Research Fellow in Propulsion Systems Design

European Commission; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading university in the UK seeks a Research Fellow in Propulsion Systems Design to enhance research on powerplant nacelle and exhaust systems, aiming to improve fuel efficiency. The position requires a PhD (or close to completion) in aerospace or mechanical engineering and strong skills in Computational Fluid Dynamics. This role offers the opportunity to contribute to pioneering research integrating advanced design methods with aerospace systems.

Qualifications

• Experience in applied Computational Fluid Dynamics methods.
• Track record of publishing in high-quality journals.
• Confident independent researcher with excellent communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop computational models for engine/airframe integration.
• Focus on exhaust and nacelle design tools.
• Evaluate cruise and off-design performance.

Skills

Computational Fluid Dynamics

Aerospace aerodynamics

Engineering programming

High performance computing

Optimisation methods

Education

PhD in aerospace engineering or related subject

Job description

Organisation/Company CRANFIELD UNIVERSITY Research Field Engineering Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Country United Kingdom Application Deadline 9 Jul 2025 - 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

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 25 months or until 31 October 2027, whichever is sooner

Salary:Full time starting salary is normally in the range of £28,929 to £33,825 per annum, with potential progression to £39,586 per annum (if PhD close to completion), and in the range of £37,337 to £44,906 per annum (if PhD obtained)

Apply by:09/07/2025

Role Description

The Centre for Propulsion Engineering within FEAS is looking to expand its internationally renowned activities with the recruitment of a Research Fellow in Propulsion Systems Design.

About the Role

The design of the powerplant nacelle and exhaust system can have a considerable impact on the engine/airframe integration and the overall fuel burn. It is important to have design methods that enable analysis of these components within the design cycle time frames. Within that context, the research post will further develop and apply existing methods, previously developed at Cranfield, for nacelle and exhaust system design.

The research focus of the post will potentially be on the exhaust system design and the evaluation of the coupled powerplant and airframe configurations. The installation of the powerplant with the airframe can have a notable impact on both systems and affect the in-flight fuel burn. The research within this post will develop computational models of the coupled system which will be used to evaluate the cruise and off-design performance. At off-design conditions such as descent, the powerplant operation can be influenced by the proximity to the airframe. This is not a well understood area and part of the research will be to synthesise the data from various engine and aircraft models to enable an evaluation of the coupled system. In this context, this post will also focus on developing the exhaust design tool to enable off-design performance to be evaluated more easily as part of the preliminary design.

The research focus of post may also be on the nacelle design tool development. The research will explore technologies such as low drag laminar flow nacelles, nacelle drag sensitivity to manufacturing tolerances, as well as low order based models to enable rapid preliminary assessments. Furthermore, it is envisaged that the structural design of the powerplant, and the mechanical integration with the airframe, will be important aspects for a new product. In this context, a key element is expected to be the influence of the aerodynamic forces and moments on the powerplant and how they are affected by operating conditions and design choices. Part of the research within this post will be to refine the computational methods to ensure that the structural models use high-fidelity aerodynamic data to compute the aerodynamic loads and inform the overall system design.

About You

You will hold a PhD (or close to completion) in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, or related subject with a record of publishing in high-quality journals.

Good skills in applied Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) methods and proven experience of leading research activities are required. Knowledge of aerospace aerodynamics, compressible flow, as well as engineering programming is essential. Experience in aerospace CFD aerodynamics, optimisation methods, high performance computing, and engineering software development are also of interest. Proven track record of publishing high-quality journals is required for the Research Fellow position.

Ability to communicate clearly at a technical level and capability of clearly summarizing objectives and achievements for briefing colleagues and project partners is also essential. Candidates are expected to be confident independent researchers, educated at a PhD level, with good communication and presentation skills as well as the ability to write reports and journal papers to a high standard.

Due to the nature of this role, you will be required to obtain UK Security Clearance (BPSS).

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 impacthere .

The Centre for Propulsion and Thermal Power Engineering is around 80 staff strong (including visiting academics) and one of the largest research and education activities within the University. The activity spans across land, off-shore, marine, air and space power and propulsion applications. Our activity is characterised by a close integration of taught and short course education and research and includes the internationally recognised Thermal Power and Propulsion MSc course. The activities within the Centre encompass a very wide range of topics including gas turbine performance modelling, propulsion aerodynamics, icing, combustion, computational fluid dynamics, advanced instrumentation, turbomachinery and thermal management. The Centre is also host to the Rolls-Royce University Technology Centre for Aero Systems Design, Integration & Performance, testimony of the Centre’s global visibility and extensive links with industry.

More details on the Centre are available here:

Further details on the icing test facilities are available here:

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

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 charityWorking Families . Find out more about our key commitments to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and Flexible Workinghere .

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 Ioannis Goulos, Senior Lecturer in Propulsion Aerodynamics and Performance Engineering, on (E):[e-mail]

Closing date for receipt of applications: 9 July 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.