Research Associate in mathematical techniques under-pining the sharing and circular economy

Location: Dyson School of Design Engineering, South Kensington campus of ICL

About the role:

The Dyson School of Design Engineering is seeking to appoint a Post Doctoral Researcher in the area of Mathematical Techniques that underpin the Sharing and Circular Economy. Founded in 2014 with the aid of a generous donation from the James Dyson Foundation, the Dyson School of Design Engineering is not only the most recent addition to the faculty of engineering in Imperial College, but it also represents a significant departure from traditional engineering disciplines in pedagogy, in philosophy, and in the manner in which engineering design is conceptualised.

Engineers have traditionally focussed on the design of “better things”. Climate change, sustainability, and the need for socially just transition to net zero, have made it clear to the world, that making “better things” is not the same as “making things better”. Traditional engineering design rarely consider how the things that we make interact with humans. In fact, traditional engineering is principally focussed on replacing one form of consumption, with another notionally better form of consumption, without considering the stimulus generated by the new products that we design. It is precisely this gap that we are seeking to narrow at the Dyson School of Design Engineering, by forging a new discipline that is centred on the codesign of technologies and behaviours. This philosophy goes beyond ideas such as human centred design, and human-in-the-loop design, with our focus being on engineering systems and managing consumption in a single framework, so that we do make things better.

What you would be doing

You will work within an established research team, helping to guide the research of PhD students, reporting to the team leaders, and communicating the research via top-flight peer-reviewed publications and research presentations.

What we are looking for

• An excellent track record in the mathematical formulation of design problems in engineering
• Experience with system modelling, graph theory, probability calculus, optimal transport, optimization and feedback control, machine learning, and a knowledge of distributed ledger technologies.
• A track record of publication in excellent venues.
• Experience with platforms and technologies such as DLTs – for large-scale, human-based implementations of our design solutions
• A curiosity and drive to achieve social and economic justice via technology interventions, particularly for fairness in AI, sustainability, and for resource allocation.
• Relevant domain expertise; for example, mobility; recycling; energy systems and trustworthy AI.

What we can offer you

• The opportunity to advance your research career at a world-leading institution, located in central London, and be part of our mission to undertake science in the service of humanity.
• The opportunity to collaborate with world leading companies.
• Access to Imperial’s sector-leading dedicated career support for researchers as well as opportunities for promotion and progression.
• Sector-leading salary and remuneration package (including 39 days vacation a year and generous pension schemes).
• Be part of a diverse, inclusive and collaborative work culture with various staff networks and resources to support your personal and professional wellbeing.

Further information

The role is full-time and is a fixed-term contract for 24 months.

Please refer to the job description for the full list of responsibilities and the essential and desirable requirements.

The planned start date will be confirmed with the successful Candidate.

If you require any further details about the role, please contact:

Professor Shorten - r.shorten@imperial.ac.uk

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