About us
The Department of Mathematics at King's College London is a leading centre for mathematics research in the UK, fostering a vibrant and innovative environment to explore new ways of looking at familiar issues and deliver new tools to solve complex problems.
About the role
The Department of Mathematics at King's College London invites applications for two postdoctoral research associate positions, for durations of 24 months and 36 months, starting in October 2026.
The successful candidates will work on several projects related to many-body systems, with particular interest in the regime when they are inhomogeneous and out-of-equilibrium, and they are well described via hydrodynamics theories. They will be supported by EPSRC under grant UNIHYPE: Universal hydrodynamic principles and emergent physics, EP/Z534304/1 (assessed under the ERC Advanced Grant scheme).
The ideal candidates will hold a PhD in theoretical/condensed matter physics, with knowledge of non-equilibrium many-body physics and methods of (quantum and classical) integrability, one position emphasising the former and the other the latter. Some numerical skills is also expected.
The post is offered at a competitive salary (spine points 31-35 on KCL salary scale depending on experience, currently £45,031-£49,871), and includes provisions for travel money, computing equipment, and academic and leadership training.
This is a full time post (35 Hours per week), and you will be offered a fixed term contract until 30 September 2028 / 2029.
Research staff at King's are entitled to at least 10 days per year (pro-rata) for professional development. This entitlement, from the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers, applies to Postdocs, Research Assistants, Research and Teaching Technicians, Teaching Fellows and AEP equivalent up to and including grade 7. Visit the Centre for Research Staff Development for more information.
About you
To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:
Essential criteria
1. PhD qualified in relevant subject area (or pending results) (theoretical physics, statistical/condensed matter physics or related areas)
2. Knowledge and analytical skills in: aspects of non-equilibrium behaviours in many-body physics, such as thermalisation and the hydrodynamic framework, and / or quantum entanglement and its dynamics
3. Knowledge and analytical skills in: methods of integrability such as Bethe ansatz, form factors, conformal field theory, classical inverse scattering theory, tau functions
4. Solid track record of publications
5. Robust presentation skills
6. Competence in spoken and written English
7. Ability to work in a team
Desirable criteria
1. Numerical skills, such as: Monte Carlo methods, Density Matrix Renormalisation Group or Truncated Conformal Space Approach
2. Knowledge of quantum field theory
Downloading a copy of our Job Description
Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the page. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.
* Please note that this is a PhD level role but candidates who have submitted their thesis and are awaiting award of their PhDs will be considered. In these circumstances the appointment will be made at Grade 5, spine point 30 with the title of Research Assistant. Upon confirmation of the award of the PhD, the job title will become Research Associate and the salary will increase to Grade 6.
Further Information
We pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming. We embrace diversity and want everyone to feel that they belong and are connected to others in our community.
We are committed to working with our staff and unions on these and other issues, to continue to support our people and to develop a diverse and inclusive culture at King's.
As part of this commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and through this appointment process, it is our aim to develop candidate pools that include applicants from all backgrounds and communities.
We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the advert. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.
To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our ' How we Recruit ' pages.
Interviews are due to be held in December 2025 or January 2026