Job Description

• UE07 £35,333 - £42,155
• School of Engineering, College of Science & Engineering
• Institute for Energy Systems
• Full-time, Fixed Term Contract: 35 Hours per week
• Fixed Term dates: until 23rd September 2024

We are looking for a highly motivated engineer with a PhD degree in Energy/Power Engineering Disciplines (or similar) to conduct research at and around the interface between the electrical and thermal energy systems.

This Research Associate (RA) position will undertake research related to the analysis and modelling of multi-vector (e.g., electrical and thermal) energy systems, particularly regarding efficient solutions for decarbonising heating and cooling. This will involve consideration of currently available, emerging, and future multi-vector energy decarbonisation solutions for realising virtual multi-vector energy plants (VM-VEPs), as an expansion of the familiar concepts of “virtual power plants” and “microgrids”.

The successful candidate will work both independently and in collaboration with other researchers in a project funded by the EPSRC, UK, aimed at understanding, defining, and quantifying most efficient decarbonisation pathways for the UK Net-Zero transition through the coordinated operation of integrated VM-VEPs at different aggregation levels.

The Opportunity

This Research Associate (RA) position will contribute to the DISPATCH project within the Institute for Energy Systems at the University of Edinburgh, which is research collaboration between the Schools of Engineering and Informatics at the University of Edinburgh and Herriot-Watt University. The DISPATCH Project is funded by the EPSRC, UK, under the Decarbonising Heating & Cooling 2 scheme. This role is UE07 and is available on a fixed term basis until September 2024.

Your skills and attributes for success:

• A good undergraduate degree and PhD in related Engineering Disciplines (Energy/Power Engineering or similar).
• Proven track record of previous research in energy, with a specific focus on power/energy system analysis, modelling and optimisation, or in some other closely related areas.
• Experience in delivering research project results in an energy system context, i.e., a good track record of peer-reviewed journal and conference papers in relevant area(s).
• Capable of working collaboratively with researchers from different disciplines or technical background.
• Capable of working independently, exercising a high degree of initiative and demonstrating a proactive and flexible approach to work.