Assistant Professor or Associate Professor (Research and Education) in Space Environment – School of Engineering
Position Details:
* Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK
* Grade: 8 or 9
* Full Time, Permanent
* Closing date: 6th January 2026
* Full‑time starting salary ranges: £47,389 to £56,535 (Grade 8) and £58,225 to £67,468 (Grade 9); potential progression to £63,606 / £87,974
Background:
Our work spans ionospheric/thermospheric science, radio propagation, data assimilation, HF radar, and advanced computational methods to support space weather forecasting and engineering solutions. The School of Engineering is entering a new phase of growth and strategic investment with a bold vision for interdisciplinary impact in space, resilience and advanced modelling, and SERENE (Space Environment & Radio Engineering) is a research group dedicated to understanding, modelling, forecasting and mitigating the effects of the near‑Earth space environment, translating those insights into applications for navigation, communications, satellite operations and infrastructure resilience.
We are seeking to appoint a highly motivated, research‑strong academic to join SERENE and EESE, with expertise intersecting one or more of the following priority themes (non‑exhaustive, we are open to adjacent areas that can interface with SERENE’s mission):
Priority Themes
* AI/ML & Data‑Centric Space Environment Modelling
o Machine learning, deep learning, Bayesian methods, or hybrid physics‑ML models for forecasting and nowcasting of ionospheric/thermospheric parameters (e.g. electron density, neutral density, electric fields, plasma irregularities)
o Data assimilation, sensor fusion, time‑series modelling, uncertainty quantification, and probabilistic forecasting in the space domain
o Self‑learning or adaptive models in response to evolving solar and geomagnetic conditions
o Explainable ML for traceable, robust predictions in space weather applications
* Ionospheric & Scintillation Modelling (Local & Global Scales)
o Physics‑based, empirical, and hybrid modelling of ionospheric irregularities and small‑scale structures
o Predictive models of scintillation and signal degradation for GNSS, satellite–ground links and HF (high frequency) radio
o Multiscale coupling between large‑scale ionospheric structure and small‑scale turbulence / irregularities
o Improvement of spatial/temporal resolution, regional/latitude‑dependence and cross‑validation with observations
Responsibilities
* Lead internationally significant research and publish in top‑tier journals and conferences.
* Develop new research directions and secure external funding.
* Contribute to teaching across undergraduate, postgraduate taught and professional development programmes (e.g. courses in digital electronics, engineering AI applications, signal propagation, ML for physical systems, mathematics, space weather, etc.).
* Participate in service, administration and leadership within SERENE, the EESE Department, the School of Engineering and the University.
* Forge and maintain external partnerships (industry, government agencies, space agencies, national centres).
* Experience in collaborating with space weather/engineering users or stakeholders is advantageous. Proven skills in software development, HPC, data pipelines and code reliability are strongly valued.
The successful applicant will have a PhD in a relevant specialist subject area and post‑doctoral experience, with a record of publishing in high‑impact venues. A strong track record in teaching at a higher education institution is also required.
Appointments will be made at either an Assistant Professor or an Associate Professor level; please specify which role you are applying for in the application.
Informal enquiries: Theodoros Arvanitis, email: t.arvanitis@bham.ac.uk and Professor Sean Elvidge, email: s.elvidge@bham.ac.uk.
The University of Birmingham is committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and strongly encourages applications from under‑represented groups. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We also prioritise sustainability and are proud to hold our Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre.
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