Research Associate in Smart Building Materials Policy in Edinburgh

Grade and Salary: Grade 7, £37,694 - £47,389 per annum

FTE and working pattern: Full-time (35hrs per week) Fixed-term (60 months)

Reward and Benefits: 33 days annual leave, plus 9 buildings closed days for all full time staff.

About our Team

The School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society (EGIS) is one of the UK’s leading institutions for multidisciplinary research and teaching in areas critical to economic development and societal equity. We aim to attain excellence in the teaching of the core disciplines that contribute to a sustainable, resource and energy efficient society and are committed to undertaking high value, high impact research and knowledge transfer in topics of relevance to global challenges.

The School of EGIS enjoys facilities consistent with its location in modern, purpose-built accommodation across global campuses and is well equipped in respect of laboratories for materials, structures, engineering, building services and hydraulics research and teaching. Our research and teaching facilities in Dubai and Malaysia are contained within purpose-built campuses in Dubai Knowledge Park and Putrajaya, respectively. The School is one of the leading research centres in the UK. It has sustained a high reputation for the international standing of its research over two decades. The School of EGIS is a leader in fundamental and applied research and directly aligns with addressing the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Our research institutes facilitate cross-disciplinary collaborations and the delivery of large consortium projects to provide impact solutions. Environmental science and sustainability are areas for which we have a long history and are integral to the research strategy of the School going forward.

Purpose of Role

We are seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Researcher to join the flagship SmartChar programme, a five-year, EPSRC funded research programme. The postholder will focus on developing actionable policy and regulatory frameworks to support the uptake of biochar-concrete as a climate-positive, smart material. This work is a part of the SmartChar: Enabling Smart, Circular, and Climate-Positive Construction in the UK programme led by Aston University, Birmingham. The outputs of this research will support the development of smart, low-carbon concrete for applications in housing, commercial buildings, transport, and critical infrastructure. Benefits include reduced GHG emissions, extended lifespan of concrete structures, lower maintenance costs, and enhanced safety through real-time monitoring. The work will inform policy, stimulate new markets for sustainable construction products, and help achieve national Net Zero and resilience targets. It also creates opportunities for skills development, supply chain innovation, and international leadership in sustainable construction.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Map stakeholders and apply qualitative approaches to carefully design surveys, workshops, and policy labs with regulators, industry, community groups, and academics.
• Apply an integrative multi-stakeholder approach to co-create qualitative and quantitative indicators to express, holistically, the value of biochar in buildings.
• Organize thematic roundtables on smart infrastructure and climate-positive construction, generating shared recommendations and certification pathways.
• Explore how procurement frameworks, housing standards, and building regulations can integrate smart low-carbon materials to support decarbonization and resilience in buildings.
• Co-create credible, scalable routes to market through engagement with key industry players, standard bodies and policy stakeholders.
• Develop Policy Brief on barriers/enablers to biochar-concrete adoption and guidance documents for industry and government, including housing-specific case studies.

Collaboration and Project Support

• Carry out research tasks independently and within an interdisciplinary team.
• Work collaboratively with academic staff, researchers, and industrial partners across the SmartChar programme.
• Contribute to project meetings, reporting, and coordination activities. Support the supervision of PhD students and junior researchers where appropriate.

Dissemination and Impact

• Publish research findings in high-quality peer-reviewed journals.
• Present at national and international conferences.
• Contribute to industry engagement, knowledge transfer, and potential commercialisation activities.

Additional responsibilities

• Engage in continuous personal and professional development in line with the demands of the role, including undertaking relevant training and development activities to develop themselves and support the development of others.
• Ensure and promote the personal health, safety and wellbeing of staff and students.
• Carry out duties in a way which promotes fairness in all matters, and which engenders trust.
• Promote equality of opportunity and support diversity and inclusion as well as working to support the University’s environmental sustainability agenda and practices.
• Identify appropriate sources of funding and help prepare research proposals for funding bodies.

Person Specification

These are the criteria on which the short-listing and recruitment selection will be made.

• A PhD (or forthcoming PhD) in construction related discipline.
• Strong background in policy evaluation– (identification of policy gaps and opportunities).
• Experience of turning technical findings into policy recommendations.
• Experience of undertaking, writing up and disseminating policy-oriented research.
• Knowledge of regulatory and governance frameworks.
• Experience of stakeholder engagement and consultation.
• Excellent IT and communication skills and high attention to detail.
• Evidence of a developing publication record.
• Evidence of self-motivation and the ability to work independently.
• Evidence of excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Excellent time management skills including the ability to prioritise workload.
• Good team player with good interpersonal skills.

How to Apply

Please submit via the Heriot-Watt on-line recruitment system (1) Cover letter describing your interest and suitability for the post; (2) Full CV.

Applications can be submitted until 23:55 on Tuesday 28th July 2026.

About Heriot-Watt University

At Heriot Watt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real world impact which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team.

Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.