University of Edinburgh
Research Associate
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Grade UE07: £41,064 to £48,822 per annum, pro rata if part time
School of Informatics / College of Science and Engineering
Full Time: 35 hours per week
Fixed term: for 24 months
The Opportunity
Help us redefine what’s possible. Be part of something bigger.
Here, you can continue to make a difference in everything around you. Take on new challenges, grow your career, be recognised for your contributions, and benefit from our commitment to your wellbeing. Be part of something bigger — where your work has real impact and your development matters. There are so many reasons to take your next step with us.
The University of Edinburgh is a world-class organisation. We look for the best in the field across all disciplines and provide a working environment where academics can develop their careers and passion for their chosen subject area. We offer the full range of academic roles and have a genuine focus on our students' performance and wellbeing.
The Role
As research associate, you will conduct research within the Statistical Machine Learning and Motor Control (SLMC) group, part of the Institute of Perception, Action and Behaviour (IPAB). You will support the team in advancing the state of the art in whole-body, multi-contact robotic manipulation, developing and combining model-based methods (e.g. trajectory optimization, MPPI) with machine learning approaches (e.g. RL, diffusion policies) to scale and deploy multi-contact robot motions.
You will work with robotic manipulation hardware and sensing, including KUKA LBR robot arms and Kawada's Nextage NXA, and contribute to shared-autonomy methods for skilled teleoperation of robot manipulators. The role also involves collaboration and field deployment trips with project partners in Japan, alongside regular reporting on progress and results.
Desirable knowledge and experience:
- Experience mentoring undergraduate and master's students on research projects related to this research area
- Experience in robot learning techniques, such as reinforcement learning (RL) and/or flow matching and diffusion policies
- Experience in motion planning, model predictive control (MPC), and optimal control techniques such as trajectory optimization and model predictive path integral (MPPI)
- Experience with simulation environments such as PyBullet, MuJoCo, or IsaacLab
- Experience with bi-manual robotic manipulation hardware and force sensing
- Experience using ROS2 and Python
About Us
People have always been at the heart of our work. Our people are at the centre of the University community and everything we do. We value colleagues with drive, determination, and a passion for what they do. We are a place where everyone is welcome and offer a range of policies and benefits designed to support you in building the right meaningful flexibility that works for you.
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A career with us has a range of other benefits that can be tailored to your lifestyle:
- Opportunities to develop new skills and broaden your experience
- Leading-edge research
- Opportunities for publication
- Responsibility and autonomy
What We Offer
As a valued member of our team, you can expect:
- 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 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 Stonewall Scotland Diversity Champions, actively promoting LGBT equality.
We welcome applications from all qualified candidates and particularly encourage applications from underrepresented groups.
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.
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
The closing date for applications is 22 September 2026. 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.
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Interview dates to be confirmed.
About the University of Edinburgh
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 School of Informatics
Informatics is the study of how natural and artificial systems store, process, and communicate information. Research in Informatics promises to take information technology to a new level and to place information at the heart of 21st-century science, technology, and society. The School enjoys collaborations across many disciplines in the University, spanning all three Colleges, and also participates as a strategic partner in the Alan Turing Institute and is home to a number of Centres for Doctoral Training.
The School provides a fertile environment for a wide range of studies focused on understanding computation in both artificial and natural systems. It attracts students around the world to study in our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Informatics is one of seven schools in the College of Science and Engineering at the University of Edinburgh. It is recognised for the employability of its graduates, its contributions to entrepreneurship, and the excellence of its research. Since the first Research Assessment Exercise in 1986, Informatics at Edinburgh has consistently been assessed to have more internationally excellent and world-class research than any other submission in Computer Science and Informatics. The latest REF 2021 results have again confirmed that ours is the largest concentration of internationally excellent research in the UK. This contributes to our ranking of consistently being in the top 30 worldwide.
We aim to ensure that our culture and systems support flexible and family-friendly working and recognise and value diversity across all our staff and students. The School has an active programme offering support and professional development for all staff; providing mentoring, training, and networking opportunities.
How to Apply
Please include the following documents in your application:
- CV
- Cover letter
View the full job description here.
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