Postdoctoral Research Associate

**Salary**

The starting salary will be from £34,610 on Grade E, depending on qualifications and experience.

** Contractual hours**

36.5

** Package**

Generous holiday allowances, flexible working, pension scheme and relocation package (if applicable).

** Job category/type**

Research

** Date posted**

08/12/2025

** Job reference**

Q10432

**Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy - Engineering**

The above full-time post is available from 2 February 2026 to 2 August 2027 on a fixed-term basis in the Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy.

**The post**

The Faculty wishes to recruit a Postdoctoral Research Associate to support the work of the University’s pioneering industry collaboration with South West Water, the Centre for Resilience in Environment, Water and Waste (CREWW) available from 2 February 2026 to 2 August 2027. The successful applicant will work on the collaborative project “Developing a water tank cleaning system using a non-invasive ultrasonic cleaning submarine”.

This role offers the opportunity for hybrid working - some time on campus and some from home.

The post will include

- Conducting research into ultrasonic cleaning mechanisms, including cavitation modelling and optimisation for concrete surfaces.
- Developing simulation models (e.g. COMSOL, ABAQUS, ANSYS) for acoustic field prediction and performance evaluation.
- Designing, prototyping, and integrating an AI-integrated ultrasonic cleaning system into a small-scale remotely operated vehicle (ROV).
- Undertaking laboratory testing and field trials, analysing results to assess cleaning effectiveness, efficiency, and safety.
- Collaborating with academic and industrial partners to ensure project milestones are achieved on time.
- Preparing high-quality technical documentation, academic papers, and reports for both internal and external dissemination.
- Presenting research findings at meetings, workshops, and international conferences.
- Contributing to the supervision of postgraduate and undergraduate research students where appropriate.
- Supporting the project’s innovation, impact, and commercialisation pathways under the CREWW framework.

**About you**

Applicants will possess a relevant PhD (or nearing completion) or possess an equivalent qualification/experience in a related field of study and be able to demonstrate sufficient knowledge in the discipline and of research methods and techniques to work within established research programmes. Applicants will ideally have knowledge of ultrasonic transducers, acoustic cavitation, high-frequency system design, robotic manipulation, AI-integrated control system and remotely operated vehicles (ROV).

**Please ensure you read the Job Description and Person Specification for full details of this role.**

**What we can offer you**

- Freedom (and the support) to pursue your intellectual interests and to work creatively across disciplines to produce internationally exciting research;
- Support teams that understand the University wide research and teaching goals and partner with our academics accordingly
- An Innovation, Impact and Business directorate that works closely with our academics providing specialist support for external engagement and development
- Our Exeter Academic initiative supporting high performing academics to achieve their potential and develop their career

- A multitude of staff benefits including sector leading benefits around maternity, adoption and shared parental leave (up to 26 weeks full pay), Paternity leave (up to 6 weeks full pay), and a Fertility Treatment Policy
- A beautiful campus set in the heart of stunning Devon.

**The University of Exeter**

We are a member of the prestigious Russell Group of research-intensive universities and in the top 200 universities in the world (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024 and QS World University Ranking 2024). We combine world-class teaching with world-class research, achieving a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework Award 2023, underpinned by Gold ratings for Student Experience and Student Outcomes.

Our world-leading research impact has grown more than any other Russell Group university in recent years, and we are home to some of the world’s most influential researchers, seeking to answer some of the most fundamental issues facing humankind today. More than 99 percent of our research is of international quality and 47 percent is world-leading (2021 Research Excellence Framework).

We encourage proactive engagement with industry, business and community partners to enhance the impact of research and education and improve the employability of our students. Read about our world leading research - Green Futures and how we are transforming education for a changing world. We are located in a beautiful part of the country and Exeter (a fast growing tech hub) is one of only a few UK cities to have been designated as a UNESCO Creative City

**Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion C