Research Associate / Senior Research Associate in hydraulic vibration-suppression system design

Salary: 

Grade I = £35,333 to £39,745 per annum;

Grade J = £39,745 - £44,737 per annum

The role

Suppression of undesirable vibrations is critical to ensure good dynamic performance of engineering structures (e.g., automotive and railway vehicles). Among various vibration suppression techniques, the hydraulic shock absorber enjoys one of the largest shares in the current market, due to its high reliability and long service life. Traditional hydraulic absorber design approaches rely on introducing specific modifications to existing designs – this leaves huge performance possibilities unexplored. The main purpose of this job is to develop optimal hydraulic absorbers for multiple industrial sectors, including automotive and railway. You will work in close collaboration with both industrial stakeholders and academic researchers.

You will be offered one of the following salary grades: Research Associate (I), Senior Research Associate (J), depending on the skills and experience you are able to bring to the role. The role is funded up until April 2024, you may be able to apply for new opportunities within the group beyond the end of this role.

What will you be doing?

• Support academic staffs to identify beneficial hydraulic absorber configurations, to design the physical prototype and to test the developed device under various practical operational scenarios.
• Work with PhDs and our other research associates You will help the line manager to support our PhDs with your knowledge of system dynamics, vibration analysis and your experimental skills.
• Provide regular progress reports and assist in the production of study report You will use your management skills to keep the project within time and budget limits, and to help preparing reports based on the research results.

You should apply if

• A track record of excellence research skills in system dynamics, vibration analysis/control/testing and relevant topics.
• Ideally several years’ RA experience or equivalent experience in independent research.
• A strong knowledge and background in design, modelling and testing of hydraulic vibration absorbers, especially familiar with the network synthesis approach to realise beneficial absorber networks.
• Teaching experience in providing suggestions for undergraduate and PhD students’ projects.
• A PhD or equivalent degree in Mechanical Engineering/Civil Engineering or working towards this.

Why should you apply for this role?

• You will join one of the leading research universities in the UK (ranked 5th REF 2021).
• You will be able to work with prestigious industry partners across various sectors.
• We are the 3rd largest employer in Bristol.
• Competitive pay and rewards, generous leave entitlements, development opportunities, relocation support* and wellbeing initiatives. 

Additional information

For informal queries please contact Prof Jason Zheng Jiang (z.jiang@bristol.ac.uk).

To find out more about what it's like to work in the Faculty of Engineering, and how the Faculty supports people to achieve their potential, please see our staff blog:

https://engineeringincludesme.blogs.bristol.ac.uk/

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