The University of Edinburgh
Postdoctoral Research Associate
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Job Description
Grade UE07: £41,064 to £48,822 per annum, pro rata if part time
CSE / School of Mathematics
Full time: 35 hours per week
Fixed term: for 36 months
Posts available: 2
The Opportunity
This project aims to:
- Understand the fluid dynamics of small-scale processes in the Arctic Ocean that have the potential to redistribute heat and other tracers between the ocean surface and interior through turbulent mixing.
- Develop parameterisations of these processes for implementation in ocean and climate models.
- Assess the impact of turbulent mixing on the Arctic Ocean state.
The PDRA(s) on this project will, together with the PI and her collaborators, develop theoretical models (e.g. for linear topographic wave generation), which will be verified against idealised numerical simulations using Oceananigans. Existing oceanic observations will be used throughout to identify the relevant regimes and evaluate results. Parameterisation schemes will be implemented and assessed in a regional Arctic model in collaboration with project partners at the National Oceanography Centre. The specific balance of theoretical and computational work can be tailored to the successful candidate's strengths.
These positions are funded by UKRI to work with Dr Lois Baker on understanding turbulent mixing in a changing Arctic Ocean. As our climate warms, Arctic currents are expected to become more energetic. This could result in more turbulence generation from small-scale processes such as internal waves, and consequently more heat flux from the relatively warm, deep Arctic to the vulnerable surface sea ice. Climate models do not currently represent these processes, which are dynamically different from those elsewhere in the global ocean. The project involves collaboration with partners at the National Oceanography Centre and the Universities of Cambridge, Southampton, and British Columbia.
This post is full-time (35 hours per week); however, we are open to considering part-time or flexible working patterns. We are also open to considering requests for hybrid working (on a non-contractual basis) that combines a mix of remote and regular on-campus working.
How To Apply
Please include the following documents in your application:
- CV
- Research statement (maximum 2 pages) including details as to how this project helps your career trajectory.
- Contact details of two academic referees. References will be sought for shortlisted candidates.
As a valued member of our team, you can expect:
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- 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, including generous annual leave entitlement, a defined benefits pension scheme, a wide range of 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 value of your pay and benefits.
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 a Stonewall Proud Employer, actively promoting LGBTQ+ equality.
We welcome applications from all qualified candidates and particularly encourage applications from women or other under-represented groups in applied mathematics.
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. Please note if the role is offered on a part-time basis, it may result in sponsorship being dependent on a number of factors specific to the successful applicant or the role no longer meeting the Home Office’s criteria for sponsorship.
Key dates to note
- The closing date for applications is 14 October 2026.
- The positions begin on 1st January 2027 or on a mutually agreed date thereafter.
- Unless stated otherwise the closing time for applications is 11:59pm UK time. If you are applying outside the UK the closing time on our adverts automatically adjusts to your browser's local time zone.
- Interviews will be held w/c 2nd November 2026.
About Us
As a world-leading research-intensive University, we are here to address tomorrow’s greatest challenges. Between now and 2030 we will do that with a values-led approach to teaching, research and innovation, and through the strength of our relationships, both locally and globally.
About The Team
The School of Mathematics
The University of Edinburgh's School of Mathematics is one of the world’s leading mathematical sciences departments, home to world-class researchers and to an innovative educational environment for both undergraduates and postgraduates. We are proud to have a highly international faculty and students from around the world. As a School we value both the breadth and depth of our research and teaching.
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We have around 110 permanent faculty and around 45 research fellows and research associates, who cover a broad range of research topics in pure and applied mathematics, operational research and statistics. The School has an enviable record of attracting prestigious fellowships and currently hosts, for instance, 6 ERC grant holders and 7 Royal Society University Research and Dorothy Hodgkin Fellows. In the 2023 Shanghai Global Ranking of Academic Subjects we are ranked 18th among the world’s best Mathematics departments. Together with the Departments of Mathematics and Actuarial Mathematics & Statistics at Heriot-Watt University, we form the Maxwell Institute; our joint submission to REF2021 was ranked 3rd in the UK for Mathematical Sciences by research power, based on the quality and breadth of our combined research.
The School delivers a world-leading educational experience for its students and is constantly exploring new evidence-based ideas in mathematical education in order to provide a stimulating learning environment. There are excellent possibilities for imaginative curriculum development, including online activities, and course design and delivery. The School teaches pure and applied Mathematics, operational research and statistics. We have approximately 1000 undergraduate students, around 210 MSc students, and our Graduate School has close to 160 PhD students.
Edinburgh is home to the International Centre for Mathematical Sciences, one of the UK’s two major conference centres in the mathematical sciences and operated jointly by the University with Heriot-Watt University. Over the past 30 years the centre has established a superb reputation for hosting workshops at the highest scientific level on all mathematical topics, attracting many of the best mathematicians in the world to the UK.
The School is located in the James Clerk Maxwell Building which is situated on the King's Buildings campus, approximately 3 kilometres south of the city centre.
Further information about the School, our research and our teaching is available on the School of Mathematics Website (Opens in new browser tab)
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