Underground Cable Climate-Resilience Researcher

Research Assistant/Associate in Soil Modelling

Location: Newcastle, GB

Contract Type: Fixed Term

Working Pattern: Full Time

Research Assistant: £33,951 to £35,608 per annum

Research Associate: £36,636 to £38,784 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: 16 August 2026

The Role

Newcastle University is seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Research Associate (PDRA) to join the innovative HOTGROUND project: Identifying Future Risk Hotspots for Underground Cables Affected by Hot Weather. The project is funded through a collaboration with Northern Powergrid (NPg) and the Energy Innovation Centre (EIC) and aims to address one of the emerging challenges facing the UK's electricity infrastructure under climate change.

As climate change increases the frequency and intensity of heatwaves, understanding the impacts of prolonged hot and dry conditions on underground electricity cables has become critical. HOTGROUND will develop new methods for identifying future thermal-risk hotspots across electricity distribution networks, helping protect infrastructure, improve reliability, and support climate adaptation planning.

The successful candidate will work within a multidisciplinary team led by Dr Sadegh Nadimi and Professor Sean Wilkinson, combining expertise in soil modelling, infrastructure resilience, and climate risk assessment.

The project will:

• Analyse historical underground cable fault records alongside climate, rainfall, soil moisture and land-use datasets
• Develop thermo-mechanical soil models to assess how heatwaves influence underground cable temperatures
• Apply UK climate projections to evaluate future risks under climate change scenarios
• Collect, analyse and interpret research data and draw conclusions on the outcomes
• Co-ordinate own work with that of others, use problem solving to affect the achievement of research objectives and contribute to the planning of the project(s)
• Present information on research progress and outcomes to a Principal Investigator or groups overseeing the research project
• Write up results from own research activity and provide input into the research project's dissemination, in whatever form (report, papers, chapters, books)
• Use research resources (including, where required, laboratories, workshops and specialist equipment) as appropriate

Research Associate

• Contribute ideas, including enhancements to the technical or methodological aspects of the project
• Determine appropriate methodologies for research
• Assess research findings for the need/scope for further investigations
• Contribute to the writing up of the research and its dissemination, either through seminar and conference presentations or through publications
• Present research findings, either at conferences or through publications in reputable outlets appropriate to the discipline
• Contribute to grant applications submitted by others and develop own research objectives and proposals for funding

The Person

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Research Assistant

• Knowledge of numerical modelling and/or computational geomechanics
• Strong skills in data analysis and programming (e.g. Python, MATLAB)
• Strong report-writing and publication record commensurate with career stage
• Attention to detail and ability to work at high levels of accuracy
• Ability to present complex information effectively to a range of audiences
• Proven ability to analyse data and write-up results
• Experience of working collaboratively with colleagues
• Excellent IT skills in all major office applications
• The ability to use personal initiative and creativity to solve research problems

In addition for Research Associate

• Awareness of the research environment
• High level of analytical and problem solving capacity
• Ability to communicate complex information with clarityExperience of presentations at conferences and/or in high quality publications

Attributes and Behaviour

• Commitment to working positively as a member of a multi-skilled research team
• Ability to negotiate and prioritise multiple, competing responsibilities and to work to deadlines
• Commitment to continued professional development
• Understanding of good practice in equality, inclusion and diversity

Qualifications

Research Assistant

• Honours degree in Civil Engineering or a related discipline

In addition for Research Associate

• PhD in Civil Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Earth Sciences, Physics or a related discipline

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 GoldAthena 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.