Research Assistant or Research Fellow in Floating Energy Systems

FTC for 12 Months, or project end date – whichever is sooner

£34,450 per annum - Research Assistant (if close to completing PhD)

£37,337 per annum - Research Fellow (if PhD obtained) 

We are excited to announce an opening for a postdoctoral research fellow to work on floating energy systems, including floating solar farms, wave/tidal energy converters, and offshore wind turbines. 

About the Role

You will play a key role in a UKRI-funded project - Solar2Wave (https://solar2wave.co.id/)

The project aspires to place floating solar panels in coastal and offshore regions thus saving scarce land and lake space, whilst addressing a key challenge - designing a novel solar farm that can remain intact in the destructive power of ocean waves. This innovation will then hopefully be provided as an affordable clean energy solution for Indonesian remote islands, where 1.5 million residents still don't have access to electricity. In particular, we will build a 25 kW system near a selected Indonesian island and test its operation with local communities, which is a pioneering effort in this field.

You will join a large, international consortium with over 30 academic and industrial members. We will explore various aspects of developing a significant renewable energy project, including site study, structural design, energy system innovations, experiments, simulations, energy configuration, sustainability, construction, deployment, social benefits, cost optimization, market and business models, gender equity, social inclusion, and data analysis in Indonesia.

About You

You should have (or be close to obtaining) a PhD in Mechanical Engineering or a related field. You should demonstrate expertise and a track record in some of the following: ocean wave dynamics, computational fluid dynamics, finite element analysis, fluid-structure interactions, offshore structural design, wave-tank experiments, energy system design, mooring design, machine learning, floating solar technologies, and experience with large international collaborations.

Independence, confidence, strong planning and self-management skills, excellent communication, and a passion for teamwork are ideal.

Our Values and Commitments

Our shared, stated values help to define who we are and underpin everything we do: Ambition; Impact; Respect; and Community. Find out more here.

We aim to create and maintain a culture in which everyone can work and study together and realise their full potential. We are a Disability Confident Employer and proud members of the Stonewall Diversity Champions Programme. We are committed to actively exploring flexible working options for each role and have been ranked in the Top 30 family friendly employers in the UK by the charity Working Families. Find out more about our key commitments to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and Flexible Working here.

Working Arrangements

Collaborating and connecting are integral to so much of what we do. Our Working Arrangements Framework provides many staff with the opportunity to flexibly combine on-site and remote working, where job roles allow, balancing the needs of our community of staff, students, clients and partners.

How to apply                                     

For an informal discussion about this opportunity, please contact Dr Luofeng Huang, Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering: luofeng.huang@cranfield.ac.uk.

Contact us for further details on E: hrrecruitment@cranfield.ac.uk. Quoting reference number 4836.

Closing date: 15 June 2024

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