Senior Research Fellow (Control Engineering)

Location: Department of Engineering Science, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PJ

The Department of Engineering Science intends to appoint a full time Senior Research Fellow in Control Engineering, from 1 January 2027, or asap thereafter. This is a permanent academic post, based in Central Oxford (OX1 3PJ). There is a procedure to apply for title of Associate Professor (under the MPLS Procedure for Conferment of Title) and the title of Full Professor in due course.

This appointment will strengthen our research in Control Engineering. The group’s current expertise includes, on the theory end, optimal, data-based, robust and model predictive control as well as large-scale, embedded, robust and distributed optimisation and polynomial/sum of squares methods; while applications span biology, battery/energy management systems, transportation, aerospace manufacturing systems, and agriculture. Candidates with research interests from any of these areas are equally welcome.

The successful candidate will be expected to conduct original research in Control Engineering and its applications. They will hold a doctorate with significant post-qualification research experience in Control Engineering or a similar field. They will also be expected to contribute to the department’s research portfolio in control engineering, obtaining external funding to enable development of a new and independent research program. Applications are sought from across the Control Engineering discipline, either being complementarity to existing activities, or bringing a new research dimension to the Control Group.

The successful candidate will also assist with teaching of their subject at undergraduate and graduate level. This will include lectures, practical classes, demonstrations and design/project work. The subjects are expected to be in the general field of Control Engineering, Mathematics, and other areas of engineering, depending on the interests of the appointee. The department is developing a new MSc in Artificial Intelligence for Engineering Biology, and the successful candidate could contribute to current and emerging areas of knowledge that are relevant and important to aspects of this MSc, as well as to the MSc's operation. Graduate teaching will also involve supervision of Masters and Doctoral students.

They will report to the Head of Department, acting as the leader of their research group, setting clear task objectives, developing productive working relations and line-managing the members of the team.

To make an application, please submit a supporting statement, a CV (including details of your most relevant publications) and a research proposal in a combined PDF totaling no more than 6 pages. Please do not attach additional material as your application will not be considered if it is overlength. Further details on the requirements for each of these documents can be found in the job description, click the 'Apply' button above. 

The closing date for applications is 12:00 noon on Monday 19 October 2026. Initial online interviews are expected to take place in December with in-person interviews for shortlisted candidates in January.

For those invited to in-person interview, the department can provide accommodation and cover reasonable travel expenses and reasonable additional caring costs incurred as a result of attending the interview (within agreed policy limits).

Applications are particularly welcome from women and black and minority ethnic candidates who are under-represented in academic posts in Oxford.

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