Postdoctoral Research Associate - Hydraulic modeller

Updated: 3 months ago
Location: Exeter, ENGLAND
Deadline: 26 Feb 2024

Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy

This full time post is available immediately on a fixed term term basis until 30 September 2025. This role offers the opportunity for hybrid working – some time on campus and some from home.

Summary of the role

The Centre for Resilience in Environment, Water and Waste (CREWW) wishes to recruit a Postdoctoral Research Associate to support the work of Prof Richard Brazier’s research on the OfWat/South West Water (SWW)-funded Catchment Systems Thinking Co-operative (CastCo) project.

The work will be co-supervised by Dr Peter Melville-Shreeve, who leads the Stormwater Intelligence Group within the Centre for Water Systems.

Hydraulic Modeller role:

The successful applicant will be familiar with the range of approaches that can be used to map and model rural and urban drainage systems and the ways that these systems interact with water industry assets, for example,  wastewater networks, wastewater treatment plants, and combined sewer overflows. They will also understand the ways in which Nature-Based Solutions, blue-green infrastructure or Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) can be implemented at a range of scales to buffer the impacts of excess rainfall/runoff on urban assets and infrastructure and as such will be able to model the ways in which water industry assets might be better protected against flooding events.

The candidate will be expected to work with real world data and establish methods to integrate such with more traditional hydraulic modelling practices. The candidate will be able to work within a team including researchers who will integrate catchment-based solutions to protect water industry assets with urban-based solutions, so an ability to collaborate on modelling across the rural/urban divide is essential. The work will focus initially upon the south west of England, to draw together understanding of the assets that SWW manage. The mapping and modelling approaches will be used to characterise the potential for water industry assets to be managed using ‘upstream thinking’ interventions and the candidate must therefore be able to understand these approaches to water resource management.

The researcher will embed within a unique team of University and Water Company staff to deliver components of the CaSTCo project, funded by OfWat, with a specific emphasis on upscaling the approaches previously developed in the Upstream Thinking program of work, delivered by UoE researchers in partnership with SWW. 

About you

The successful applicant will be able to present information on research progress and outcomes, communicate complex information, orally, in writing and electronically and prepare proposals and applications to external bodies.

Applicants will possess a relevant PhD (or be nearing completion) or possess an equivalent qualification/experience in a related field of study/place of work (for e.g. a water company) and be able to demonstrate sufficient knowledge in the discipline and of research methods and techniques to work within established research programmes. Applicants will be able to: Use appropriate software/models of urban drainage systems to a high standard, interrogate and understand water company asset data, work closely with both academics and water company specialists to integrate their findings with multiple strands of research, understand the basics of upstream thinking approaches, especially of relevance to the water industry.   The applicant must also be able to work with business-sensitive data, within a partnership between the UoE and SWW and must have a demonstrable track-record of meeting deadlines and working within tight timeframes to deliver high-quality work.

Please ensure you read the Job Description and Person Specification for full details of this role.

What we can offer you

  • Freedom (and the support) to pursue your intellectual interests and to work creatively across disciplines to produce internationally exciting research;
  • Support teams that understand the University wide research and teaching goals and partner with our academics accordingly
  • An Innovation, Impact and Business directorate that works closely with our academics providing specialist support for external engagement and development
  • Our Exeter Academic initiative supporting high performing academics to achieve their potential and develop their career
  • A beautiful campus set in the heart of stunning Devon

The University of Exeter

We are a member of the prestigious Russell Group of research-intensive universities and in the top 200 universities in the world (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024 and QS World University Ranking 2024).  We combine world-class teaching with world-class research, achieving a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework Award 2023, underpinned by Gold ratings for Student Experience and Student Outcomes.

Our world-leading research impact has grown more than any other Russell Group university in recent years, and we are home to some of the world’s most influential researchers, seeking to answer some of the most fundamental issues facing humankind today.  More than 99% of our research is of international quality and 47% is world-leading (2021 Research Excellence Framework).

We encourage proactive engagement with industry, business and community partners to enhance the impact of research and education and improve the employability of our students. Read about our world leading research – Green Futures and how we are transforming education for a changing world. We are located in a beautiful part of the country and Exeter (a fast growing tech hub) is one of only a few UK cities to have been designated as a UNESCO Creative City

Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Commitment

We are committed to ensuring reasonable adjustments are available for interviews and workplaces.

Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented within our working community. 

With over 30,000 students and 7,000 staff from 150 different countries we offer a diverse and engaging environment where our diversity is celebrated and valued as a major strength. We are committed to creating an inclusive culture where all members of our community are supported to thrive; where diverse voices are heard through our engagement with evidence-based charter frameworks for gender (Athena SWAN and Project Juno for Physics), race equality (Race Equality Charter Mark), LGBTQ+ inclusion (Stonewall Diversity Champion) and as a Disability Confident employer.

Further information

Please contact Prof Richard Brazier, Director of CREWW, e-mail [email protected] .

We welcome applications from candidates interested in working part-time hours or job-sharing arrangements.



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