Research Fellow in Combinatorics - School of Mathematics - 106957 - Grade 7 in Birmingham

Position Details

School of Mathematics, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £36,636 to £46,049 with potential progression once in post to £48,822

Grade: 7

Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to December 2026

Closing date: 1st March 2026

Travel may be required for this role.

This role is also open as an internal secondment opportunity which would need to be agreed by your current line manager.

Background

The School of Mathematics welcomes applications for a research fellowship in Probabilistic Combinatorics to work with Joshua Erde on the FWF funded project "Supercritical behaviour in random subgraph models". The post is a fixed term until the end of 2026. The starting date is from 01/03/2026. The successful candidate will join a community of researchers in the Combinatorics, Probability and Algorithms group within the School of Mathematics, University of Birmingham. The group consists of 7 permanent staff as well as many postgraduate students and postdoctoral researchers and has a proven track record in mentoring and supporting the development of early-career researchers.

Applicants should have a PhD in Mathematics awarded or submitted at the time of taking up the position, a strong record of research and publications, and familiarity with the field of probabilistic combinatorics.

The School is a supportive and people-focused friendly environment, committed to equality, diversity and inclusivity, which aims to allow colleagues to develop as researchers and educators. We encourage applications from the widest community and provide equal opportunities in our recruitment processes.

The School of Mathematics holds an Athena SWAN Bronze award, supports the London Mathematical Society Good Practice Scheme and is a member of the Piscopia. The University of Birmingham holds Advance HE's Race Equality Charter Bronze award, a framework through which we are working to self-reflect, identify and remove barriers standing in the way of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic staff and students. The University of Birmingham is an equal opportunity and a Disability Confident employer.

In addition to completing the application form, you should make sure to upload the following: a cover letter, a CV (including full publication list), a research statement (3 pages maximum) and names and emails of three contactable referees.

Role Summary

• Work within specified research grants and projects and contribute to writing bids;
• Operate within area of specialism;
• Analyse and interpret research findings and results;
• Contribute to generating funding;
• Contribute to licensing or spin out deals with demonstrated commercial success (such as revenues, asset or company sales, IP generated) and/or public understanding of the discipline or similar.

Main Duties

The responsibilities may include some but not all of the responsibilities outlined below.

• Develop research objectives and proposals for own or joint research, with assistance of a mentor if required;
• Contribute to writing bids for research funding;
• Analyse and interpret data;
• Apply knowledge in a way which develops new intellectual understanding;
• Disseminate research findings for publication, research seminars etc;
• Supervise students on research related work and provide guidance to PhD students where appropriate to the discipline;
• Contribute to developing new models, techniques and methods;
• Undertake management/administration arising from research;
• Contribute to Departmental/School research-related activities and research-related administration;
• Contribute to enterprise, business development and/or public engagement activities of manifest benefit to the College and the University, often under supervision of a project leader;
• Collect research data; this may be through a variety of research methods, such as scientific experimentation, literature reviews, and research interviews;
• Present research outputs, including drafting academic publications or parts thereof, for example at seminars and as posters;
• Provide guidance, as required, to support staff and any students who may be assisting with the research;
• Deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines;
• Promote equality and value diversity acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.

Person Specification

• First degree in area of specialism and normally, a higher degree relevant to research area or equivalent qualifications;
• High level analytical capability;
• Ability to communicate complex information clearly;
• Fluency in relevant models, techniques or methods and ability to contribute to developing new ones;
• Ability to assess resource requirements and use resources effectively;
• Understanding of and ability to contribute to broader management/administration processes;
• Contribute to the planning and organising of the research programme and/or specific research project;
• Co-ordinate own work with others to avoid conflict or duplication of effort;
• Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day to day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly.

Informal enquiries to Andrew Treglown (a.treglown@bham.ac.uk) or Candida Bowtell (c.bowtell@bham.ac.uk).

Use of AI in applications: We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy.