Research and Development Post Graduate Engineer (KTP Associate) - Shaping the Future of Nature-based Flood Risk Management in Wales

The successful applicant will be joining Cardiff University, one of the UK’s leading research-intensive universities, as a Research and Development Post Graduate Engineer or Scientist (also known as a KTP Associate). This post is funded through the Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) programme and is designed to facilitate the transfer of knowledge and expertise from the University research team to Natural Resources Wales. The KTP Associate will be employed by Cardiff University, but based primarily at Natural Resources Wales working closely with staff in both organisations. The role will act as a vital conduit between these two Wales-based partners, supporting the translation of academic research into practical application and organisational impact.

The successful candidate will play a key role in transferring academic knowledge relating to nature-based solutions for flood risk management to our regulatory partner. The primary aim is to support the transition from traditional engineered flood defences towards distributed Natural Flood Management (NFM) approaches. Achieving this will require not only the transfer of technical expertise, but also active facilitation of organisational change within the public sector. Specifically, the successful applicant will:

(i)    Co-design and deploy a monitoring sensor network to quantify the hydrological and hydraulic impacts of NFM at a live test site;
(ii)   Apply flood modelling tools and techniques to identify and evaluate realistic NFM opportunities;
(iii)  Conduct economic assessments to capture the full value and co-benefits of NFM measures;
(iv)  Develop a roadmap to support organisational transformation within the public sector.

This two-year position provides an exceptional opportunity for the person to develop technical and operational management skills, while contributing directly to the future of sustainable, nature-based flood risk management in Wales.

This post is full time (37 hours per week) for a fixed term period of 24 months.

Fixed Salary: An appointment is expected to be made between £42,662 and £47,000 per annum depending on experience.

For informal enquiries about the post please contact Prof Catherine Wilson (wilsonca@cardiff.ac.uk)  

For further details about working at Cardiff School of Engineering please contact Karen Baldwin/Chiara Riolo /Bev Jones at Enginadmin@cardiff.ac.uk

Closing date:  Tuesday, 26 May 2026

Online interviews will be held soon after the closing date.

Cardiff University is a signatory to the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), which means that in hiring and promotion decisions we will evaluate applicants on the quality of their research, not publication metrics or the identity of the journal in which the research is published. More information is available at:  Responsible research assessment - Research - Cardiff University

Cardiff University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds who have the ambition to create a University which seeks to fulfil our social, cultural and economic obligation to Cardiff, Wales, and the world. In supporting our employees to achieve a balance between their work and their personal lives, we will also consider proposals for flexible working or job share arrangements.

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