Research Fellow - AI-Enabled Aviation Operations

The Computer Science group at Edinburgh Napier University delivers world-class research and enterprise in the areas of artificial intelligence, data science and visualisation, games development and software engineering.

We are the top Scottish modern university for both research power and research impact and based on the Times Higher Education Ranking 2023, computer science at Edinburgh Napier is ranked third among computer science departments in Scotland, and in the top 400 in the world.

Currently, we are collaborating with QOCO, a leading Finnish company in aviation and software development to recruit for the 12-month post of Research Fellow, who will join our cutting-edge project to develop AI-driven solutions aimed at revolutionising Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) operations within the aviation industry.

The Role:

The main duties of this role will be to investigate and develop adaptive real-time AI models for MRO use cases, focusing on areas such as demand forecasting, resource optimization, automated scheduling, skills matching, and real-time change management.

The post will give you an excellent opportunity to use your knowledge of AI algorithms (specifically on optimisation problems), to test and validate their performance against historical data and contribute to the formulation of a hybrid AI system by combining multiple algorithms to achieve optimal performance.

Your strong background in either AI, machine learning, or data analytics will serve you well as you use your understanding of programming languages such as Python, Java, C++ or similar, to participate in the development and validation of proof-of-concept AI solutions, working with QOCO and other partners to test these models with real-world data.

Furthermore, your practical experience in algorithm development will allow you to effectively establish data-compliant controls in AI resource allocation (ensuring personal data protection and adherence to relevant regulations).

We anticipate that you will also have excellent communication skills, so you will be in a strong position to work collaboratively with academic and industrial partners, including QOCO and the University of Limerick, ensuring alignment with project goals and successful delivery of research outputs.

This is an excellent opportunity for you to take part in a project that could ultimately revolutionise the way that MRO operations in the aviation industry are carried out, and play a significant role in shaping those operational methods for the future.

What we will need from you:

• PhD in Mathematics, Computing, Data Science, AI or a related discipline
• Strong background in AI, machine learning, or data analytics with practical experience in algorithm development.
• Implementation of optimisation algorithms in a programming language such as Python, Java, C++ or similar
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with a focus on practical implementation
• Ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary and international research environment.

For a full role description and comprehensive list of duties, please click here.

Benefits we offer:

41 days annual leave, pension scheme (17.6% employer contribution), hybrid/flexible working and professional development opportunities. Further information regarding our benefits here.

Salary: £36,924 per annum

Contract: Fixed-Term – 12 months

Hours: Full Time – 35 hours per week

Additional information:

Closing date:  17^th November 2024

Interviews: Week commencing 9^th December 2024

The University holds Disability Confident, Carer Positive and Stonewall Scotland Diversity Champion status. More details can be found here.

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