Research Associate

University of Edinburgh; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 41,000 - 49,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK university is seeking a research associate to work on large-scale analytics with CXL-based memory technology. The role involves characterizing hardware platforms and optimizing performance. Candidates should have a PhD in Computer Science and a strong research background. This full-time position offers a competitive salary and the opportunity to contribute to a cutting-edge project.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Generous holiday entitlement

Comprehensive staff benefits

Qualifications

• PhD or near completion in Computer Science or related.
• Excellent research track record in top-tier conferences/journals.
• Ability to communicate complex information clearly.

Responsibilities

• Characterizing a state-of-the-art CXL hardware platform.
• Bringing up and tuning analytics workloads.
• Identifying and evaluating performance optimizations.

Skills

Hardware benchmarking

Performance characterization

Workload tuning

Bottleneck identification

Databases/analytics software

Operating systems

Communication skills

Education

PhD in Computer Science or related field

Job description

Overview

The School of Informatics at the University of Edinburgh invites applications for a research associate (post-doc) position in the area of large-scale analytics on emerging hardware.

Grade UE07: £41,064 to £48,822 per annum, pro-rata if part time

College of Science and Engineering / School of Informatics

Full-time: 35 hours per week

Fixed term: 12 months

The successful candidate will contribute to an industry-funded project focused on using CXL-based disaggregated memory to improve the performance of large-scale data analytics. This is an exciting opportunity to get involved in an emerging technology (CXL and memory disaggregation) with significant potential for both short- and long-term impact. Key tasks will entail characterizing a state-of-the-art CXL hardware platform, bringing up and tuning analytics workloads, identifying and evaluating relevant performance optimizations at software and hardware layers, as well as writing up and presenting findings.

Responsibilities

Key tasks include:

• Characterizing a state-of-the-art CXL hardware platform
• Bringing up and tuning analytics workloads
• Identifying and evaluating performance optimizations at software and hardware layers
• Documenting, writing up and presenting findings

Qualifications

• A PhD (or near completion of PhD) in Computer Science or related field
• Excellent research track record demonstrated through publications at top-tier conferences and/or high-impact journals
• Experience in one or more of the following areas: hardware benchmarking; performance characterization; workload tuning and bottleneck identification; databases/analytics software; operating systems
• Ability to communicate complex information clearly, both orally and in writing
• High initiative, attention to detail, and ability to work effectively in a team
• Preferably, experience in research supervision and grant writing

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Application Information

Please ensure you include the following documents in your application:

• CV
• Cover letter
• Contact details for enquiries: Prof. Boris Grot [e-mail] and Dr Luo Mai [e-mail]

Feedback is only provided to interviewed candidates. Please note that previous applicants need not apply.

Benefits and Equal Opportunity

• A competitive salary
• An exciting, positive, creative, challenging and rewarding place to work
• To be part of a diverse and vibrant international community
• Comprehensive staff benefits, such as a generous holiday entitlement, competitive pension schemes, staff discounts, and family-friendly initiatives. Check the staff benefits page for full details.

Championing equality, diversity and inclusion

The University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award and supports equality initiatives. Prior to employment, you will be required to evidence your right to work in the UK. Further information is available on the right to work webpages.

The University may sponsor international workers in this role, depending on factors specific to the successful applicant. Part-time roles may affect sponsorship eligibility.

Key dates

The closing date for applications is 6 October 2025. The closing time is 11:59pm GMT. Applications outside the UK will adapt to local time zones.

About Us

As a world-leading research-intensive University, we address tomorrow's challenges with a values-led approach to teaching, research and innovation. We value flexibility and diversity across staff and students.