Research Associate / Senior Research Associate

The role

The University of Bristol is seeking a highly skilled and motivated Wind Tunnel Specialist to join our team and play a central role in operating and maintaining our state-of-the-art national wind tunnel facilities. In this pivotal position, you will collaborate closely with leading academics, researchers, and industry partners to support a wide range of research and commercial projects. You will help deliver high-impact research and training across different disciplines. Beyond technical operation, the role holder will be instrumental in enhancing the overall performance of the wind tunnel laboratories and driving forward our capability development. A key aspect of the role will also involve contributing to the dissemination of research outputs, maximising the visibility and impact of our work within the scientific community and industry. You will also play an active part in several major national wind tunnel initiatives, including the national propeller testbed, helping shape the future of aerodynamic testing in the UK.

If you are passionate about aerodynamics or related fields such as aeroacoustics, aeroelasticity, or environmental fluid mechanics, and thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative research environment, we invite you to join our team and help drive pioneering advancements in wind tunnel testing and technology.

What will you be doing?

• Working with key stakeholders (e.g. Lab Academic lead, principal investigators, researchers, students, external customers, or other service users) to provide specialist solutions in the planning and design of research experiments.
• Assist in the preparation and submission of research grant proposals.
• Support the effective dissemination of research findings from the wind tunnel laboratory.
• Design, build and/or adapt specialist equipment to provide innovative solutions.
• Training others in specialist techniques (PIV, hotwire, etc), processes and procedures as needed.

You should apply if

You should apply if you have

• Detailed, current specialist knowledge in aerodynamics or other relevant disciplines, such as aeroacoustics, environmental fluid mechanics, etc
• Significant previous experience of independent research or transferable skills gained from professional or clinical experience combined with some experience or an awareness of the research environment
• Evidence of presentations at conferences or equivalent, and some publications in respected journals or equivalent in the field of specialism

• Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to deal with and prioritise a range of ongoing tasks at the same time, and to be able to cope under pressure

Additional information

For informal queries, please contact: Mahdi Azarpeyvand (m.azarpeyvand@bristol.ac.uk)

To find out more about what it's like to work in the Faculty of Engineering, and how the Faculty supports people to achieve their potential, please see our staff blog:

https://engineering.blogs.bristol.ac.uk/category/engineering-includes-me/

Contract type: Open ended with fixed funding for three years, but may be extended following review

Work pattern: Full time/ 35 hours per week

Grade: I or J/Pathway 2

Salary: Grade I £38,249– £44,128 OR Grade J: £42,882 - £48,149 per annum depending on experience

School:  School of Civil, Aerospace and Design Engineering

This advert will close at 23:59 UK time on 15th May 2025

Interviews are expected to take place week commencing 26th May 2025.

Our strategy and mission

We recently launched our strategy to 2030 tying together our mission, vision and values.

The University of Bristol aims to be a place where everyone feels able to be themselves and do their best in an inclusive working environment where all colleagues can thrive and reach their full potential. 

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