Postdoctoral Research Associate

Durham University is one of the world's top universities with strengths across the Arts and Humanities, Sciences and Social Sciences. We are home to some of the most talented scholars and researchers from around the world who are tackling global issues and making a difference to people's lives.

The University sits in a beautiful historic city where it shares ownership of a UNESCO World Heritage Site with Durham Cathedral, the greatest Romanesque building in Western Europe. A collegiate University, Durham recruits outstanding students from across the world and offers an unmatched wider student experience.

Less than 3 hours north of London, and an hour and a half south of Edinburgh, County Durham is a region steeped in history and natural beauty. The Durham Dales, including the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, are home to breathtaking scenery and attractions. Durham offers an excellent choice of city, suburban and rural residential locations. The University provides a range of benefits including pension and childcare benefits and the University’s Relocation Manager can assist with potential schooling requirements.

Durham University seeks to promote and maintain an inclusive and supportive environment for work and study that assists all members of our University community to reach their full potential. Diversity brings strength and we welcome applications from across the international, national and regional communities that we work with and serve.

The Department of Computer Science is one of the very best in the UK with an outstanding reputation for excellence in teaching, research and employability of our students. Ranked 20th in the UK in REF2021, the Department of Computer Science is proud of the emphasis we place on equality, diversity and inclusion and are working hard to make our department the no.1 University in the UK for women to study Computer Science.

Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Computer Vision with a particular emphasis on Machine Learning. The research project, entitled Natural Intelligence for Robotic monitoring of Habitats, aims to serve the European Green Deal via monitoring the natural habitats of N2000N with robots able to effectively move in dunes, grasslands, forests, and alpine terrains. The European project is 8 partners strong and it is led by the University of Pisa. It is a project aligned with the transformative policies contained in the European Green Deal, a robust scientific and technology answer to the global warming and pollution problems, affecting millions of flora and fauna species. NI ambition is to introduce disruptive technology and play a role in developing intelligent techniques for environmental monitoring, at present carried out with only human resources. Durham University leads the work package on computational botany, to develop algorithms for detection and identification of typical and invasive species in the studied habitats.

The successful applicant will be expected to:

• Develop algorithms for the project;
• Meet all deadlines set for the project;
• Liaise and collaborate with other researchers in the consortium;
• Write documentation for the developed algorithms as required by the project;
• Write scientific manuscripts on innovative research developed in the project for international conferences and high impact journal publications;
• Attend and present at plenary sessions, technical sessions and scientific meetings;
• Liaise with the consortium to integrate the developed solutions and present the solutions at the yearly reviews and in the final demonstration.

• To understand and convey material of a specialist or highly technical nature to the team or group of people through presentations and discussions that leads to the presentation of research papers in conferences and publications.
• To prepare and deliver presentations on research outputs/activities to audiences which may include: research sponsors, academic and non-academic audiences.
• To publish high quality outputs, including papers for submission to peer reviewed journals and papers for presentation at conferences and workshops under the direction of the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder.
• To assist with the development of research objectives and proposals.
• To conduct individual and collaborative research projects under the direction of the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder.
• To work with the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder and other colleagues in the research group, as appropriate, to identify areas for research, develop new research methods and extend the research portfolio.
• 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 liaise with research colleagues and make internal and external contacts to develop knowledge and understanding to form relationships for future research collaboration.
• To plan and manage own research activity, research resources in collaboration with others and contribute to the planning of research projects.
• To deliver training in research techniques/approaches to peers, visitors and students as appropriate.
• To be involved in student supervision, as appropriate, and assist with the assessment of the knowledge of students.
• 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 engage in wider citizenship to support the department and wider discipline.
• To engage in continuing professional development by participation in the undergraduate or postgraduate teaching programmes or by membership of departmental committees, etc. and by attending relevant training and development courses.

This post is fixed term, available from 1st November 2022 until the end of March 2024. There is the potential for an extension to the end of June 2024, dependent on an upcoming decision by the funding body.

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.

For informal enquiries please contact Professor Paolo Remagnino ([email protected] ).  All enquiries will be treated in the strictest confidence. 

We prefer to receive applications online via the Durham University Vacancies Site. https://www.dur.ac.uk/jobs/ . As part of the application process, you should provide details of 3 (preferably academic/research) referees and the details of your current line manager so that we may seek an employment reference.

Applications are particularly welcome from women and black and minority ethnic candidates, who are under-represented in academic posts in the University  .

• A CV and covering letter which details your experience, strengths and potential in the requirements set out above

The assessment for the post will include an interview. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interview and assessment in October 2022.

Qualifications

• A good first degree in Computer Science.
• A PhD (or be close to submission) in Computer Vision or a related subject.

Experience

• Experience in conducting high quality academic research.
• Demonstrable ability to write material of a quality commensurate with publication in highly-ranked journals.
• Demonstrable ability to present research papers at national and international conferences and communicate complex information to specialists and within the wider academic community.
• Experience with prototyping languages, such as Python or MATLAB.
• Experience of working with C, C++, C# or similar object oriented programming languages.
• Experience in developing applications on Windows or Linux platforms for computer vision.
• Experience in mathematical and statistical modelling for computer vision.

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.

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 developing optimized code for embedded devices.

Skills

• Demonstrable ability to plan and manage independent research.