Senior Research Officer, School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences in Colchester

The School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences (SRES) at the University of Essex is an internationally recognised centre for excellence in research and education across biomechanics, physiotherapy, sports therapy, and human performance sciences. The School hosts state of the art laboratories, including two advanced biomechanics facilities equipped with Vicon camera systems, force plates, instrumented treadmills, and a wide range of EMG and IMU technologies. This post is funded by the Medical Research Council as part of a project examining biomechanical load safety in people with hip and knee replacements. The successful candidate will join a multidisciplinary team of biomechanists, physiotherapists, statisticians, and clinical collaborators from the UK and abroad.

Duties of the Role

The Senior Research Officer will contribute directly to the delivery of the project’s research and technical objectives. The role centres on translating an existing FORTRAN‑based lubrication and wear model into a modern, high‑performance, open‑source library that can be used for scalable simulation and advanced data analysis. The post holder will undertake the optimisation, extension and maintenance of Fortran numerical codes used for tribology and lubrication modelling and will develop efficient Python interfaces that allow seamless integration between compiled code and high‑level workflows. You will be responsible for building, testing and documenting shared libraries and ensuring that all computational outputs meet high standards of reproducibility, version control and documentation.

Beyond the technical aspects, the post holder will engage in high quality research activity, including data processing, modelling, interpretation and scholarly dissemination. You will contribute to publications, present findings at appropriate academic forums, and collaborate closely with project team members throughout all research stages. The role also includes participation in departmental activities, engagement in knowledge exchange opportunities, and ongoing professional development. The post holder will be expected to help strengthen the research profile of the School and contribute to future research funding applications.

Qualifications and Skills required

Applicants must hold a doctoral degree in Mechanical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, Computational Engineering, Computer Science or a related discipline. You must have substantial experience in Fortran programming for scientific or engineering applications, alongside strong proficiency in Python for numerical computing. Experience interfacing compiled code with Python, particularly through tools such as f2py, and a solid understanding of numerical methods for solving differential equations, are essential. Applicants should demonstrate a developing research profile with evidence of high quality publications, strong communication skills, and the ability to work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team. Desirable attributes include experience in tribology, lubrication theory or fluid mechanics, familiarity with high performance computing or parallelisation, and knowledge of research software engineering practices such as testing, packaging and open source workflows.

This is a fixed-term post. Details of contract types available can be found within the job pack.

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