Research Assistant / Associate

Job Purpose

The School of Physics & Astronomy is looking to recruit a Research Assistant/Associate to contribute to/make a leading contribution to the preparations for the Next Generation Gravitational Wave Observatory Network, working with Dr John Veitch and our partner institutions across the UK. This work, supported by the UKRI Innovation Fund, will take place in the context of the network of universities across the UK preparing for the next generation of gravitational wave observatories: Einstein Telescope and Cosmic Explorer. The successful candidate will design and prototype accelerated inference methods (e.g. GPU accelerated, or ML-based methods) for gravitational wave sources observed by the future network.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Perform the following activities in conjunction with and under the guidance of the Principal/Co Investigator: 

1. Plan and conduct assigned research individually or jointly in accordance with the project deliverables. 

2. Contribute to the design of analysis strategies for 3G detectors.

3. Develop prototype analyses that may leverage machine learning and GPU acceleration techniques. 

4. Document research output including analysis and interpretation of all data, maintaining records and databases, drafting technical/progress reports and papers as appropriate. 

5. Develop and enhance your research profile and reputation and that of The University of Glasgow/ School/ Research Group, including contributing to publications of international quality in high profile/quality refereed journals, enhancing the research impact in terms of economic/societal benefit, and gathering indicators of esteem.

6. Contribute to the presentation of work at international and national conferences, at internal and external seminars, colloquia and workshops to develop and enhance our research profile.
7. Contribute to the identification of potential funding sources and to assist in the development of proposals to secure funding from internal and external bodies to support future research. 

8. Collaborate with colleagues and participate in team meetings across the research group and with our partner institutions in the broader project.

9. Contribute to the organisation, supervision, mentoring and training of undergraduate and/or postgraduate students and less experienced members of the project team to ensure their effective development. 

10. Contribute to outreach and recruitment activities of The University of Glasgow.
11. Carry out modest Teaching activities (e.g demonstrating etc) and associated admin as assigned by the Head of School and in consultation with Principal Investigator. 

12. Keep up to date with current knowledge and recent advances in the field/discipline. 

13. Engage in personal, professional and career development to enhance both specialist and transferable skills in accordance with desired career trajectory. 

14. Undertake any other duties of equivalent standing as assigned by the Head of School and/or PI.

15. To contribute to the enhancement of the University’s international profile in line with the University’s Strategic Plan - Inspiring People – World Changers Together.

For appointment at Grade 7: 

16. Perform the above duties with a higher degree of independence, leadership and responsibility, particularly in relation to planning, funding, collaborating and publishing research, and mentoring colleagues. 

17. Establish and sustain a track record of independent and joint published research to establish and maintain your expert reputation in the subject area. 

18. Survey the research literature and environment, understand the research challenges associated with the project & subject area, & develop/implement a suitable research strategy.
These key tasks are not intended to be exhaustive but simply highlight a number of major tasks which the staff member may be reasonably expected to perform.

Knowledge, Qualifications, Skills and Experience

Knowledge/Qualifications

Essential:

A1 Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework level 10 (Honours Degree). May be working towards post-graduate qualification such as a Masters (Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework level 11) or PhD (Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework level 12). Or Equivalent professional qualifications in relevant academic/research discipline, and experience of personal development in a similar role. 

A2 Specialist theoretical and practical knowledge of scientific programming

A3 A comprehensive and up-to-date knowledge of the wider subject area or subject specialism

A4 Knowledge of scientific computing environments (eg. Linux) as appropriate

For appointment at Grade 7:

A5 Normally Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework level 12 (PhD) or alternatively possess the equivalent in professional qualifications and experience, with experience of personal development in a similar or related role(s). 

A6 Knowledge of modern machine learning toolkits (e.g. PyTorch, JAX, Tensorflow or equivalent)

Desirable:

B1 An awarded (or recently submitted or near completion) PhD in subject specialism or equivalent

Skills

Essential:

C1 Programming and/or software development

C2 Research creativity and cross-discipline collaborative ability as appropriate.

C3 Excellent communication skills (oral and written), including public presentations and ability to communicate complex data/concepts clearly and concisely

C4 Excellent interpersonal skills including team working and a collegiate approach

C5 Appropriate workload/time/project/budget/people management skills

C6 Extensive IT and data analysis/interpretation skills as appropriate.

C7 Self motivation, initiative and independent thought/working

C8 Problem solving skills including a flexible and pragmatic approach

For appointment at Grade 7:

C9 Good Team Leadership skills

Experience

Essential:

E1 Sufficient breadth and/or depth of knowledge in specialist subject/discipline and of research/teaching methods and techniques to work within the subject area.

E2 Experience with one or more of the following: data analysis, development of machine learning models, GPU programming

E3 Experience of scientific writing

E4 Proven ability to deliver quality outputs in a timely and efficient manner

E5 Evidence of an emerging track record of publications in a relevant field

For appointment at Grade 7:

E6 Normally sufficient postdoctoral experience in a related field

E7 A track record of presentation and publication of research results in quality journals/conferences

E8 Experience of making a leading contribution in academic activities

E9 Ability to demonstrate a degree of independence as illustrated by identification of project objectives from assessment of the literature, design & analysis of experiments & drafting of papers.

E10 Experience in undertaking independent research

Desirable:

E11 An emerging national or international reputation

Closing date:  23 February 2024

Terms and Conditions

Salary will be Grade 7, £39,347 - £44,263 per annum.

This post is full time, and has funding for up to 18 months.

As part of Team UofG you will be a member of a world changing, inclusive community, which values ambition, excellence, integrity and curiosity.

As a valued member of our team, you can expect:

1 A warm welcoming and engaging organisational culture, where your talents are developed and nurtured, and success is celebrated and shared.

2 An excellent employment package with generous terms and conditions including 41 days of leave for full time staff, pension - pensions handbook https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/payandpensions/pensions/, benefits and discount packages.

3 A flexible approach to working.

4 A commitment to support your health and wellbeing, including a free 6-month UofG Sport membership for all new staff joining the University  https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/staff/healthwellbeing/.

We believe that we can only reach our full potential through the talents of all. Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our values. Applications are particularly welcome from across our communities and in particular people from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community, and other protected characteristics who are under-represented within the University. Read more on how the University promotes and embeds all aspects of equality and diversity within our community https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/.

We endorse the principles of Athena Swan https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/athenaswan/ and hold bronze, silver and gold awards across the University.

We are investing in our organisation, and we will invest in you too. Please visit our website https://www.gla.ac.uk/explore/jobs/ for more information.