Grade 7 Salary Range £38,784 - £47,389 per annum

Fixed Term until 31^st December 2026

Agile working (blend of home and office based)/ Arrangements for job share would be considered

The Opportunity 

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an ambitious Research Associate to join the School of Computer Science and Mathematics at Keele University. The School has a growing international research profile in cyber security, artificial intelligence, data science, and digital technologies, and offers a collaborative research environment with opportunities to contribute to high-impact interdisciplinary research and partnerships with academic, industry, and public-sector stakeholders. 

The Research Associate will make a significant contribution to an exciting Digital Twin project. The project aims to design and develop a Digital Twin architecture for smart cities, with a particular focus on use cases in energy management and traffic monitoring. In addition, the research will investigate the cybersecurity and resilience of Digital Twins against cyber-attacks. 

The successful candidate will be expected to develop a cyber-resilient Digital Twin framework, undertake co-design activities, carry out cyber risk assessments, and apply security-by-design principles.

The successful candidate will have:

• PhD in relevant research area
• Knowledge of digital twin systems, cyber security, energy management and traffic monitoring
• Ability to run co-design workshops
• Fluency in relevant models, techniques or methods and ability to contribute to developing new ones 

The Benefits

The University recognises that its success depends upon the contribution and dedication of its talented staff. In return, we have a competitive benefits package available, including:  

• Competitive rate of pay with annual increments within the grade (Keele Spine)
• Generous annual leave entitlement with opportunities to purchase additional leave  
• Excellent staff pension scheme   
• Access to continued personal, professional and career development   
• On site ‘outstanding’ nursery    
• Discounted health & fitness facilities on site  
• Cycle to work scheme (subject to eligibility)

Please note that the starting salary will typically be at the bottom of the pay scale shown above

The University is committed to operating flexible working practices wherever possible. 

The University

Keele University is renowned for its exciting approach to higher education, innovative research, beautiful campus, strong community spirit and excellent student experience. With a turnover in excess of £170 million, over 15,000 students and a total staff of approximately 2000, the University provides high quality teaching across a wide range of academic and vocational subjects and promotes world-class research. Further information can be found at https://www.keele.ac.uk/about/

Keele University values equity and diversity across our workforce and to ensuring our staff community is reflective of the diversity of our student population. In support of these commitments the University welcomes applications from individuals of Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds for all roles.

How to Apply

To apply online for this vacancy and for full post details and copies of job descriptions, please click on the 'Apply' button above. 

Keele University employees wishing to apply should login to Employee Self Service and click on the 'View current vacancies' link.

For informal enquiries may be addressed to  Dr. Mike Nieves on m.nieves@keele.ac.uk or Dr. Zoya Pourmirza on z.pourmirza@bham.ac.uk. Applications to this address will not be accepted. 

Closing Date: 11 June 2026

Interviews will be held on: 26 June 2026