Research Associate - FEVER

The University of Sheffield; Sheffield; On-site; GBP 39,000 - 43,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

41 days annual leave

Hybrid working opportunities

Generous pension

Job summary

The University of Sheffield Management School invites applications for a 1-year interdisciplinary post-doctoral position within the FEVER EPSRC project on future EV energy networks and renewables. You will join a cross-university team addressing research challenges to enable grid-integrated EV charging across the UK.

Work includes smart grids, data analysis and dissemination, contributing to Work Package 5 and collaborating with industry partners. A PhD and Matlab/Simulink skills are essential.

Qualifications

• PhD in a related interdisciplinary context including Business/Management Studies and Engineering.
• Excellent English language abilities (spoken/written).
• Experience of collecting/sourcing and analysing quantitative research data.

Responsibilities

• Undertake research of the interaction between commercial EV fleet energy requirements and energy generation/storage systems at the demonstrator sites.
• Analyse and record data from fleet users and charging station demonstrators to produce useful findings for funders and partners.
• Write supporting documents (reports, journals and conference publications) to contribute to Work Package 5 deliverables.

Skills

Modelling and simulation tools

English language abilities

Education

PhD (awarded or recently submitted) in a related interdisciplinary context

Tools

Matlab/Simulink

Job description

The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world-class university.
We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more. Find out more about our benefits (opens in a new window) and join us to become part of something special.

Overview

The Management School offers a 1-year interdisciplinary post-doctoral position within the FEVER - EPSRC project “Future Electric Vehicle Energy networks supporting Renewables” (FEVER). You will join a wider cross-university project team of leading academics to address key research challenges for renewable generation and energy storage with respect to supporting the transition to electric vehicles and increasing the penetration of electric vehicle fleet charging systems throughout the UK. This grant aims to develop a novel hybrid Off-Vehicle-Energy-Storage solution and design methodology to deliver grid independent (i.e. off-grid) EV charging stations. A hybrid energy store is necessary to address both the temporal (i.e. seasonal), performance (i.e. power vs energy characteristic) and cost issues of this concept, as lithium-ion battery technology on its own cannot enable this vision (too expensive to provide seasonal storage). The post is on a large, EPSRC funded programme grant and involves working with several other universities, and several industry partners across an interdisciplinary spectrum consisting Social Sciences and Engineering. Thus, we need a forward thinking, imaginative person, who is capable of significantly contributing to work package 5 on smart grids and electric vehicle fleets to deliver the objectives. The project will contribute directly to the decrease in costs associated with, and the grid impact of, the installation of EV fleet charging points, and will therefore impact on the mitigation of climate change and ambitions towards NetZero transport in the UK. This post aims to support this development through the investigation of commercial EV fleet users and their charging requirements, considering different types of commercial EV fleets and feasibility scoping study reporting, alongside real-world application data analysis from live demonstrator case studies.

Main Duties And Responsibilities

• Undertake research of the interaction between commercial EV fleet energy requirements and energy generation/ storage systems being commissioned at the demonstrator sites.
• Analyse and record data from fleet users and charging station demonstrators to produce useful findings for funders, academics, policy makers and practitioners.
• Write supporting documents (reports, journal and conference publications etc.) to contribute to and support the work of Work Package 5 deliverables, for example, project reports, deliverables and academic outputs.
• Carry out administrative roles related to Work Package 5 project activities, as required.
• Participate in regular project meetings with internal and external project partners.
• Prepare and support the delivery of papers for journals / presentations either in-house or at national/international conferences / seminars / workshops / events to disseminate research findings.
• Maintain a systematic record of academic outcomes.
• Plan own research schedule and workload (in consultation with line manager) to ensure that Work Package 5 deliverables and research objectives are met.
• You will make a full and active contribution to the principles of the ‘Sheffield Academic’. These include the achievement of excellence in applied teaching and research, and scholarly pursuits to make a genuine difference in the subject area and to the University’s achievements as a whole.
• As a member of staff you will be encouraged to make ethical decisions in your role, embedding the University sustainability strategy into your working activities wherever possible.
• Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the post

Person Specification

Our diverse community of staff and students recognises the unique abilities, backgrounds, and beliefs of all. We foster a culture where everyone feels they belong and are respected. Even if your past experience doesn't match perfectly with this role's criteria, your contribution is valuable, and we encourage you to apply. Please ensure that you reference the application criteria in the application statement when you apply.

Criteria

Essential Or Desirable

Stage(s) assessed at

PhD (awarded or recently submitted) in a related interdisciplinary context including Business/Management Studies and Engineering (electrical engineering or closely related discipline).

Essential

Application/interview
Experience of using modelling and simulation tools, such as Matlab/Simulink for example.

Essential

Application/interview
Effective communication skills, both written and verbal, report writing skills, experience of delivering presentations; communicating to internal and external partners in academia and industry.

Essential

Application/interview
Ability to assess and organise resources, and plan and progress work activities according to a schedule.

Essential

Application/interview
Excellent English language abilities (spoken/written)

Essential

Application/interview
Experience of collecting/sourcing and analysing quantitative research data.

Essential

Application/interview
Knowledge of relevant policies, legislation and commercial standards.

Desirable

Application/interview
Experience of drafting research papers and reports with a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.

Further Information

Grade

7

Salary

£38,784 - £43,482

Work arrangement

Full-time

Duration

1st September 2026 - 31st August 2027

Line manager

Dr Erica Ballantyne, Senior Lecturer in Operations & Supply Chain Management

Direct reports

N/A

Right to work in the UK

If you do not currently hold the right to work in the UK, you can find more information here to help determine your visa eligibility. Additional guidance is also available on the UK Visa & Immigration website.

Our website

https://sheffield.ac.uk/management

For informal enquiries about this job contact Dr Erica Ballantyne: on [e-mail].

Next steps in the recruitment process

It is anticipated that the selection process will take place in early August. This will consist of an interview and a short presentation. Details will be provided to invited candidates. We plan to let candidates know if they have progressed to the selection stage on the week commencing 27th July 2026. If you need any support, equipment or adjustments to enable you to participate in any element of the recruitment process you can contact [e-mail].

Our vision and strategic plan

We are the University of Sheffield. This is our vision: sheffield.ac.uk/vision (opens in new window).

What We Offer

• A minimum of 41 days annual leave including bank holiday and closure days (pro rata) with the ability to purchase more.
• Flexible working opportunities, including hybrid working for some roles.
• Generous pension scheme.
• A wide range of discounts and rewards on shopping, eating out and travel.
• A variety of staff networks, providing opportunities for social interaction, peer support and personal development (for example, Race Equality, LGBT+, Women’s and Parent’s networks).
• Recognition Awards to reward staff who go above and beyond in their role.
• A commitment to your development access to learning and mentoring schemes; integrated with our Academic Career Pathways
• A range of generous family-friendly policies
  • paid time off for parenting and caring emergencies
  • access to menopause support in the workplace
  • paid time off and support for fertility treatment
  • and more

More details can be found on our benefits page: sheffield.ac.uk/jobs/benefits (opens in a new window).

We are a Disability Confident Leader (opens in a new window). If you have a disability and meet the essential criteria for this job you will be invited to take part in the next stage of the selection process.

We are a research university with a global reputation for excellence. Our ideas and expertise change the world for the better, making a real difference to society. We know that when people come together with different views, approaches and insights it can lead to richer, more creative and innovative teaching and research and the highest levels of student experience. Our University Vision (www.sheffield.ac.uk/vision) outlines our commitment to building a diverse community of staff and students that recognises and values the abilities, backgrounds, beliefs and ways of living for everyone.