, design, construction, and test of power electronic circuits
• The use and programming of embedded controllers
• The use of wide band-gap devices in fast switching converters and drives
• The commissioning and testing of advanced electric drives.

The Person

Knowledge, Skills and Experience 

• Knowledge of :
  • power electronic converters and variable speed drives
  • electric drive simulation packages
  • wide band-gap power electronic circuits
  • hardware layout and PCB design
• Skilled in:
  • The design, construction and testing of complex power electronic circuits and embedded controllers
• Experience of:
  • the system level dynamic simulation of power electronic systems (including electronics and software aspects), preferably using Matlab/Simulink
  • various motor control techniques for low and high-speed motors
  • testing and validation of power electronic circuits.
  • Writing and use of embedded controller software
• The ability to design, manufacture and test wide bandgap power electronic circuits and controller hardware
• A strong publication portfolio, showing evidence of working with an increasing impact in your field/discipline 

Essential for Senior Research Associate

• Experience of managing a complex project, or multiple projects, as a work package leader, researcher co-investigator or effectively as principal investigator 
• Strong track record in journal publications which evidence work of international significance
• Ability to prepare funding bids and proposals to support new research/business opportunities
• Advanced skills in the research aspects of power electronic circuits and drives
• Experience of advanced control strategies and their implementation

Attributes and Behaviour

• Supporting other researchers in a team environment, supporting a wider research group with interpreting data, managing competing priorities and developing research skills 
• High level of analytical and problem-solving capacity
• Evidence of development of effective working relationships and exhibiting strong networking skills to support collaboration
• Commitment to instilling equality, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of your work, with a commitment to dignity and respect in the workplace 
• Demonstrable experience of working in a multidisciplinary team environment and actively supporting the development of a collaborative research culture 
• Communicates complex information clearly and adapts communication styles to suit the audience  

Essential for Senior Research Associate

• Ability to provide leadership to research teams and the potential to mentor junior research colleagues 
• Experience of supervising undergraduate and postgraduate student projects
• The ability to develop key client relationships and industrial links to support collaboration on research projects 
• The ability to work autonomously 

Qualifications

• PhD awarded in an area of research within energy systems, particularly in the area of Power Electronics
• Good underpinning degree in relevant field of science or engineering

Desirable

• Evidence of Continued Professional Development (CPD)
   

Newcastle is an inclusive global University community 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 Global 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 our employees and the communities they represent.  We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from everybody, regardless of race, sex, ethnicity, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender identity, marital status/civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, as well as being open to flexible working practices.

The University holds a silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality. The University is also a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe.

Requisition ID: 25190