Postdoctoral Research Associate in Computer Science

Working at Durham University A globally outstanding centre of teaching and research excellence, a warm and friendly place to work, a unique and historic setting – Durham is a university like no other. As one of the UK’s leading universities, Durham is an incredible place to define your career. The University is located within a beautiful historic city, home to a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and surrounded by stunning countryside. Our talented scholars and researchers from around the world are tackling global issues and making a difference to people's lives. We believe that inspiring our people to do outstanding things at Durham enables Durham people to do outstanding things in the world. Being a part of Durham is about more than just the success of the University, it’s also about contributing to the success of the city, county and community. Our University Strategy is built on three pillars of research, education and wider student experience, but also on our keen sense of community and of inspiring others to achieve their potential. You can read more about Our Purpose and Values here. We want our University to be a place where people can be free to be themselves, no matter what their identity or background. Together, we celebrate difference, value one another and are each responsible for creating an inclusive community that is respectful and fair for all. Find out more about the benefits of working at the University and what it is like to live and work in the Durham area on our Why Join Us? - Information Page The Role and Department You will be hosted at the Department of Computer Science at Durham University. The Department hosts well-equipped labs with on-site capabilities comprising vehicle-mounted sensors (LiDAR, radar, camera, GPS/IMU), drone operations, on/off-road robotics, high-precision geo-localisation, BCI/EEG bio-signal data collection, robotic arm manipulation, X-ray security imaging, virtual reality and on-demand wide-area surveillance video feeds. In addition, Durham University hosts the UK regional supercomputer, Bede (128 NVIDIA V100 GPUs) which complements our departmental NVIDIA CUDA Compute Cluster (80+ GPUs up to NVIDIA A100) to cater for the increasing GPU compute demands of modern AI-driven research projects. The Department itself is based in the newly built Mathematical and Computer Sciences building - a £42 million, 9,160m2 state-of-the-art research and education facility, located on the University's Upper Mountjoy Campus co-located with the Department of Mathematics.

The Role Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Computer Science with a particular emphasis on artificial intelligence design and development. The post will focus on developing cutting-edge AI architecture with sensing hardware for small-object tracking, contributing to real-world challenges in space technology. The successful candidate will work on research and development at the intersection of AI, sensing, and space systems. The post is a part of the SpaceWatch project led by Prof. Hubert P. H. Shum, which focuses on deployable ground-based sensors for the detection, tracking and characterisation of space objects to support sustainable space operations. As space becomes increasingly congested with satellites and debris, the project brings together expertise in AI, sensing, telescopes, digital twins and edge computing to develop practical and trusted tracking capability. The post is supervised by Prof. Hubert P. H. Shum, who is a Professor of Visual Computing and the Director of Research for the Department of Computer Science at Durham University, specialising in modelling spatio-temporal information with responsible AI. He is also a Co-Founder and the Co-Director of Durham Space Research Centre. He chaired conferences such as Pacific Graphics, BMVC and SCA. He has authored over 200 research publications in the fields of Computer Vision, Computer Graphics and AI in Healthcare, underpinned by Responsible AI designs and algorithms. More information about Prof. Shum and his research team can be found on https://hubertshum.com Key responsibilities: To work and collaborate with the management team and industrial partners in conducting the activities mentioned in the Role Description, and other relevant activities. To engage in and facilitate publishing high-quality outputs, including papers for submission to peer-reviewed journals and papers for presentation at conferences and workshops under the direction of the Management Team. To support research grant writing and applications. To prepare and deliver presentations on research outputs/activities to interested audiences, which may include research sponsors, academic and non-academic audiences. To plan and manage own research activity and research resources in collaboration with others and contribute to the planning and execution of research projects. To deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines by discussing with the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder and offering creative or innovative solutions. To make internal and external contacts to develop knowledge and understanding to form relationships for future research collaboration. To contribute to fostering a collegial and respectful working environment which is inclusive and welcoming and where everyone is treated fairly with dignity and respect. To be involved in PhD and student supervision, as appropriate, and assist with the assessment of the knowledge of students. To engage in wider research and engagement activities for the professional development of the project and the team.

