Senior Research Associate In Autonomous Underwater Glider

Newcastle University; Newcastle upon Tyne; On-site; GBP 44,000 - 53,000; Full time

Job summary

Newcastle University is seeking a Senior Research Associate to lead on the ECHO glider project, contributing to mechanical, electrical and hydraulic design, analysis and testing. The role is full‑time and on‑site, based at the Newcastle Marine Autonomous Vehicle Lab, with travel for field trials and partner meetings.

You will oversee development of autonomous underwater vehicles, drive experiments, and prepare reports and papers for high‑impact journals.

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience designing, fabricating and testing hardware for marine autonomous vehicles.
• Experience taking autonomous underwater vehicles or gliders through design to field trials.
• Proficiency in mechanical design using CAD tools and Python for vehicle control.

Responsibilities

• Lead on the delivery of research projects and supervise junior researchers.
• Carry out design, fabrication, assembly, testing and reporting of autonomous marine vehicles.
• Collaborate with project partners, prepare reports and publish findings.
• Ensure health and safety and contribute to lab maintenance and project budgeting.

Skills

Mechanical design

SolidWorks

Embedded electronics

Python

Project leadership

Research publications

Education

PhD in mechanical engineering / ocean engineering / robotics

Tools

SolidWorks

CAD software

Testing equipment

Job description

Salary: £48,337 per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 19 October 2026

The Role

The successful candidates will join a collaborative team, ABMHydro (https://www.abmhydro.com/), engaged in a range of research projects in particular for developing an autonomous underwater glider.

Please note, this is a full-time on-site role, with work taking place in the research office and laboratory. Home/remote working is not permitted in this role.

The University of Newcastle upon Tyne was founded in 1871 for the teaching of physical sciences and engineering. Teaching and research are delivered in 24 academic schools and 40 research institutes and research centres, spread across three Faculties: the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; the Faculty of Medical Sciences; and the Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering. The School of Engineering was formed in 2017 bringing together long-established engineering research and teaching groups in chemical, civil, electrical & electronic, geomatics, marine and mechanical. In REF 2021, 46% of the research outcomes in Engineering research have been ranked with 4* as world leading research with 69% increase in research power from 2014.

Marine, Offshore and Subsea Technology (MOST) group is an internationally recognised discipline in Newcastle with a successful track record delivering research projects powered by world leading research facilities, including the Emerson Cavitation Tunnel, the Princess Royal research vessel, the fully turbulent flow channel, the towing tank and the combined wind, wave and current tank.

We are recruiting a new Senior Research Associate to join our research team. Talented, skilled and hard-working individuals are sought to carry out high-quality R&D work in developing our ECHO glider centralised at our newly established Newcastle Marine Autonomous Vehicle Lab and also in our Blyth Marine Station. ECHO glider is an EPSRC funded project aiming to develop an Endurant, Cognitive and High-speed Ocean Glider for Acoustic Environmental Monitoring around Offshore Wind Farms. You are expected to lead and conduct mechanical, electrical and hydraulic design, analysis and testing for ECHO glider.

Suitable candidates will have a prior background in mechanical and/or electrical engineering with experience in developing underwater vehicles. You should be already familiar with buoyancy engine, underwater vehicle design and operation, control and drive.

Prior research and hand-on experience in underwater glider are highly desirable. Please note this is not a role for simulation skills. It is essential that you are proficient in CAD, engineering, hand-on skills and programming in industrial automation and control.

You will be a highly enthusiastic, self-motivated and diligent individual with an inquiring mind and a particular interest in marine autonomous vehicles to drive forward our understanding and capabilities in this area. You will be eager to learn and enhance your own competencies. You need to clearly demonstrate your potential in scientific research by an excellent track record of research outputs and have an ability to work both independently and collaboratively. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, interpersonal skills, planning and time management skills, and problem-solving skills are also essential. You must be capable of maintaining current knowledge of the literature and generating new research ideas.

As part of our commitment to career development for research colleagues, the University has developed 3 levels of Research Innovation Role Profiles.pdf. These profiles set out firstly the generic competencies and responsibilities expected of role holders at each level and, secondly, the general qualifications and experiences needed for entry at a particular level.

Newcastle University is committed to the responsible use of research metrics as part of our research culture and research strategy. We advocate for the transparent, appropriate, and inclusive use of metrics, guided by expert judgment, to support high-quality, impactful research that is open, collaborative and sustainable. Click here for our full policy statement on the Responsible use of Research Metrics. Click here for a self-study e-learning module on the Responsible Use of Research Metrics.

