Senior Research Associate

Salary: £47,389.00 - £56,535.00  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: 13 April 2026

The Role

We have an exciting opportunity for a Senior Research Associate to work on a project to design electronic devices and software for underwater acoustic communication and positioning. Based in the Sensors Electromagnetics and Acoustics Laboratory (SEAlab) in the School of Engineering, you will work closely with industrial partners to design, construct and test pre-production hardware for demonstration in realistic sea conditions. The ideal candidate will be educated to PhD level in electronic engineering or a related discipline with experience in underwater acoustic signal processing, communication transceiver design, embedded software and analog/digital circuit design. Experience in practical implementation of communication systems and outdoor/marine field work is highly desirable. The appointment level with be commensurate with relevant experience.

The successful candidate will work on an industry funded project in the Sensors, Electromagnetics and Acoustics Laboroatory (SEALab) to design electronic circuits and embedded software for an advanced underwater acoustic communication and positioning technology. This will draw upon research outputs of the academic team and involve working closely with hardware and software engineers from a long established industrial collaborator. The outputs of the project will be pre-production prototypes for testing and valuidation in realistic offshore environments.

As part of our commitment to career development for research colleagues, the University has developed 3 levels of research role profiles.  These profiles set out firstly the generic competences and responsibilities expected of role holders at each level and secondly the general qualifications and experiences needed for entry at a particular level.

Also include information about the Academic Service/Unit they will be working in covering strategic aims, values and culture

The post is fuill time, for the duration of 8 month starting 1/05/2026

https://www.ncl.ac.uk/engineering/research/eee/isc/

Key Accountabilities

• Liaising with industrial partners to capture specifications and requirements for near-market R&D outputs.
• Managing workflow and deliverables for time pressured industry funded projects.
• Collect, analyse and interpret research data and draw conclusions on the outcomes.
• Co-ordinate own work with that of others, use problem solving to affect the achievement of research objectives and contribute to the planning of the project(s).
• Collect, analyse and interpret research data and draw conclusions on the outcomes.
• Co-ordinate own work with that of others, use problem solving to affect the achievement of research objectives and contribute to the planning of the project(s).
• Contribute ideas, including enhancements to the technical or methodological aspects of the project.
• Determine appropriate methodologies for research
• Assess research findings for the need/scope for further investigations.
• Contribute to the writing up of the research and its dissemination, either through seminar and conference presentations or through publications.
• Present research findings, either at conferences or through publications in reputable outlets appropriate to the discipline.
• Contribute to grant applications submitted by others and develop own research objectives and proposals for funding.

The Person (Essential)

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Implementation of complex digital communication receivers on embedded processor platforms, such as ARM Cortex, using C/C++ language
• Design and prototyping of analog and digital circuits using state of the art CAD tools such as Altium designer
• Underwater acoustic signal processing using MATLAB or similar tools
• Design/execution of laboratory and offshore field experiments
• Producing high technology readiness level (TRL) hardware and software modules for incorporation in commercial products
• Attention to detail and ability to work at high levels of accuracy
• Ability to present complex information effectively to a range of audiences
• Proven ability to analyse data and write-up results
• Experience of working collaboratively with colleagues
• Excellent IT skills in all major office applications
• The ability to use personal initiative and creativity to solve research problems
• Awareness of the research environment
• High level of analytical and problem solving capacity
• Ability to communicate complex information with clarity
• Experience of presentations at conferences and/or in high quality publications

Attributes and Behaviour

• Commitment to working positively as a member of a multi-skilled research team
• Ability to negotiate and prioritise multiple, competing responsibilities and to work to deadlines
• Commitment to continued professional development
• Understanding of and commitment to good practice in equality, inclusion and diversity

Qualifications

• Honours degree in Electrical/Electronic Engineering or related discipline
• PhD in Underwater Acoustic Communications or Signal Processing

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 Gold 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.  We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

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

Requisition ID: 29217

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