The post is fixed-term for 12 months, aiming to start in July 2026. Some flexibility on the starting date is available. The post-holder is employed to work on research/a research project which will be led by another colleague. Whilst this means that the post-holder will not be carrying out independent research in his/her own right, the expectation is that they will contribute to the advancement of the project, through the development of their own research ideas/adaptation and development of research protocols. Working at Durham A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University: You’ll receive 30 days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year – a total of 42 days per year. The University closes between Christmas and New Year. We offer a generous pension scheme, and as a new member of staff you will be automatically enrolled into the University Superannuation Scheme (USS). No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered. We have ample parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies. You can also take advantage of our cost-effective and environmentally friendly Tusker Car Benefit Scheme, allowing you to lease a brand-new electric or hybrid vehicle with savings on tax and National Insurance. We have a genuine commitment to developing our colleagues professionally and personally. There is a comprehensive range of development courses, apprenticeships and access to qualifications and routes to develop your career in the University. All staff have dedicated annual time to concentrate on their personal development opportunities. We provide wide-ranging health and wellbeing support including discounted membership for our state-of-the-art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme. Our on-site nursery is rated Outstanding by Ofsted, and you can access holiday camps for children aged 5-16. Our family-friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers). We offer all staff the opportunity to take part in volunteering activities to make a difference in the local community. You can access exclusive discounts via our benefits portal including money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, eating out and days out at various attractions. Various salary sacrifice schemes are also available to help you take advantage of tax savings on benefits. If you are moving to Durham, you may be eligible for help with removal costs, and we have a dedicated team who can help you with the practicalities such as house hunting and schools. If you need a visa, we cover most visa costs and offer an interest-free loan scheme to pay for dependant visas. Discover more about our total rewards and benefits package here. Durham University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion Equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key component of the University’s Strategy and a central part of everything we do. We also live by our Purpose and Values and our Staff Code of Conduct. At Durham we actively work towards providing an environment where our staff and students can study, work and live in a community which is supportive and inclusive. We welcome and encourage applications from those who are currently under-represented in our work force, including people with disabilities and from racially minoritised ethnic groups. If you have taken a career break or periods of leave that may have impacted on the volume and recency of your research outputs and other activities, such as maternity, adoption or parental leave, you may wish to disclose this in your application. The selection committee will take this into account when evaluating your application. The University has been awarded the Disability Confident Leader status. If you are a candidate with a disability, we are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to support the interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, reasonable adjustments will be made to support people within their role.

Person Specification Essential Criteria: Qualifications A PhD degree (or close to PhD completion), or a Master degree with strong publication track record, in Computer Science or a related subject, with a focus on artificial intelligence. Experience Experience in conducting high-quality academic research. Demonstrable ability to write material of a quality commensurate with publication in highly-ranked journals/conferences. Demonstrable ability to present research and communicate complex information to specialists and within the wider academic community. Technical and implementational experience in the research areas relevant to the project, as pointed out in the Role Description. Skills Demonstrable ability to work cooperatively as part of a team, including participating in research meetings. Ability to work independently on own initiative and to strict deadlines. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills. Desirable Criteria: Experience Strong publication record in peer-reviewed journals, commensurate with stage of career. A track record of presenting research at conferences, symposia, or meetings, commensurate with stage of career. Demonstrable ability to develop research proposals and designs in collaboration with other academics. Experience of overseeing students with respect to the development of their practical/research skills e.g. acting as a demonstrator; supervising student projects/practicals. Experience in artificial intelligence software and hardware prototype development. Skills Ability to attract external collaboration and opportunities for the project. Demonstrable ability to plan and manage independent research.

Contact Information Department contact for academic-related enquiries Prof. Hubert P. H. Shum - hubert.shum@durham.ac.uk Contact information for technical difficulties when submitting your application If you encounter technical difficulties when using the online application form, we prefer you send enquiries by email. Please send your name along with a brief description of the problem you’re experiencing to e.recruitment@durham.ac.uk Alternatively, you may call 0191 334 6801 from the UK, or +44 191 334 6801 from outside the UK. This number operates during the hours of 09.00 and 17.00 Monday to Friday, UK time. We will normally respond within one working day (Monday to Friday, excluding UK public holidays). University contact for general queries about the recruitment process e.recruitment@durham.ac.uk How to Apply To progress to the assessment stage, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification below. It will be at the discretion of the recruiting panel as to whether they will also consider any desirable criteria, but we would urge candidates to provide evidence for all criteria. While some criteria will be considered at the shortlisting stage, other criteria may be considered later in the assessment process, such as questions at interview. Submitting your application We prefer to receive applications online. We will update you about your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to make sure you have not missed any of our updates. What to Submit All applicants are asked to submit: A comprehensive resume that details your experience, educational background, skills, and professional activities, accompanied by a full publication track record. 1-page cover letter (references can be put on an additional page) describing how your skills are a good match for the research topic. Contact details of three referees. One referee should be your most recent employer/supervisor/line manager. Next Steps Shortlisted candidates will be invited to the University, either in-person or virtually and will have the opportunity to meet key members of the Department. The assessment for the post will normally include a short presentation to the panel followed by an interview, and we anticipate that the assessments and interviews will take place over a day in or around May/June 2026. In the event that you are unable to attend in person on the date offered, it may not be possible to offer you an interview on an alternative date. Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement Job Applicants/Potential Job Applicants - Durham University which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data. SECONDMENT The post is full time, fixed term for a 12 month period and may be offered on an internal secondment basis subject to the agreement of the current line manager. If an internal member of staff is appointed to this role on a secondment basis, for pension purposes this will be processed in line with Step-Up arrangements.