Postdoctoral Research Fellow

The School of Natural and Built Environment is seeking to hire a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to work on the €20/£17.3m multi-partner, all-island geothermal energy demonstration project GEMINI, supported by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). The PEACEPLUS programme is co-funded by the European Union, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Government of Ireland, and the Northern Ireland administration.

The Research Fellow will undertake research tasks during the project with the support of the project’s coinvestigators based at Queen’s University Belfast and the network of project partners. The post is fixed-term for 36 months, starting 1st September 2025 (or as soon as possible thereafter). A key component of the post is to collect and evaluate field characterisation and monitoring data to develop geothermal resource models for individual project demonstration sites.

About the person:

Successful candidates need to:

• Have a PhD in Geology, Hydrogeology, Geophysics, Engineering or a related discipline with a strong background in the assessment of geothermal resources and related modelling approaches.
• Demonstrate a track record of research in the evaluation of geothermal resources potential and interpretation and integration of relevant field data into models.
• Demonstrate the ability to devise, advise on and manage key sections in major projects.
• Demonstrate sufficient breadth and depth of specialist knowledge in the discipline and of research methods and techniques to work within established research programmes.
• Show a proven ability to communicate complex information clearly and ability to work within a multi-disciplinary team.

Additionally, it is desirable that successful candidates:

• Demonstrate strong expertise in related research areas such as subsurface characterisation, hydrogeology, borehole geophysics and numerical heat & transport modelling.
• Demonstrate experience in the characterisation and monitoring of geothermal resources, in particular the use of Fibre-Optic Distributed Temperature Sensing and geophysical borehole logging.
• Show proven experience in numerical heat & transport modelling.

To be successful at shortlisting stage, please ensure you clearly evidence in your application how you meet the essential and, where applicable, desirable criteria listed in the Candidate Information on our website.

Fixed term contract posts are available for the stated period in the first instance but in particular circumstances may be renewed or made permanent subject to availability of funding.

What we offer:

Beyond a competitive salary, the University offers an attractive benefits package including a holiday entitlement of up to 8.4 weeks a year, pension schemes and development opportunities. We support staff wellbeing with flexible working options, work-life balance initiatives and support for physical and mental health. You can find more detail on all of this and more at https://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/HumanResources/pay-reward-and-benefits/

Queen's University is committed to promoting equality of opportunity to all. We subscribe to Equality Charter Marks such as the Diversity Charter Mark NI and Athena Swan and have established staff networks such as iRise (Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic and International Staff Network) and PRISM (LGBTQ+) which help us progress equality.

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