For more information about the School of Engineering and our research, please click here. See our ECHO glider, https://abm-tech.co.uk/.

If you would like further details on this project, please contact Dr Weichao Shi ([e-mail]).

Duration of post - Fixed term until Sept 2029

Key Accountabilities

• Work on the different tasks in a range of research projects to generate deliverables in a timely and quality manner and meet the project objectives.
• For Senior Research Associate, you will be leading on the research project delivery and support the PI in managing the projects.
• Full-time, on-site position based at the main campus of Newcastle University or other designated university facilities
• Regular travel required for field trials, sea deployments, and project partner meetings, including occasional short-notice or multi-day trips
• Comfortable working in marine field environments, including vessel-based operations
• Provide active, in-person and intellectual contributions to the research project by way of e.g. literature research, planning for implementation, generating new ideas, conducting lab experiments, writing up reports and publications, and presenting results on different occasions.
• Undertake research on developing and prototyping of autonomous marine vehicles.
• Prepare clear, well-written reports and draft scientific papers to meet the requirements of high-impact Q1 journals on time according to the project timeline and set out by the Principal Investigator.
• Collaborate and engage with other researchers and project partners.
• Contribute to the maintenance and professional and safe operation of the laboratories and all associated instrumentation.
• Contribute to financial matters related to project implementation and lab development (e.g. purchasing consumables and equipment, and booking travel)
• May be involved in teaching and the supervision of research students and projects.
• Ensure compliance with health and safety in all aspects of work.

The Person

Knowledge, Skills, and Experience

• Hands-on experience designing, fabricating, and testing hardware for marine autonomous vehicles (underwater gliders, AUVs, or equivalent ocean systems), with a demonstrable portfolio of physical prototypes
• Demonstrated experience taking an autonomous underwater vehicle or glider through multiple stages of the development lifecycle, from mechanical/system design and prototype integration to laboratory/tank testing and field or sea trials.
• Proficiency in mechanical design using SolidWorks (or equivalent CAD), including pressure-rated housings, buoyancy engine components, and hydrodynamic hull structures
• Working knowledge of embedded electronics and electrical systems for ocean-going platforms — sensor integration, motor/actuator control, waterproofing, and low-power design
• Competence in Python for vehicle control, data logging, and sensor interfacing
• Track record of contributing to peer-reviewed publications in marine robotics, ocean instrumentation, or a closely related field
• PhD in mechanical engineering, ocean engineering, robotics, or a related discipline, with 2-5 years of postdoctoral or equivalent industry experience
• For appointment at Senior Research Associate level, candidates should additionally demonstrate experience in leading the delivery of research projects or substantial technical work packages, supervising junior researchers/students, and contributing to externally funded research proposals.

Desirable

• Experience integating oceanographic sensors (CTD, dissolved oxygen, acoustic modems, etc.) into AUV platforms
• Familiarity with ocean field trials - deployment logistics, data recovery, and at-sea troubleshooting
• Experience co-supervising students or junior engineers in a research setting
• Demonstrated ability to contribute to research grant proposals or project reports

Attributes and Behaviour

• A developing research profile with an excellent track record of research publications and other outputs considering your career stage.
• Enthusiastic, hardworking and goal-setter
• Willing to learn and expand your research area and carry out challenging research studies
• Capacity for original thought and initiating new research ideas
• Ability to interact with people from different disciplines and in different functions
• Ability to work independently, as well as to collaborate effectively with other researchers and project partners
• An ability to communicate effectively via oral and written media (e.g. technical reports, papers and presentations)
• Ability to manage research data and maintain records in a professional manner for research projects
• Ability to plan and implement research projects effectively and deliver outputs to meet tight deadlines
• Maintaining a high level of professional conduct and ethics in research
• An ability to advance equity and fairness in higher education through inclusive teaching, research, or professional practice, without compromising the legal protections for academic freedom and freedom of speech within the law
• Ability to contribute to the development of funding proposals to generate external funding to support research
• Ability to communicate with a wider audience in writing and oral forms (e.g. writing generalised articles for the public, and speaking in outreach events)

Qualifications

• PhD or equivalent doctoral qualification awarded in relevant disciplines (e.g. marine technology, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, robotics engineering)

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society. We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a Gold Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality. We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC. We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe.