Professor in Electrical Engineering (ENG_05)

Working at Durham University  

A globally outstanding centre of teaching and research excellence, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, 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 while enjoying a high-quality work/life balance. 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.  

We believe that inspiring our people to do outstanding things at Durham enables Durham people to do outstanding things in the world.

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. 

Our University Strategy

Our Purpose and Values

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 Durham? information page.   

The Department 

The Department of Engineering at Durham University is continuing a period of strategic growth. This is an exciting opportunity to join an expanding, unified Engineering Department which is recognised as one of the very best in the UK, with a reputation for excellence in teaching, research and employability of our graduates. In the REF2021 exercise, 95% of our Engineering outputs were graded 3* or 4*. The Department is committed to an ethos of research-led education at all levels of our taught programmes. Engineering at Durham University was ranked 5th in The Guardian University Guide 2024, 7th in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023 and 5th in The Complete University Guide 2024. We were ranked 2nd in Engineering behind only Cambridge in a recent Institute for Fiscal Studies report on the difference in graduate earnings by UK university choice.  We are a scholarly community that is open, representative and diverse: our commitment to this is expressed through work of the Department’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Group, and our Athena Swan Bronze award.

The Department of Engineering demonstrates significant depth of research excellence across a range of disciplines, with activities that are currently concentrated around three Research Challenge areas: Sustainable Infrastructure, Future Energy Systems and Advanced Materials, Electronics and Communications. Thematically, our research is split into eight Research Nodes which group together our day-to-day activities and expertise. We are particularly proud of the collaborative interdisciplinary nature of our research, which also includes strong industrial partnerships. 

The Electrical Power research node comprises a group of eight academics with seven research associates and 20 PhD students.  We currently have three laboratories to support the work in this area, focussing on Smart Grid and Power Systems Modelling, Electrical Machines and the development of Power Electronics to support research across a range of applications from both a UK and global perspective, including novel power convertors for hostile environments, and offshore energy systems.  The established research activities include the reliability of offshore wind turbines, power take off systems, smart grids, hardware-in-loop simulations, magnetic material characterisation and transformer-less power converters.  The laboratories house a range of electrical engineering infrastructure, including 75 kW and 20 kW dynamometers, a fully instrumented micro-grid and MVDC power electronics.  Supported by Real Time power system simulation capability, these laboratories enable the investigation of a complete electrical power system using a combination of hardware and simulation.  Industrial engagement is a key enabler for the research activities, in tandem with development of economic, environmental and societal impact.

This post offers an exciting opportunity to make a major contribution to the leadership and development of world leading and internationally excellent research and teaching while allowing you unrivalled opportunities to progress and embed your career in an exciting and progressive institution.

The Department

The Department of Engineering at Durham University seeks to appoint an outstanding individual to the role of Professor.  We welcome applications from those with research and teaching interests in the broad field of experimental power electronics, machines and drives.  We are particularly eager to hear from applicants with a focus on the application of electrical engineering in the fields of renewable energy, space, aerospace, power distribution and reliability of novel electrical machines.

This post offers an exciting opportunity to make a major contribution to the development of internationally excellent research and teaching while allowing you unrivalled opportunities to progress and embed your career in an exciting and progressive institution. For more information, please visit our Department pages at www.durham.ac.uk/departments/academic/engineering .  

Professors at Durham

The University is committed to enabling all of our colleagues to achieve their full potential. We promote and maintain an inclusive and supportive environment to ensure that all colleagues can thrive.  Academic colleagues are supported to publish world-leading and world-changing research in their area of interest in highest impact outputs with a focus on quality rather than quantity. We will fully support your research needs including practical, help such as resources to attend conferences and to fund research activity, as well as a generous research leave policy and a designated mentor. Sitting alongside world class research; teaching quality and innovation is critical to ensure a first class learning environment and curricula for all of our students. You will be supported to progress through the levels of the Higher Education Academy (HEA).

All of our Professors are encouraged to focus on quality and innovation in their research and teaching, and to provide excellent leadership in the administrative functioning and collegial environment of the Department, discipline and University in support of the wider student experience.  We of course value research income, which is a necessary input to drive research outputs and impact. 

Professor in Electrical Engineering

Applicants must demonstrate research excellence in the field of Electrical Engineering, with the ability to take a leading role in the development of the Department’s research and teaching, and to fully engage in the services, citizenship and values of the University.   The University provides a working and teaching environment which is inclusive and welcoming and where everyone is treated fairly with dignity and respect.  Candidates will be expected to demonstrate these key principles as part of the assessment process.

Key responsibilities:  

• Pursue experimentally focussed research that is world-leading, and world-changing in terms of originality, significance and rigour, showing leadership in a research field within and/or beyond the academic which is commensurate with the Department’s continuing emphasis on international excellence;
• To lead the development of successful research project/fellowship proposals in pursuit of suitable national and international funding opportunities to support research and end-user engagement.
• Deliver excellent teaching, offering lectures, seminars and tutorials at undergraduate and taught postgraduate levels.  Demonstrate leadership and innovation in the design and delivery of high quality learning environments and curricula.
• Enhance the quality of the research environment in the Department, providing leadership of national and international research groups and networks which is recognised at an international level.  Engage in the mentoring of early career researchers;
• To attract and provide excellent supervision to research students, and contribute significantly to the development of PhD programmes.  Enhance the Department’s commitment to its vibrant and international postgraduate culture.
• Contribute significantly to the administrative functioning and collegial environment of the Department and wider University, demonstrating sustained excellence in leadership activities which support the functioning of the Department and wider University.
• To fully engage in, champion and enhance the values of the Department;
• Carry out such other duties as specified by the Head of Department.

