Research Associate in Numerical Modelling for Direct Air Capture (DAC) Technologies

Directorate: School of Engineering & Physical Sciences

Salary: Grade 7 (£36,023-£45,585)

Contract Type: Full Time (1FTE), Fixed Term (12 Months)

Rewards and Benefits: 33 days annual leave, plus 9 buildings closed days for all full time staff (Part time workers should pro rata this by their FTE). Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University

Detailed Description  

We are seeking a creative and motivated post-doctoral researcher to work as part of our international and multidisciplinary USorb-DAC (“Unlocking the scalable potential of sorbent-based DAC technologies”) team and with expertise to support our research activities in the project. The project’s aim is to discover adsorbents that can drastically reduce DAC’s energy intensity and cost so that DAC can scale rapidly and contribute to fighting climate change. By coupling basic science with engineering and environmental aspects, the team will develop an in-depth understanding of materials structure-property-performance relationships across different time scales and under relevant and realistic DAC operation conditions.   

To achieve this goal, USorb-DAC unites the efforts of world-leading research teams from Heriot-Watt University, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne and Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zurich in Switzerland, University of California Berkeley in the USA, and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) in France. 

The successful candidate will be mainly contributing to the following Tasks in the project:  

1) to develop process models and cycle designs that can be integrated into our screening techno-economic platform; 

2) to identify the optimal targets for materials development for selected combinations of CO2 sources and sinks obtained after the process system analysis; and  

3) to help developing data-driven approaches for speeding up the screening of materials and the evaluation of the performance of carbon capture processes. 

The successful applicant must hold a PhD (or about to obtain) in chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, physics or related discipline (e.g.  mathematics or other engineering) with background and demonstrable expertise in numerical modelling. 

The post is available from 1st November 2024 for 12 months in the first instance and could be extended further. 

Key Duties and Responsibilities  

The post holder is required to: 

• Conduct collaborative interdisciplinary research on numerical modelling of sorbent-based capture plants and developing other as-required modelling work to support the activities of the team. 

• Have strong experience in numerical modelling, preferable with Python. 

• Have a strong collaboration with the team and project partners to integrate process models with materials science, techno-economic analysis and life-cycle analysis. 

• Work collaboratively with the team to achieve the project goals. This includes coordination of interdisciplinary teams, supervision of students/junior researchers and maintenance/support of the facilities/equipment.  

• Prepare technical reports, posters and presentations for progress meetings, advisory board meetings and other as required dissemination activities. 

• Project coordination with other partners, work both independently and as part of a team to achieve overall programme milestones to time, liaising with team members, collaborating project partners and sponsors. 

• Take responsibility for progressing a primary research project, whilst also contributing to other projects underway within the team, e.g., supervising the activities of junior group members and PhD students.  

• Contribute scientifically through scholarly acquisition and dissemination of research through the production of reports, publications, presentations and travel to meetings to outreach to the scientific community and general public. 

• Analyse and interpret the results of own research and generate original ideas based on outcomes. Prepare proposals and applications to external bodies, e.g., for funding purposes. Use initiative and creativity to identify areas for research, develop new research methods and extend the research portfolio. 

• Assist the development of student research skills, and be expected to contribute to the assessment of student knowledge in the context of teaching and supervision duties.  

• Develop research objectives and proposals for own or joint research with the assistance of a mentor, if required. Conduct individual and collaborative research projects, making use of relevant research techniques and methods.  

• Contribute, under supervision, to the planning of research projects, including the development of new grant/contract proposals. Make internal and external contacts to develop knowledge and understanding and form relationships for future collaboration. 

• Good communication skills and an appropriate publication record are essential.  

• Continue to update personal knowledge and to develop skills within own specialist research area. 

• The successful candidate is also expected to be involved in our outreach activities, with roles that can be tuned to the specific preferences of the candidate but will involve for example interviews, talks for the general public and preparation of experimental demonstrators. 

Education, Qualifications and Experience

Essential Criteria 

• PhD (or about to obtain) in chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, physics or related discipline (e.g.  mathematics or other engineering) with background and demonstrable expertise in numerical modelling.    

• Experience of applying numerical methods to solve sets of differential equations in a coding language such as: Python, MATLAB etc. 

• Experience of using experimental data to tune and fit model parameters. 

• Experience on process validation.  

• Experience with knowledge sharing and training members of the team. 

• Experience with publication of academic journal papers and reports. 

• Strong organizational skills and project management. 

• Working in an interdisciplinary field, where gaining knowledge of new areas and techniques is a constant requirement. 

• Excellent communication and presentation skills, and ability to communicate complex information clearly. 

• Must be able to work as part of a team on the work at Heriot-Watt University and more widely with the collaborators in the project. 

Desirable Criteria 

• Strong knowledge of Python. Experience of object-oriented programming and developing Python modules. 

• Strong experience in integration of process data, thermophysical data and modelling approaches. 

• Knowledge/interest on data-driven approaches, i.e. machine learning. 

• Experience and knowledge in sorbent-based CO2 capture. 

• Experience of interaction with industry. 

• Experience supervising students. 

• Skills in writing bids for research grants. 

About our Team

The Research Centre for Carbon Solutions (RCCS) is an internationally leading engineering centre, inspiring and delivering innovation for the wider deployment of technologies needed to achieve decarbonisation and meet net zero targets and beyond. Research is cross-disciplinary bringing together engineers and scientists. RCCS collaborates with, and is supported by, industries, international energy policy advisors, government organisations, regional development agencies and national and international universities and research centres. RCCS has extensive, state-of-the-art, laboratory facilities covering the whole CCUS chain, including equipment for CO2 capture, transport, storage, utilization and monitoring. RCCS has over 50 members (staff and PhD students) and Prof Susana Garcia is the Associate Director for Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) at RCCS. The team’s research portfolio has a total value of active projects of >£17million, including funding from EPSRC, UKRI, EU H2020, EU-ERC and industries.  

See http://rccs.hw.ac.uk/ for more details. 

How to Apply

Please must submit via the Heriot-Watt on-line recruitment system (1) Cover letter describing you interest and suitability for the post; (2) CV

Applications can be submitted until midnight on Wednesday 2nd October 2024.

Shortlisting will commence as soon as the role has closed. Interviews will follow shortly after.

Informal enquiries may be made to Prof Susana Garcia at S.Garcia@hw.ac.uk 

Applications are particularly welcome from women and black and minority ethnic candidates, who are under-represented in academic posts at Heriot-Watt. 

 

 

At Heriot Watt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real world impact which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team.

Our flourishing community will give you the freedom to challenge and to bring your enterprising mind and to help our partners with solutions that can be applied now and in the future. Join us and Heriot Watt will provide you with a platform to thrive and work in a way that also helps you live your life in balance with well-being and inclusiveness at the heart of our global community.

Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities.  Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.

Heriot-Watt University values diversity across our University community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information, please see our website https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/services/equality-diversity.htm and also our award-winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers https://disc.hw.ac.uk/ .

We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g. part-time working and job share options.

Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.