Research Associate

We are seeking a Research Associate to join the Geotechnics research group in the Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, to work on two ongoing UKRI funded projects. The first will involve examining the mechanics of horizontally penetrating probes in soil, whilst the second project is looking at the development of a new tool to measure the in-situ stress-strain relationship of the soil.

This post will use an existing experimental set up to look in detail at the horizontal and vertical forces acting on a horizontally penetrating probe. You will also contribute to the design and testing of a new, innovative tool to measure the in-situ stress-strain relationship. The research will build upon recent studies by Dr Fernando Patino Ramirez and Prof. Catherine O’Sullivan.

The initial term will be 12 months, with an estimated start date in April 2024.  

You will be responsible for the following;

Project 1: examining the mechanics of horizontally penetrating probes in soil.

Main tasks / deliverables:

• Minor modifications to an existing experimental set-up to enable the reorientation of a horizontal penetrating probe.
• Complete a systematic study looking at the influence of probe orientation on the drag and lift forces developed during penetration.

Project 2: In situ stress-strain relationship of the soil.

Main tasks / deliverables:

• Test a prototype stress-strain measurement device in a triaxial cell and/or testing chamber.
• Refine the existing device using rapid prototyping and liaising with the technical staff in the geotechnics section.

In addition to the above, you will also engage in regular project meetings and develop research papers for international journals. You will develop a clearly organized code and data for sharing via open access repositories such as Zenodo.

• Hold a PhD in Engineering or a closely related field,


• Practical experience in either laboratory element testing in soil mechanics or physical model testing in soil mechanics / geotechnical engineering,


• Practical experience of writing papers for and publishing in international journals


• Knowledge of research methods and statistical procedures,


• Ability to conduct a detailed review of recent literature,


• Willingness to work as part of a team and to be open-minded and cooperative.

As Imperial College staff, in addition to a competitive salary and package of attractive terms and conditions of service, we offer many more benefits to enjoy. This includes career development tailored to your ambitions, an attractive pension scheme, and generous family leave packages. We have a flexible, supportive work environment and encourage you to achieve and maintain a healthy work-life balance!

For informal enquiries about the post please contact Professor Catherine O’Sullivan on  [email protected] .

For queries regarding the recruitment process please contact Briony Webb on [email protected]

Candidates who have not yet been officially awarded their PhD will be appointed as a Research Assistant within the salary range £40,694- £43,888 per annum.

We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applications from all backgrounds and disabilities. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable adjustments to participate in the interview process and to perform crucial job functions, as well as other support including staff networks. Please contact us to request accommodation.

The College is a proud signatory to the San-Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), which means that in hiring and promotion decisions, we evaluate applicants on the quality of their work, not the journal impact factor where it is published. For more information, see https://www.imperial.ac.uk/research-and-innovation/about-imperial-research/research-evaluation/

The College believes that the use of animals in research is vital to improve human and animal health and welfare. Animals may only be used in research programmes where their use is shown to be necessary for developing new treatments and making medical advances. Imperial is committed to ensuring that, in cases where this research is deemed essential, all animals in the College’s care are treated with full respect, and that all staff involved with this work show due consideration at every level.

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/research-and-innovation/about-imperial-research/research-integrity/animal-research / 

We are committed to equality of opportunity, to eliminating discrimination and to creating an inclusive working environment for all. We therefore encourage candidates to apply irrespective of age, disability, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or parental status, race, religion and belief, gender identity, sex, or sexual orientation. We are an Athena SWAN Silver Award winner, a Disability Confident Leader and a Stonewall Diversity Champion.