Research Associate in High-Order Mesh Generation

KINGS COLLEGE LONDON; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 49,000; Full time

Job summary

A prestigious research institution in the United Kingdom is seeking a computational engineering researcher to support a major EPSRC project in mesh generation. The successful candidate will have a PhD and strong programming skills in C++. Responsibilities include advancing adaptive mesh refinement techniques and collaborating with a team of experts. This full-time role offers a salary between £45,031 and £48,607 per annum along with a vibrant research environment.

Qualifications

• Have, or be about to obtain, a PhD in a related field.
• Strong programming ability in C++ or related languages.
• Knowledge of high-order methods and mesh generation is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Support the delivery of a mesh generation project funded by EPSRC.
• Work with the REMODEL project team to advance adaptive mesh refinement.
• Lead developments in mesh generation tools like NekMesh.

Skills

Strong scientific computing background

Programming in C++

Experience with high-performance computing

Collaboration in research teams

Excellent organization skills

Verbal and written communication

Education

PhD or equivalent qualification in applied mathematics or computational engineering

Tools

Nektar++ framework

NekMesh tool

Job description

Organisation/Company KINGS COLLEGE LONDON Research Field Architecture Engineering Mathematics Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Established Researcher (R3) Country United Kingdom Application Deadline 21 Jan 2026 - 00:00 (UTC) Type of Contract Other Job Status Full-time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

About us

Recently re-founded, the Department of Engineering is rapidly expanding into a world‑class research and teaching department.

Research currently focuses on computational engineering, information processing systems, robotics, telecommunications, and biomedical engineering, but we are looking to establish new research themes.

This post will be affiliated with the computational engineering research group within the department.

We offer both undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, with a distinctive approach, combining both traditional teaching methods with modern, project‑based learning, catering for the needs of our students and the industries in which they will work.

As a new department we have invested in new laboratories and maker space at the centre of the Strand campus in the heart of central London.

This role will support the delivery of a mesh generation project, funded under a recent major £7m EPSRC Programme Grant REMODEL: Advancing Parallel Mesh Generation and Geometry Representation to Enable Industrially Relevant, High‑Fidelity Simulations. The goal of REMODEL is to make major advances in mesh generation and CAD geometry to enable large‑scale exascale‑capable simulations for the new UK national supercomputer.

The successful candidate will work within Prof. David Moxey’s group at King’s, together with the wider REMODEL project team (Swansea University, Imperial College London, EPCC and Queen’s University Belfast), to advance adaptive mesh refinement: the ability to dynamically change resolution as large‑scale simulations progress, whilst preserving the geometric representation of the project.

You will work within a leading group in high‑order methods: a class of finite element methods that is now leading the way for future computational fluid dynamics simulations. Specifically, our group develops the Nektar++ spectral/hp element framework (www.nektar.info), and its mesh generation tool NekMesh. The successful candidate will be expected to lead developments of both tools, working towards integrated mesh‑solver cycles and enable large‑scale parallel simulations that adapt the mesh to fit the underlying geometry. They will also provide NekMesh with the user‑focused development required to get this presently‑specialist tool into the hands of general practitioners.

The successful candidate will also help to represent the developments at King’s and work closely with the REMODEL partners in academia, as well as industrial partners.

This is a full time contract (35 Hours per week), offered on a fixed term contract for two years.

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

• Have, or be about to obtain, a PhD or equivalent qualification/experience in a related field of study (e.g. applied mathematics, computational engineering, scientific computing, etc).
• Strong scientific computing background, with experience of different architectures (e.g. CPUs/GPUs) and their use in high‑performance computing through shared or distributed parallel programming (e.g. OpenMP, MPI).
• Strong programming ability in C++ or a related language.
• Experience in working as part of a research team and ability to collaborate with external partners.
• A track record of publications and research appropriate to the candidate’s career stage.
• Excellent organisation ability and written and verbal communication skills.
• Knowledge and/or experience in high‑order methods and/or mesh generation is highly desirable.
• Experience with the Nektar++ spectral/hp element framework and its mesh generator, NekMesh.
• Experience of postgraduate supervision.

Downloading a copy of our Job Description

Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the page. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

* Please note that this is a PhD level role but candidates who have submitted their thesis and are awaiting award of their PhDs will be considered. In these circumstances the appointment will be made at Grade 5, spine point 30 with the title of Research Assistant. Upon confirmation of the award of the PhD, the job title will become Research Associate and the salary will increase to Grade 6.

Further Information

We pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming. We embrace diversity and want everyone to feel that they belong and are connected to others in our community.

We are committed to working with our staff and unions on these and other issues, to continue to support our people and to develop a diverse and inclusive culture at King's.

As part of this commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and through this appointment process, it is our aim to develop candidate pools that include applicants from all backgrounds and communities.

We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the person specification section of the job description. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.

To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our ‘How we Recruit ’ pages.

Interviews are due to be held in the week commencing 26th January 2026.

Grade and Salary:£45,031 - £48,607 per annum, including London Weighting Allowance

Job ID:133865

Close Date:21-Jan-2026

Contact Person:Professor David Moxey

Contact Details:[e-mail]