salary:

Research assistant: £33,002 to £34,610 per year

Research associate: £35,608 to £46,049 per year

The role

To enable societal transition to a net-zero economy, electric power systems rapidly decarbonize supply while electrifying carbon-intensive demand. There is therefore an acceleration in connecting low-carbon technologies (LCTs, such as solar PV, electric vehicles, heat pumps or energy storage) to distribution networks. New active technologies that provide flexibility, such as grid operator-owned power electronic devices (PEDs), promise to provide the additional capacity needed to enable these LCT devices while reducing bills to customers while improving flexibility.

In this role, you will contribute to Newcastle University’s efforts to address this challenge by supporting the development of an active network design tool for low voltage distribution networks. This tool is a key component of Pioneer ward d The project is led by UK subsidiary SP Energy Networks and is being used to automate the selection, location and size of active PEDs owned by the grid operator. The initial design of the tool is in development through 2025, and will be evaluated by end users in the spring of 2026.

a job As a member of the Energy Systems Research Group at Newcastle and supported by the University’s Research Software Engineering team, you will continue to develop the tool’s algorithms and functionality. As a key innovative element of D-Suite, this open source tool will bring industry-wide visibility and will be formally evaluated by other network operators in the UK as part of the D-Suite project.

Your core responsibilities will also include contributing to wider research activities on power electronics based power systems within Electrical energy group. In particular, you will contribute to SuperGen Energy Networks Centerwhere you will have the opportunity to work across a network of nearly fifty world-renowned organisations, including GB’s National Energy System Operator (NESO), Siemens, Northern Powergrid and the Energy Systems Catapult. Other collaboration and research opportunities will be available, such as through… Energy center.

Given the focus of the role, we are particularly interested in working with researchers looking to conduct research in collaboration with industry. We aim to use new and innovative approaches to solve real-world problems while making significant academic contributions.

The position is full-time, with a fixed term of 24 months. You will stay in the newly renovated building Stevenson building. We aim to conduct interviews in mid-October. Candidates invited to interview will be asked prior to the interview to complete a half-day assignment over a period of at least ten days (here is a typical assignment for a different role within the research group). Preferred start date of January 2026.

To apply, please upload your CV (academic style, no page limits) and cover letter (one or two A4 pages). These details should explain how your experience meets the requirements outlined in the job description and your interest in the role.

For further information or informal enquiries, please contact Dr Matthew Deakin, matthew.deakin@newcastle.ac.uk.

The successful applicant may be eligible for a Global Talent Visa under the Approved Funder Route, and the University will support you in this application. The University provides a Visa Reimbursement Policy that allows Global Talent Visa applicants to recover the cost of the visa application fee, along with any accompanying dependents. The University also offers an interest-free loan program to support Fellows with visa-related costs not covered by the reimbursement policy – more information available here.