Position: Postdoctoral Research Associate in Modelling of Subcontinuum Heat Transfer
Salary: Grade 7 (£37,694 - £47,389)
Contract: Full-Time (35 hours per week), Fixed Term for 24 months
We expected interviews to take place the w/c 23rd February 2026.
Detailed Description
Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Associate position in heat transfer modelling at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh. The position is available from 1 May 2026 for a two-year, full-time contract.
Advanced chip designs are lowering the energy consumption of microelectronic components, devices, and systems, while increasing performance such as speed, capacity, reliability and security. However, the drive for more powerful, more compact chips makes energy consumption and heat dissipation the most urgent challenges underpinning development of mobile devices, large data centres and smart edge devices in applications spanning artificial intelligence, communications, computing and sensing. Addressing it however is very complex task. Bridging the full range of spatial scales from microelectronics manufacturing to the operation of an electronic system raises fundamental and technical questions because it requires combining classical and quantum physics scales and principles. Electronic devices are manufactured by integrating millions of single units. As they have become smaller, the size of single devices has become comparable to the mean free path of electrons and phonons (molecular vibrations transporting heat through the solid). At this limit, the inherent continuity assumption in Fourier’s law breaks down, and a quantum formulation of heat (as the transport and scattering of phonons within solid materials and solid-solid interfaces) become necessary to understand how collections of nanodevices such as transistors in a chip behave as a source or sinks of heat. Understanding (subcontinuum) thermal transport at the nanoscale is a fundamental research topic to address heat removal, reduce hot spots and optimise the consumption of electronic components and circuits.
The successful candidate will work on this challenge joining the xFlow (Complex Flow Technologies) Research Group, led by Dr Ali Ozel and Dr Victor Francia, and contributing to the EIC Pathfinder project SPARK-e: Nanoelectronics for energy-efficient smart edge devices, where Heriot-Watt University leads multi-scale modelling of heat transfer phenomena from nanoscale to chip-scale. The research will focus on sub-continuum and mesoscopic modelling of heat transfer in nanoelectronic devices, bridging atomistic insights and continuum-scale thermal management strategies. In particular, the postdoctoral researcher will:
1. Develop and apply phonon Boltzmann Transport Equation (BTE)–based models to capture non-diffusive heat transport at the nanoscale.
2. Couple BTE-based models with information from atomistic simulations DFT of advanced materials and thermal interfaces.
3. Investigate phonon scattering, thermal conductivity, heat generation and dissipation in electronic nanodevices, including thermal switches, energy harvesters, and phase-change materials (PCMs).
4. Coarse grain subcontinuum information in BTE-based models and support the development of surrogate continuum models to study heat dissipation and PCM integration in 2D/3D nanodevice arrays and micro-packaging.
5. Interface sub-continuum modelling outputs with chip-level and package-level multiphysics simulations, supporting system-level thermal optimisation.
The role involves close collaboration with international partners across Europe, including experts in DFT, materials synthesis, thermal characterisation and nanoelectronics, and contributes to the delivery of open-source modelling tools developed within SPARK-e.
This position offers an excellent opportunity to work at the interface of statistical mechanics, heat transfer engineering, nanoelectronics and advanced materials, within a high-profile European research programme.
Key Duties and Responsibilities
6. Take a leading role in the xFlow research group, contributing to the development of new research directions aligned with SPARK-e and related projects.
7. Lead research activities including model development, numerical implementation, and analysis of multi-scale heat transfer phenomena.
8. Co-supervise PhD students and contribute to mentoring early-career researchers involved in related modelling activities.
9. Attend and actively contribute to the bi-weekly xFlow research group meetings and SPARK-e research meetings,
10. Interact closely with other partners, postdoctoral researchers and PhD students working on SPARK-e and complementary projects.
11. Contribute to the organisation of local seminars, workshops, and project meetings as required.
12. Disseminate research outcomes through high-quality journal publications, conference presentations, and project deliverables.
Education, Qualifications and Experience
Essential Criteria
13. PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, Solid-State Physics, or a closely related discipline.
14. Strong background in heat transfer and thermal transport modelling.
15. Experience with numerical methods for transport equations (e.g. BTE, kinetic methods, finite-volume / finite-difference approaches).
16. Programming experience in C / C + + Python, or similar, and familiarity with scientific computing environments.
17. Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary, international research team.
Desirable Criteria
18. Experience with phonon transport, nano-scale heat transfer, or non-Fourier heat conduction.
19. Familiarity with quadrature methods of moments.
20. Familiarity with OpenFOAM, kinetic/UGKS-type solvers.
21. Experience in multi-scale or surrogate modelling, or coupling between atomistic and continuum descriptions.
22. Track record of publications in high-quality journals.