Assistant Professor in Future Flight Dynamics

Position Details

School of Metallurgy and Materials, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £47,389 to £56,535 with potential progression once in post to £63,606

Grade: 8

Full Time, Permanent

Closing date: 11th November 2025

Academic Development Programme - new Assistant Professors will undertake a 5-year development programme, at the end of which they are expected to be promoted to Associate Professor. The programme consists of a variety of development opportunities and the time to reflect and develop.

Role Summary

The School of Metallurgy and Materials is a multi-disciplinary, vibrant and inclusive environment for outstanding study and research and the home of the Aerospace Engineering research and educational programmes at Birmingham.

This post will deliver world-class research and research-led education in the field of flight mechanics and dynamics, complementing and collaborating within a research portfolio covering high-performance aerospace materials, space instrumentation and computational fluid dynamics. This new role seeks to strategically grow our activity with a particular focus on one, or more, of the following areas:

• Aircraft handling qualities and safety, utilising our extensive and unique motion flight simulation capability.
• Uncrewed Air Vehicle (UAV) technologies, flight dynamics and operations.
• Stability and control of air vehicles using novel methods and/or for innovative platforms.
• Application of novel machine learning approaches to practical future flight dynamics problems, using the institutional high performance/throughput computing capacity such as the BlueBEAR university supercomputer.

Successful candidates will be expected to initiate and conduct national and internationally significant research and development, building collaborative relationships with colleagues from inside and outside the University as appropriate. It is expected that they will develop programmes that attract significant research funding from bodies such as the ATI, UKRI and InnovateUK, and/or the aerospace industry, and disseminate their work in leading journals, conferences and/or industrial meetings.

In Education, the successful candidate will be expected to engage with the development and delivery of courses, and student design and research projects at undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Management and administration will involve contributions at School level using excellent interpersonal skills to share expertise and best practices that supports an inclusive academic community in delivering excellent and impactful research and education.

Main Duties

Education

Using a variety of methods in teaching and advising individuals and groups of undergraduates, postgraduates, or CPD students, including (as appropriate):

• teaching and examining courses at a range of levels;
• planning and reviewing your own teaching approaches and encouraging others to do the same;
• designing contemporary, inclusive, engaging and academically challenging curriculum content;
• working collaboratively with colleagues to design and deliver teaching, learning and assessment;
• using digital resources, environments and emerging technologies such as Generative AI effectively to support learning and assessment;
• developing programme proposals and making substantial contributions to the design of teaching programmes more widely;
• where appropriate, undertaking and developing the full range of responsibilities in relation to supervision, marking and examining;
• developing and making substantial contributions to knowledge transfer, enterprise, business engagement, public engagement activities or similar on own specialism that enhances the student experience or employability and which benefits the College and University;
• devising and supervising projects, student dissertations and practical work.

Research

Planning and carrying out research, including (as appropriate):

• planning and publishing nationally and internationally significant research, including winning financial support;
• project managing research activities, and/or supervising other research staff to develop and promote an inclusive research culture locally and institutionally;
• presenting findings in publications and conference proceedings;
• effectively supervising and mentoring PhD students or early Career Researchers;
• providing expert advice to staff and students within the discipline;
• participating in research-related enabling activities such as adding value to a cross disciplinary network;
• applying knowledge in a way which develops new intellectual understanding;
• developing and making substantial contributions to knowledge transfer, and enterprise (including business engagement, public engagement) and similar activity that is of benefit to the College and the University, including ensuring that the impact of your activities is realised fully and the impact is documented.

Management/Administration

Contributing to Departmental/School administration, including:

• contributing proactively to an inclusive culture;
• contributing to the administration/management of research and/or teaching across the Department/School;
• leading and managing a team to devise and implement a new and/or revised process (e.g. new programme or a recruitment drive);
• advising on personal development of colleagues and students;
• making a major contribution to some administrative activities within the University (e.g. appeals panels, working groups);
• managing enterprise, business development, and public engagement activities;
• developing and making substantial contributions to knowledge transfer, enterprise, business engagement, public engagement, widening participation, schools outreach;
• actively manages equality, diversity and inclusion through monitoring and evaluation and actively challenging unacceptable behaviour.

Citizenship

Contributing to an inclusive working environment:

• demonstrating a willingness to be involved in a variety of activities supporting University life (e.g., participation in graduation, Departmental/School committees);
• demonstrating support for colleagues, such as sharing resources, providing advice;
• willingness to volunteer for one-off duties (such as supporting School, Institute, and Departmental projects);
• positively engaging in School strategic initiatives;
• proactive support and involvement in activities specifically contributing to a positive and inclusive community spirit across the School/College/University.

Person Specification

• A PhD, or equivalent industrial engineering research experience, in a relevant discipline of Engineering or Physical Science.
• Evidence of the knowledge and experience required to identify, plan and deliver internationally significant research programmes in aerospace flight dynamics.
• Evidence of the ability and drive to inspire the next generation of aerospace engineers through developing and delivering world-class education programmes.
• Highly effective communications skills, sufficient to undertake research, teaching and administration duties in English.
• Demonstrate outstanding interpersonal skills and commitment to professional activities such as mentoring qualities and promotion of equality, diversity and inclusivity in the engineering profession.
• Commitment to Continuing Professional Development through plans and activities that would lead to achievements such as (but not limited to) professional registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng) or Chartered Scientist (CSci), membership of a professional engineering institution (such as RAeS) or appropriate categories of HEA Fellowship.

Teaching

• Ability to design, deliver, assess and revise teaching programmes.
• Extensive experience and demonstrated success in developing appropriate approaches to learning and teaching, and advising colleagues.
• Experience and success in knowledge transfer, enterprise and similar activity that enhances the student experience or employability.

Research

• Experience and achievement reflected in a growing reputation for significant and original research.
• Extensive experience and demonstrated success in planning, undertaking and project managing research to deliver rigorous, significant and impactful results.
• Evidence of the ability to plan and deliver a substantive academic research programme, including the preparation of fundable proposals and leading all aspects of their delivery.
• Extensive experience of applying and/or developing and devising successful models, techniques and methods.
• Track record of strong publications in peer-reviewed journals and conferences.
• Experience and achievement in knowledge transfer, enterprise and similar activity.

Management Administration

• Ability to contribute to School/Departmental management processes.
• Ability to assess and organise resources effectively.
• Understanding of and ability to contribute to broader management/administration processes.
• Experience of championing Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in own work area.
• Ability to monitor and evaluate the extent to which equality and diversity legislation, policies, procedures are applied.
  Ability to identify issues with the potential to impact on protected groups and take appropriate action.

Informal enquiries to Professor Alessandro Mottura (Head of School) and Hugo Williams (Professor of Aerospace Engineering) via met-mat-

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website .