Job Description

Research Fellow in Energy Systems Optimisation

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Organisation
Cranfield University
Faculty or Department
Faculty of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Based at
Cranfield Campus, Cranfield, Bedfordshire
Hours of work
37 hours per week, normally worked Monday to Friday. Flexible working will be considered.
Contract type
Fixed term contract
Fixed Term Period
For 30 months
Salary
Full time starting salary (if close to completing PhD) is normally in the range of 28,929 per annum to 33,825 per annum; Full time starting salary (if PhD obtained) is normally 37,337 per annum
Posted Date
24/04/2025
Apply by
18/05/2025

Role Description

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Research Assistant or Research Fellow in Energy Systems Optimisation

We welcome applications from passionate and skilled researchers to join our team to contribute to developing whole systems frameworks and delivering the techno-economic analysis of Net Zero Hydrogen (H2HZ) ecosystem pathways.

About the Role

The Global Hydrogen Production Technologies (HyPT) Center seeks to accelerate the development of net zero hydrogen technologies and ecosystems in a sustainable and cost-effective manner. You will be joining the HyPT center to support the work programme on policies, economics, and markets. As an engineering scientist with expertise in the modelling and optimisation of energy systems/whole systems, you will join a transdisciplinary team of world leading experts on H2NZ. The HyPT center offers Early Career Researchers a vibrant and supportive research ecosystem with opportunities to work across disciplines and cultures.



Your role will be to critically analyse the interdependencies between hydrogen, electricity, and other energy systems. Innovating on model-based methods (e.g. stochastic optimisation) or model-free approaches, you will assess the techno-economics of low-cost large-scale net-zero hydrogen production from the whole systems perspective; you will work with multiple stakeholders and investigate the techno-economics on potential case studies developed with our partner countries in Canada, USA, and Australia; additionally, you will assess the sensitivity of results against governance factors and market potential. It is very likely that the project will involve international travel to our partner countries.



The HyPT Center is a multidisciplinary and multi-institute project with 14.1million funding from the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the National Science Foundation (USA), the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (Australia) and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (Canada). The UK funding (6.2 million) comes via Building a Green Future Fund and International Science Partnerships Fund. HyPT is led in the UK by Cranfield University in collaboration with Arizona State University (USA), the University of Toronto (Canada), and the University of Adelaide (Australia).



The UK project team involves academics from Imperial College London, Newcastle University, the University of Cambridge, and the University of Birmingham who are involved in the development of net zero technologies. It is expected that you will be working with them in developing an understanding of characteristics of net zero hydrogen technologies to support the whole systems analysis.

About You

You will be educated to doctoral level (or close to completion) in the optimisation of energy systems or whole systems, or related disciplines, and be able to demonstrate a sound understanding of techno-economic analysis. You will have strong analytical skills and an ability to work in a multidisciplinary team and engage confidently with academic and industry partners.



You will have a track record of publishing high impact journal articles in energy/whole systems or related aspects, and will have a commitment to scientific rigour, a passion for solving applied problems.



In return, you will have exciting opportunities for career development by collaborating with a vibrant, multi-disciplinary team, and to be at the forefront of world leading research and education, joining a supportive team and environment.

About Us

As a specialist postgraduate university, Cranfield's world-class expertise, large-scale facilities and unrivalled industry partnerships are creating leaders in technology and management globally. Learn more about Cranfield and our unique impact here.



Cranfield's expertise in energy and power covers a wide range of potential energy solutions, from our ongoing relationship with oil and gas, to our developing reliance on renewable energy from the world around us. The changing energy landscape presents exciting opportunities and the potential for the UK to lead in new technologies and services related to low carbon energy and sustainability generation.



The Centre for Energy Systems and Strategy (CESS) is a hub for leading-edge research, teaching and consultancy that helps individuals, businesses and policy makers by modelling and analysing the requirements and needs of the energy and power consumers and the underlying infrastructure systems using socio-technical frameworks.



A particular focus of the CESS is the development of tools and methods to inform the trade-offs associated with transition to a net zero economy, ranging from households to city to national levels. All our research and teaching activities can be categorised in three broad themes:


Digitisation of energy systems Infrastructure system planning and operation Socio-technical aspects of energy transitions

Our Values and Commitments

Our shared, stated values help to define who we are and underpin everything we do: Ambition; Impact; Respect; and Community. Find out more here.



We aim to create and maintain a culture in which everyone can work and study together and realise their full potential. We are a Disability Confident Employer and proud members of the Stonewall Diversity Champions Programme. We are committed to actively exploring flexible working options for each role and have been ranked in the Top 30 family friendly employers in the UK by the charity Working Families. Find out more about our key commitments to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and Flexible Working here.

Working Arrangements

Collaborating and connecting are integral to so much of what we do. Our Working Arrangements Framework provides many staff with the opportunity to flexibly combine on-site and remote working, where job roles allow, balancing the needs of our community of staff, students, clients and partners.

How to apply

For an informal discussion about this opportunity, please contact Dr Da Huo, Lecturer in Energy Systems Intelligence, on (E): Da.Huo@cranfield.ac.uk



Apply online now. Please do not hesitate to contact us for further details on E: peoplerecruitment@cranfield.ac.uk. Please quote reference number 5065.



Closing date for receipt of applications: 18 May 2025



Please note that we reserve the right to close this advert prior to the stated closing date should we receive sufficient numbers of applications. Therefore, we would encourage you to complete and submit your application as soon as possible.