Research Associate - Infrastructure Resilience Analytics

The new Research Associate (Infrastructure Risk Analytics) will help advance our research on global infrastructure networks and the consequences of failure for supply chains and the economy. This will include transport infrastructure and may also include power and water supply infrastructure. You will work with the rapidly emerging global datasets of infrastructure, along with multi-sector, multi-region economic datasets. Alongside this, you will make use of global economic and population scenarios and datasets of global production sites and supply chains which you will associate with infrastructure networks. You will advance our methods for inferring connectivity, interdependence and attribute users to the assets. You will quantify hotspots of infrastructure vulnerability and compute a variety of metrics of risk, to provide a platform for testing potential disruption scenarios, for example due to extreme events, and their propagation though global power networks. You will be involved in assembling and creating novel data on a range of different natural hazards and infrastructure networks. The emphasis will be upon (i) applied methodological development (ii) generation of new insights about the vulnerability of real-world networks (iii) analysis of options for network adaptation to enhance resilience and (iv) exploration of uncertainties and sensitivities. These methods will be applied in countries anywhere in the world and at a global scale.

The post-holder will report to Dr Raghav Pant, who is Senior Research Associate within the Oxford Programme for Sustainable Infrastructure Systems (OPSIS), which is led by Professor Jim Hall. They will also interact with researchers in other groups in Oxford, other UK universities and internationally, with whom we are collaborating.

The successful candidate should possess a Holds PhD (or be close to completion) or equivalent experience in engineering or a field involving network analysis, numerical modelling and/or risk analysis or hold academic qualifications (ideally relevant Master’s degree or working towards a PhD/ DPhil) and a detailed knowledge of the subject area to be considered a Grade 6 with a commensurate adjustment in either the essential criteria, responsibilities or duties. You will have excellent communication and interpersonal skills. A willingness to collaborate with others and work effectively as a member of a (sometimes distributed) team. Experience using a high-level programming language (e.g. Python) for scientific programming and/or spatial data analysis. Awareness of, and interest in developing, good practice in software design and development, including testing, version control, design and documentation. You will have capability to model the economic impacts of systemic disruption. Keen interest in the sustainability and resilience of infrastructure systems.

There are 2 vacancies one for 12 months and the other for 18 months.

Applications are particularly welcome and encouraged from women candidates and black and minority ethnic candidates who are under-represented in academic posts in Oxford. SoGE is committed to equality and values diversity.

Applications for this vacancy are to be made online. You will be required to upload a CV and supporting statement as part of your online application.

The closing date for applications is 12 noon on 12 April 2024, interview will take place week commencing 22 or 29 April 2024.