Grade and Salary: Grade 7 (£36,924-£46,485)
FTE and working pattern: 35 Hours (1 FTE, 5 from 7 days as required), fixed term contract for 24 months
Detailed Description
The work will be managed within the School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society with input from Aston University Birmingham and University of Birmingham. The Urban Energy Research Group within ISBE comprises a team of experienced researchers in the field of energy and buildings, with a long track record in industry and research council funding. The individual will therefore be part of, and be expected to contribute to, a successful research team.
The chosen candidate will be working within the Institute for Sustainable Built Environment (ISBE) which undertakes cutting-edge research to deliver technological advances and inform government policy on topics relevant to the global challenges of climate change; sustainable development; infrastructure deterioration; and personal and national security. Our research includes the specialist themes of water management; ultra-speed railways; systems, sustainability and society; construction materials and geo-mechanics; and structures.
The Project
"Advancing the use of biochar in the building industry: a multi-stakeholder study" is an £0.8M project led by Heriot-Watt University and funded through the UKRI Cross Research Council Responsive Mode (CRCRM) Scheme. The project envisions to provide a decision support framework to enhance the use of biochar within the UK building industry to make a significant contribution to fight climate change.
Project Aims
* Identify appropriate types of biochar to be used as a building material
* Analyse the energy performance and carbon reduction potential of biochar cementitious composites for different building types
* Apply an integrative multi-stakeholder approach to co-create qualitative and quantitative indicators to express, holistically, the value of biochar in buildings
* Undertake life cycle analysis of biochar composites to realise carbon credits and environmental benefits
* Deliver a decision support framework for adopting biochar within the building industry with indicators proposed would be transferrable to other new materials
Description of Duties
The successful appointee will carry out the work in all phases including literature reviews, stakeholder consultations and building and energy modelling. The appointee will be expected to undertake the following:
* Carry out research tasks independently and within an interdisciplinary team
* Publish papers and produce other output relating to own research
* Help develop the methodology relating to building modelling of biochar composites
* Apply qualitative approaches to carefully design a series of events and stakeholder workshops
* Assist academic duties of line manager as appropriate
* Travel to partner universities (research collaborators) to carry out interdisciplinary research and/or attend meetings presentations etc.
* Identify appropriate sources of funding and help prepare research proposals for funding bodies
Please note that this job description is not exhaustive, and the role holder may be required to undertake other relevant duties commensurate with the grading of the post. Activities may be subject to amendment over time as the role develops and/or priorities and requirements evolve.
Person Specification
Essential:
Qualifications
* A first degree in an engineering or science discipline
* A PhD (or forthcoming PhD) in a topic with relevance to energy and buildings
Experience
* Experience in the use of dynamic building simulation software (e.g. IES-VE/EnergyPlus)
* Experience of statistical analyses of energy demand datasets
* Knowledge of low-carbon buildings and life cycle analysis
Competencies, Skills and Knowledge
* Excellent IT and communication skills and high attention to detail
* Evidence of a developing publication record
* Experience or desire to work with those from other disciplines
* Evidence of excellent administrative and project management skills
* Evidence of self-motivation and the ability to work independently
* Evidence of excellent oral and written communication skills
* Excellent time management skills including the ability to prioritise workload
* Good team player with good interpersonal skills
Desirable:
* Experience of working as part of an inter disciplinary team
* Experience of steady-state building modelling in the UK (e.g. SAP/SBEM)
* Knowledge of programming languages for data analysis (e.g. Python)
* Experience of using social science techniques for data collection
* Evidence of delivering on externally funded research projects
Contact
For further information about the position, please contact:
Dr Mehreen Gul (m.gul@hw.ac.uk)
How to Apply
Applications with FULL CV (and Cover letter) can be submitted up to midnight (UK time) on Monday, 6th January 2025.
Shortlisting is anticipated in that week and interviews are anticipated to be conducted w/c 13th January 2025.
Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.
We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g. part-time working and job share options.
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