Research Fellow in Automated Car Modelling and Control

Organisation/Company CRANFIELD UNIVERSITY Research Field Engineering Engineering Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) First Stage Researcher (R1) Final date to receive applications 30 Sep 2026 - 00:00 (UTC) Country United Kingdom 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

Organisation: Cranfield University

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 18 months

Salary:Full time starting salary (if PhD is obtained) is normally in the range of £38,655 to £46,492 per annum, with potential progression up to £53,108 per annum;
Full time starting salary (if PhD close to completion) is normally in the range of £36,159 per annum

Apply by:30/09/2026

We welcome applications from skilled researchers with a passion for advancing simulation, modelling and control technologies for automated cars.

The postholder will contribute to the delivery of high-quality research in automated vehicle modelling and control systems. As a key aspect of this role, they will have the unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience in developing and testing automated driving functions for our existing automated driving platform,CONRRAD , developed as part of the previous UKRI project

Driven by Sound .

You will be responsible for creating a complete simulation framework based on CONRRAD and automated driving functions that fully utilise its multi-sensor stack. You could also develop your own research portfolio by supervising MSc individual research projects aligned with the Centre’s research themes. You will be expected to contribute to project delivery, research dissemination through publications and technical reports, and supporting collaborative activities with academic and industrial partners.

You will have a PhD (or close to completion) in a relevant subject, such as robotics, electrical/ electronic engineering, mechanical engineering, control engineering, automotive/aerospace engineering, or a closely related field, or be able to demonstrate a comparable level of knowledge and experience, typically achieved through no fewer than three years’ postgraduate experience in a directly relevant research and development environment.

You will have excellent problem-solving and self-management skills, with the ability to work effectively within multidisciplinary research teams. The ideal candidate will have been first author or joint first author on at least one publication in a reputable academic journal (pending publications can also be considered).

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 impact here .

The Advanced Vehicle Engineering Centre focuses primarily on the development, application and evaluation of advanced vehicle technologies to help make vehicles more capable, lighter, greener and more efficient. Working across multiple sectors including automotive, aerospace, agriculture, defence and motor sport, we leverage our specialisms in electric & hybrid vehicle batteries, autonomous vehicles, vehicle dynamics, brake system performance, hybrid material development for vehicle light-weighting, motor sport vehicle simulation and testing, mechatronic system development and tyre…