Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Digit Lab) X3 Job Profile

This is an exciting opportunity to join a team in a flagship University of Exeter research centre. We have three full-time Postdoctoral Research Fellow posts available from 1st May 2024.

Based in London the postholders will contribute to DIGIT Lab (www.digit.ac.uk), an EPSRC Next Stage Digital Economy Research Centre that works with Large Established Organizations (LEOs) to understand barriers to productivity improvements through digital transformation using responsible and sustainable approaches to innovation. DIGIT Lab provides an opportunity to engage with partners across sectors, and the wider cross-disciplinary academic team. The postholders will identify opportunities for research outputs and impactful case studies and engage with key industry stakeholders to develop research that impacts industry practice.

The postholder will focus upon data-driven innovation (led Prof Saeema Ahmed-Kristensen). The research considers: design implications for digital innovation including Data-driven design and data-driven decision making and employing digital technologies to inform designs of products/ services. The postholder will contribute to research design, conduct systematic reviews of the literature, prepare data, perform quantitative and qualitative analysis and co-author articles for publication in highly ranked journals. Applicants are likely to have a PhD in a relevant Engineering Design, or Computer science background and/or research within data-driven design.

The post holder will play a key role in understanding the digitalisation needs of LEOs and developing technology testbeds using technologies such as the IoT, sensors, Blockchain, AI, and Machine Learning tailored to address these needs. The role may require the postholder to develop a comprehensive strategy for investigating the role of testbeds in overcoming challenges hindering the widespread adoption of digital technology in LEOs; identify scaling up digital technology adoption within LEOs by analysing the transition from digital technology trials to the expanded adoption and utilisation of these technologies; assess the impact of digital transformation within LEOs; enhance digital transformation through open access to technologies and data. Applicants are likely to have a PhD or equivalent qualification/experience in Engineering, Computer Science, and/or have expertise in digital transformation, and testbed development.

The postholder will focus upon Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Creativity (led by Prof Saeema Ahmed-Kristensen). The research considers: design implications for digital innovation including: the use of artificial intelligence in early design activities, such as design requirement and design idea generation, for supporting creativity and designs of products/services within the context of product development/engineering design. The postholder will investigate the opportunities and limitations of existing research in adoption of artificial intelligence at early design stages to support creativity and inform the designs of products, manufacturing and services. They will explore and develop ways in which artificial intelligence could be employed for supporting creative design activities, within the context of product development/engineering design. Applicants are likely to possess a PhD in design; engineering; computer science or a related field of study and the ability to lead, the research design (data collection and analysis) to address the research questions.

We are a member of the prestigious Russell Group of research-intensive universities and in the top 200 universities in the world (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024 and QS World University Ranking 2024). We combine world-class teaching with world-class research, achieving a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework Award 2023, underpinned by Gold ratings for Student Experience and Student Outcomes.

Our world-leading research impact has grown more than any other Russell Group university in recent years, and we are home to some of the world’s most influential researchers, seeking to answer some of the most fundamental issues facing humankind today. More than 99 percent of our research is of international quality and 47 percent is world-leading (2021 Research Excellence Framework).

We encourage proactive engagement with industry, business and community partners to enhance the impact of research and education and improve the employability of our students. Read about our world leading research – Green Futures and how we are transforming education for a changing world. We are located in a beautiful part of the country and Exeter (a fast growing tech hub) is one of only a few UK cities to have been designated as a UNESCO Creative City

We are committed to ensuring reasonable adjustments are available for interviews and workplaces.

Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented within our working community.

With over 30,000 students and 7,000 staff from 150 different countries we offer a diverse and engaging environment where our diversity is celebrated and valued as a major strength. We are committed to creating an inclusive culture where all members of our community are supported to thrive; where diverse voices are heard through our engagement with evidence-based charter frameworks for gender (Athena SWAN and Project Juno for Physics), race equality (Race Equality Charter Mark), LGBTQ+ inclusion (Stonewall Diversity Champion) and as a Disability Confident employer.

We are proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant and welcome applications from service people.

For further information please contact the relevant academic S.Ahmed-Kristensen@exeter.ac.uk G.Yilmaz@exeter.ac.uk J.Han2@exeter.ac.uk

The closing date for completed applications is 10th April. Interviews are expected to take place on 23rd April.