Durham University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion 

Our collective aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential and we believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work.  

As a University equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key part of the University’s Strategy and a central part of everything we do.  We also live by our 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. It’s important to us that all of our colleagues are aligned to both our values and commitment to EDI. 

We welcome and encourage applications from members of groups who are under-represented in our work force including people with disabilities and people from racially minoritised ethnic groups.

We are committed to equality: if for any reason you have taken a career break or periods of leave that may have impacted on the volume and recency of research outputs, such as maternity, adoption or parental leave, you may wish to disclose this in your application.  We also understand that the Covid-19 pandemic will have had differential impacts on different people and welcome information on this if you wish to share it. The selection committee will recognise that this may have reduced the quantity of your research accordingly 

The University has been awarded the Disability Confident Employer 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  

Applicants must demonstrate research excellence in the field of Power Electronics, Machines and Drives, with the ability to teach our students to an exceptional standard and to fully engage in the services, citizenship and values of the University.  

Research

Candidates will demonstrate world-leading and world-changing research, and leadership in a research field within and / or beyond their institution(s), with research outputs consistently recognised as internationally excellent.   

Essential Research Criteria

Education

Candidates will be able to evidence excellence in the development and delivery of teaching.  They will demonstrate leadership, distinction and innovation in the design and delivery of high quality learning environments and curricula, including curriculum development, that enables student to achieve their potential.      

Essential Educational Criteria

Services, Citizenship and Values

Candidates will demonstrate sustained excellence of leadership in the provision of the administrative and collegial functioning requirements of the Department, Faculty and University, positively contributing to the University Values and to fostering a respectful environment; as well as demonstrating their commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.

Essential Services, Citizenship and Values criteria

Desirable Criteria

1.    Research Impact - evidence of a significant contribution to the development of research that has a demonstrable impact outside of academia. (Candidates should explain, and support with evidence, how their research has benefited: the economy, society, culture, public policy or services, health, the environment or quality of life). 

Contact Information 

Department contact for academic-related enquiries 

Professor Charles Augarde, Head of Department, [email protected]

Professor Alton Horsfall, Academic Lead, [email protected]

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 [email protected]  

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 

How to Apply  

We prefer to receive applications online.    

Please note that in submitting your application, we will be processing your data.  We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement https://www.dur.ac.uk/ig/dp/privacy/pnjobapplicants/  which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.  

If you are unable to complete your application via our recruitment system, please get in touch with us on [email protected] .  

What to Submit 

All applicants are asked to submit: 

• A CV.  
•  A covering letter which details your experience, strengths and potential in the requirements set out above (maximum of 2 A4 pages). 
•  Personal research plan for the next 3-5 years.  Your strategy for securing funding to support the intended research should also be described. 
• Four of your most significant pieces of research publications or other written work.  Where possible your written work should have been published or submitted since 2018, however work prior to 2018 may be submitted where candidates have had career breaks. 
• An EDI & values statement – (of no more than 500 words) that outlines work which you have been involved in which demonstrates your commitment to EDI and our values. I.e. Involvement in quality, diversity, and inclusion activities such as mentoring, volunteering, or attending conferences. 

Where possible we request that you provide accessible web links to your publications, which the hiring Department will use to access your work.  The application form contains fields in which to enter each of the web links. Please note we are unable to access publications behind a paywall.   

In the event you are unable to provide accessible links to online hosting of your work, your work should be uploaded as PDFs as part of your application in our recruitment system. Please ensure that your PDFs are not  larger than 5MB. Please note that your work may be read by colleagues from across the Department and evaluated against the current REF criteria;  

Please save all application documents with your name and document type as PDF files. 

We will notify you on the status of 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 ensure you receive all emails.  

Referees 

You should provide details of three academic referees, plus details of your current line manager. Academic referees should not (if possible) include your PhD supervisor(s).  The majority should be from a University other than your own. 

References will be requested for candidates who have been shortlisted and will be made available to the panel during the interview process. 

As part of your application, you will be asked whether you give your consent to your academic references being sought should you be invited to attend an interview. We will only request references where permission has been granted.  

We will seek a reference from your current line-manager if we make you an offer of employment (noting that you may have also nominated your line manager as an academic referee).  Please clearly indicate which referee is your current line-manager and please let us know if we should only approach them once an offer has been made.

Next Steps 

All applications will be considered; our usual practice is for colleagues across the Department to read the submitted work of long-listed candidates.   

Short-listed candidates will be invited to the University, either virtually or in-person and will have the opportunity to meet key members of the Department.  The assessment for the post will normally include a presentation to staff and students in the Department followed by an interview.  We anticipate that the assessments and interviews will take place over two days on or around 16 / 17 May 2024. 

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. 

Applicant Guidance  

For further guidance on your application please see HERE .