Research fellow in Circular Manufacturing (0.5 Full time equivalent) (24 months fixed-term contract) - Internal only

We are seeking a motivated Research Fellow to join the University of Brighton's team within RESCu-M², the EPSRC Manufacturing Research Hub in Robotics, Automation and Smart Machine Enabled Sustainable Circular Manufacturing and Materials.

RESCu-M² aims to advance circular manufacturing through robotics, artificial intelligence and intelligent automation, enabling more effective reuse, repair, repurposing, remanufacturing and recycling. Led by the University of Birmingham, the hub brings together the universities of Brighton, Strathclyde, Leeds, Sheffield and Loughborough, along with industry partners, a standards agency and city councils to deliver cutting-edge research and impacts.

About the Role

At Research Fellow level (AC2), staff are expected to be involved in developing, planning and managing research projects in consultation with a Principal Investigator, developing a publication record, and learning to generate funding and supervise less experienced researchers. The role will normally require a level of research knowledge, skill, and experience equivalent to a PhD. Research Fellows may also be expected to contribute to teaching and/or consultancy activities to ensure continuous development of knowledge in the subject area.

Working with Professor Yan Wang and colleagues across the hub, you will undertake research to improve the assessment, recovery and continued use of products, components and materials. You will contribute to Brighton's research in inspection, sensing and analysis; testing, validation and certification; robotics; and circular business models.

The role offers opportunities to collaborate with researchers across the partner universities and work with industry to develop and validate practical solutions. You will also support Brighton's role as the hub's south-east regional spoke, helping manufacturers access research expertise and develop circular manufacturing capabilities.

Responsibilities

- Designing and conducting research into circular manufacturing and value retention processes.
- Developing and evaluating methods to assess product or component condition, performance and suitability for further use.
- Working with academic and industrial partners to identify challenges, collect and analyse data, and validate research outcomes.
- Publishing findings and contributing to project reports, conferences and knowledge exchange activities.
- Supporting the wider research team and contributing to student research where appropriate.

Person Specification

The successful candidate will have:

- A PhD in design, manufacturing, circular economy or life extension, or equivalent experience.
- Sufficient, up-to-date breadth or depth of specialist knowledge and research experience in one or more relevant areas.
- Experience in applying appropriate research methods to engineering or quantitative problems, which may include engineering design and analysis, circular manufacturing, intelligent systems and data analysis.
- Ability to conduct high-quality independent and collaborative research, analyse and interpret results, and communicate research findings effectively.

This role is a fixed-term position for 24 months and is not available on a job share arrangement due to it being 0.5 full-time equivalent.