Senior Research Fellow (Control Engineering)

University-of-Oxford; Oxford; On-site; GBP 52,000 - 76,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Athena Swan Bronze Award

Living Wage Employer

Family-friendly policies

Job summary

University of Oxford invites applications for a Senior Research Fellow in Control Engineering. The role targets leading original research, developing a new independent program, and contributing to a growing MSc portfolio in AI for Engineering Biology.

The appointee will teach at undergraduate and graduate levels, supervise Masters and Doctoral students, and report to the Head of Department within Engineering Science. Closing date 19 October 2026.

Qualifications

• PhD in Control Engineering or related field.
• Significant post-qualification research experience.
• Ability to obtain external research funding.
• Strong teaching and mentoring track record.

Responsibilities

• Conduct original research in Control Engineering and applications.
• Lead and develop a new independent research program.
• Contribute to MSc programmes in related areas and supervise graduate students.
• Teach undergraduate and graduate courses, including lectures and projects.

Skills

Research leadership

Data-based control

Model predictive control

Robust control

Education

Doctorate in Control Engineering or related field

Tools

MATLAB

Python

Job description

Senior Research Fellow (Control Engineering)

Department of Engineering Science, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PJ

The Department of Engineering Science intends to appoint a full time Senior Research Fellow (SRF) in Control Engineering, from 1 January 2027, or as soon as possible thereafter. This is a permanent academic post, based in the Keble Road Triangle (OX1 3PJ). There is a procedure to apply for title of Associate Professor (under the MPLS Procedure for Conferment of Title ) and to apply for the title of Full Professor in due course.

This appointment will strengthen the Department’s research in Control Engineering. The group’s current expertise includes, on the theory end, optimal, data-based, robust and model predictive control as well as large-scale, embedded, robust and distributed optimisation and polynomial/sum of squares methods; while applications span biology, battery/energy management systems, transportation, aerospace manufacturing systems, and agriculture. Candidates with research interests that align with or fall outside of the above areas are equally welcome.

The successful candidate will be expected to conduct original research in Control Engineering and its applications. They will hold a doctorate with significant post-qualification research experience in Control Engineering or a similar field. They will also be expected to contribute to the department’s research portfolio in control engineering, obtaining external funding to enable development of a new and independent research program. Applications are sought from across the Control Engineering discipline, either being complementarity to existing activities, or bringing a new research dimension to the Control Group.

The successful candidate will also assist in the teaching of their subject at the undergraduate and graduate level. This will include lectures, practical classes, demonstrations and design and project work. The subjects are expected to be in the general field of Control Engineering, Mathematics, and other areas of engineering, depending on the interests of the appointee. The department is developing a new MSc in Artificial Intelligence for Engineering Biology, and the successful candidate will be able to contribute to current and emerging areas of knowledge that are relevant and important to the theory and algorithms aspects of this MSc, as well as to the MSc's operation. Graduate teaching will also involve supervision of Masters and Doctoral students.

They will report to the Head of Department and act as the leader of their research group, setting clear task objectives, developing productive working relations and line-managing the members of the team.

The job reference is: DF26SRFC/188322. Please quote this in all correspondence. The closing date for applications is 12:00 noon on Monday 19 October 2026. Initial online interviews are expected to take place in December with in-person interviews for shortlisted candidates in January.

For those invited to in-person interview, the department can provide accommodation and will cover reasonable travel expenses and reasonable additional caring costs incurred as a result of attending the interview (within agreed policy limits).

Applications are particularly welcome from women and black and minority ethnic candidates who are under-represented in academic posts in Oxford. The Department is committed to equality and valuing diversity and holds an Athena Swan Bronze award, highlighting its commitment to promoting gender equality in academia. The University is a Living Wage Employer, holds an Athena Swan Silver Award, an HR Excellence in Research and a Race Equality Charter Bronze Award and is a Stonewall Diversity Champion. Our staff and students come from all over the world, and we seek to create a friendly and inclusive culture. Diversity is positively encouraged, through our EDI Committee, working groups and networks, for example eng.ox.ac.uk/women-in-engineering , as well as a number of family friendly policies .