Postdoctoral Research Associate

Grade UE07: £41,064- £48,822 per annum

College of Science & Engineering, School of Physics & Astronomy

Full Time: 35 hours per week

Fixed Term: 2 years (October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2028, third year extension possible)

The Opportunity:

Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Higgs Centre for Theoretical Physics, to work on the development of efficient methods for bootstrapping Standard Model amplitudes.

The Research Associate will contribute to the European Research Council Starting Grant project "The Perturbative Scattering Amplitude Bootstrap". Research activities include investigating the mathematical properties of scattering amplitudes and Feynman integrals, and developing technology for working with the types of special functions that appear in perturbative quantum field theory.

Your skills and attributes for success:

• PhD (or completion within 3 months) in Physics, Theoretical Physics or Mathematical Physics.
• Knowledge of quantum field theory and experience in perturbative calculations.
• Knowledge of the current research frontier in one or more of the following areas: scattering amplitudes, Feynman integrals, infrared divergences, supersymmetry, positive geometries, the motivic properties of iterated integrals.
• Experience in delivering research results in an academic context; e.g. a record of peer-reviewed journal and conference presentations.
• Capability of working independently, exercising a high degree of initiative, and demonstrating a proactive and flexible approach to work.

Click to view a copy of the full job description (opens new browser tab)

Application Information

Please ensure you include:

• Your CV, cover letter and publication list;
• A statement of research experience and interests (maximum 2 pages);
• Please arrange for 3 letters of reference to be sent to physics- by the deadline

As a valued member of our team you can expect:

• A competitive salary
• An exciting, positive, creative, challenging and rewarding place to work. 
• To be part of a diverse and vibrant international community.
• Comprehensive Staff Benefits, such as a generous holiday entitlement, a defined benefits pension scheme, staff discounts, family-friendly initiatives, and flexible work options. Check out the full list on our staff benefits page (opens in a new tab) and use our reward calculator to discover the total value of your pay and benefits. 
• An exciting, positive, creative, challenging and rewarding place to work. The Higgs Centre's goal is to achieve breakthroughs in our basic understanding of the universe. Our work spans a broad range of disciplines, covering all length and time scales. The particle theory group has a very strong ongoing research effort in particle phenomenology, scattering amplitudes, lattice field theory and cosmology, supported by 22 faculty members, 20 PDRAs and around 24 graduate students. The group is committed to providing you the support needed to nurture your talent.

Championing equality, diversity and inclusion

The University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher education. We are members of the Race Equality Charter and we are also Stonewall Scotland Diversity Champions, actively promoting LGBT equality. 

Prior to any employment commencing with the University you will be required to evidence your right to work in the UK. Further information is available on our right to work webpages (opens new browser tab).

The University may be able to sponsor the employment of international workers in this role.  This will depend on a number of factors specific to the successful applicant. 

Key dates to note

The closing date for applications is 5th January 2026.

Unless stated otherwise the closing time for applications is 11:59pm GMT. If you are applying outside the UK the closing time on our adverts automatically adjusts to your browsers local time zone.

Interview dates to be confirmed.