Research Associate in Electronics and Electrical Engineering; Wearable Sensors Job Edinburgh area,City of Edinburgh Scotland UK

Position: Research Associate in Electronics and Electrical Engineering (Wearable Sensors)
Location: City of Edinburgh

Grade and Salary

Grade 7, £37,694 - £47,389 per annum

FTE and Working Pattern

Full time, 5 months fixed term contract

Reward and Benefits

33 days annual leave, plus 9 built‑in closed days for all full time staff.

Purpose of Role

This Research Associate (RA) position will contribute to the “Flexi Sense” project within the Institute of Signals, Sensors and Systems at Heriot‑Watt University, which is funded by the EPSRC Cross‑Institutional Impact Acceleration Award and in collaboration with colleagues at University of Edinburgh.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Undertake research related to wearable pressure sensors for optimised compression therapy. This includes independent work and collaboration on Flexi Sense and Flexi Shear projects, proactive engagement with collaborating researchers and clinical partners to define and quantify target specifications for a future commercial sensor system, and the design and build of a functioning field‑deployable prototype (60% of time).

Dissemination of research findings through internal reports, conference proceedings, and journal publications (15% of time).

Liaison with and support of colleagues on the EPSRC funded Flexi Sense project, including domestic and international travel and support of meetings at Heriot‑Watt University, the University of Edinburgh, and the Pioneer Wound Healing and Lymphoedema Group (10% of time).

Develop plans for personal research and contribute to wider group strategy to identify and agree priorities for current and future work (5% of time).

Contribute to writing bids to win ongoing research grants and provide guidance to other staff and students interested in integrating methods/results from this work into their own activity (10% of time).

Key Contacts / Relationships

Frequent daily to weekly contact with other researchers in the project team and relevant research groups including academic staff, other researchers, technical staff, and PhD students.
Regular weekly to monthly contact with researchers working on relevant projects at Heriot‑Watt University and the University of Edinburgh.
Regular monthly contact with key stakeholders, likely to include industry and clinical partners.

Planning & Organising

Work with the line manager to define and plan a programme of relevant research work and produce publishable results within appropriate time‑frames.
Plan tasks independently to ensure project progress according to agreed timetable.
Organise own time so that different aspects of the project proceed concurrently, giving due consideration to the needs of other team members.
Be proactive in interacting with project partners to share data and ideas.
Take a leadership role in regular project meetings to report and review progress and generate new ideas and lines of research.
Determine aims, objectives, and deadlines for short‑to‑medium‑term work plans in discussion with the line manager.
Contribute to long‑term strategic planning and development of group activities with the line manager and other researchers.

Problem Solving

Be resourceful in overcoming problems encountered in the development of new approaches and the implementation of existing techniques.
Define the methodology to solve problems in the project.
Work closely with investigators, project partners, technical staff, and PhD students to resolve problems as required.

Decision Making

Organise work schedule to ensure satisfactory progress and meet realistic demands of project partners and PhD students.
Make daily decisions about own work plan and allocation of time and resources.
Manage day‑to‑day workload, making independent decisions about immediate priorities to meet short‑ and medium‑term targets agreed with the line manager.

Person Specification Essential

Good undergraduate degree and a PhD (or equivalent industrial research experience) in Electronics and Electrical Engineering or a closely related area, with a focus on sensors, electronics system design, radio‑frequency electronics, or a closely related area.

Knowledge & Experience

Proven track record of research in Electronics and Electrical Engineering, with a specific focus on radio‑frequency sensors, wearable electronics system design, or…