Research Fellow in Educational and Social Robotic Companions

FTE: 1.0fte (working 37 hours a week)

Duration of Contract: 24 months

Salary: UH7 (£38,784 to £46,049) by annual increments on achieving designated skills and experience

Annual Leave: 35 days

Location: College Lane campus, Hatfield                                            

You will be based at the Robotics Research Group Laboratory within the SPECTRA building, with elements of work taking place in our Robot House which is in walking distance to the lab. 

Main duties and responsibilities

Based on the provided job description and appendix, the Research Fellow in Educational and Social Robotic Companions is responsible for leading and supporting high-quality research within the Robotics Research Group (RRG). This role involves a blend of technical development, experimental research, and academic dissemination focused on social and educational robotics.

The main duties and responsibilities are categorized as follows:

Research and Technical Development

• Robot Redesign: Contribute actively to the redesign of the Kaspar robot to enhance its effectiveness as an educational companion.
• Experimental Design: Establish and maintain a research programme to enhance Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) studies, including the design, conduct, and analysis of interaction experiments.
• Data Management: Handle comprehensive data collection and both qualitative and quantitative statistical analysis for interaction studies.
• Infrastructure Support: Support research activities within the School’s specialized facilities, such as the Robot House. 

Skills and experience required

To excel in this role, you must demonstrate expert-level skills in human-robot interaction (HRI) research, including the ability to design, conduct, and analyse complex interaction studies. You must be highly proficient in qualitative and quantitative data analysis, utilizing statistical methods and specialized software tools to interpret research findings. Beyond technical expertise in robotics and mechatronics, you need exceptional communication skills to write scientific reports and present at international conferences. Success requires a collaborative "can-do" attitude, the diplomacy to work with diverse stakeholders like school children or external partners, and the organisational agility to manage conflicting priorities under pressure. 

Qualifications required

To succeed as a Research Fellow, you must hold a Degree or equivalent level 6 qualification, or higher qualification in a relevant discipline and PhD or equivalent level 8 qualification in a relevant discipline such as Robotics, Cybernetics, Mechatronics or Mechanical Engineering. 

Please view the job description, annex and person specification for a full list of the duties and essential criteria. Please attach a personal statement showing clearly how your skills and experience match the Person Specification. 

Internal applicants – please ensure you apply via your employee self-service portal. 

An appointment to this role may require an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate. 

Please note, this post cannot be visa sponsored unless you can evidence a PhD / Doctorate. 

Contact Details/Informal Enquiries: Prof Farshid Amirabdollahian (f.amirabdollahian2@herts.ac.uk) 

Closing Date: 31 May 2026

Interview Date: 8 or 12 June

Reference Number: REQ000592

Date advert placed: 30 April 2026 

Our vision is to transform lives: UH is committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and building a diverse community. We welcome applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of their protected characteristics, and recognise there are different ways applicants may achieve the criteria in this document. We offer a range of employee benefits including generous annual leave, flexible location opportunities within the UK, discounted Sports Village memberships and free Active Staff sessions, personal and professional development and family-friendly policies. #GoHerts

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