Directorate: School of Engineering & Physical Sciences

Salary: Grade 7 (£36,023-£45,585)

Contract Type: Full Time (1FTE), Fixed Term (Until December 2026)

Rewards and Benefits: 33 days annual leave, plus 9 buildings closed days for all full time staff (Part time workers should pro rata this by their FTE). Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University

Detailed Description

The Research Associate will work within the EPSRC-funded U-Care project, an EPSRC-Funded project aimed at developing transformative light-based healthcare technologies.  The appointed candidate will be expected to develop optical systems for applications in fibre-optic shape sensing for high precision catheter path visualisation applications. The applicant will work with others in the U-Care team and will be expected to contribute to broader U-Care team meetings and other activities designed to support the project.

Key Duties and Responsibilities 

We are looking for a creative and highly motivated researcher willing to work closely with our U-Care research team. Regular communication with, and reporting to, our partners is an important part of the role.  General tasks will involve engineering development; analysis and interpretation of data; daily oversight of the activities of postgraduate and undergraduate project students in the laboratory; communication with other investigators involved in this collaborative project; preparation of scientific papers; presentation of research at conferences.

In detail the post holder is required to:

• Design and carry out scientific and engineering experiments on fibre-optic shape sensing.
• Work with research partners at Edinburgh and Bath universities to develop and apply the systems developed.
• Develop risk assessments and COSHH forms and work within the boundaries of existing risk management procedures.
• Present research findings and plans at regular internal meetings, and meetings with collaborators.
• Provide guidance as required to support staff, research students and any other students who may be assisting with the research.
• Prepare and edit scientific publications.
• Present research findings at conferences.
• Participate in the broader work of the Research Group, including industrial outreach e.g. at workshops, conferences or other meetings.
• Assist in the day-to-day maintenance of the experimental facilities, liaising with companies and external collaborators. 
• Assist the development of student research skills, and contribute to the assessment of student knowledge in the context of teaching assistant and supervision duties.
• The ideal candidate will have a strong practical understanding in one or more of the following fields: optical metrology, fibre optic systems.

Education, Qualifications and Experience

Essential Criteria

• Applicants should hold a degree-level qualification in a relevant area of Physics or Engineering or related subject.
• Applicants should have completed a doctorate degree (PhD or EngD), or be very close to completing (e.g. final stages of writing up).
• Ability to articulate technical work, both in technical reports/papers and by oral presentation.
• Must have proven academic ability and a demonstrable high level of technical competence in experimental science and the analysis /modelling of the results.
• Be innovative and able to apply themselves to work with a wide range of technologies e.g. fibre optic sensing, optical system design, construction and testing.
• Ability to formulate and progress work on their initiative with evidence of technical ability: problem-solving, flexibility.
• Must be able to work as part of a team on the experiments at Heriot-Watt and with the collaborators at other Universities.
• Capability to be self-directed and think innovatively.

Desirable Criteria

• Evidence of ability, subject to opportunity, to guide other researchers, e.g. PhD students and undergraduate project students.
• Energy and enthusiasm for the project.
• Experience in fibre optic sensing, and fibre-optic shape sensing in particular.

Travel

Visits to the partner universities for meetings and collaborative working.

National and international conference attendance.

About our Team  

U-Care www.u-care.ac.uk is a large collaborative project led by Heriot-Watt University and involving the University of Edinburgh and the University of Bath.  There is a large U-Care team of researchers, covering both biological and engineering aspects of the project.  The advertised position will also be a member of the Applied Optics and Photonics group (https://www.applied-optics-photonics.hw.ac.uk/) and Photonic Instrumentation Group (https://phi.eps.hw.ac.uk/), which collectively include ~50 researchers working in various applications of photonics in areas ranging from medicine to advanced manufacturing.

About Heriot-Watt

Heriot-Watt University has established a reputation for world-class teaching and leading-edge, relevant research, which has made it one of the top UK universities for innovation, business and industry.

Heriot-Watt University has five campuses: three in the UK (Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Orkney), one in Dubai and one in Malaysia.  The University offers a highly distinctive range of degree programmes in the specialist areas of science, engineering, design, business and languages.  Heriot-Watt University is also Scotland's most international university, boasting the largest international student cohort.

How to Apply

Please submit via the Heriot-Watt on-line recruitment system (1) Cover letter describing their interest and suitability for the post; (2) Full CV 

Applications can be submitted until midnight on Tuesday 7th May 2024.

Interviews will be held in May 2024.

At Heriot Watt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real world impact which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team.

Our flourishing community will give you the freedom to challenge and to bring your enterprising mind and to help our partners with solutions that can be applied now and in the future. Join us and Heriot Watt will provide you with a platform to thrive and work in a way that also helps you live your life in balance with well-being and inclusiveness at the heart of our global community.

Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities.  Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.

Heriot-Watt University values diversity across our University community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information, please see our website https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/services/equality-diversity.htm and also our award-winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers https://disc.hw.ac.uk/ .

We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g. part-time working and job share options.

Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.