Post-doctoral Fellow in Thermal Hydraulics in Bristol

An interdisciplinary research team drawn from the UNSW Innovation Centre, School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering and UNSW Water Research Laboratory is seeking to appoint a two-year Postdoctoral Fellow, extendable to three years, to conduct research and build capacity in thermal hydraulics research at UNSW. The postdoctoral fellow will work across both the Faculty and the Centre to undertake world‑class research and translate knowledge and expertise to build engineering capacity at UNSW and in Australia. The Postdoctoral Fellow will report to A/Prof Edward Obbard and has no direct reports.

Salary, Level A - $91,381 - $121,838 per annum + 17% superannuation

Full Time (35 hours)

Fixed‑term contract – 2 years

Location: Kensington – Sydney, Australia

This Job is based in Australia.

The UNSW Nuclear Innovation Centre is launching an opportunity, recruiting a two‑year postdoctoral research associate to drive groundbreaking research on a state‑of‑the‑art test rig. This collaboration brings together the world‑class capabilities of UNSW’s Manly Hydraulics Laboratory at WRL, providing technical oversight, construction and certification support, laboratory space, water services, and pumping power to operate the rig, ensuring cost‑effective delivery, safety, and expertise in large‑scale hydraulic experimentation. The partnership is further strengthened by the MIT Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering, contributing advanced numerical reactor models, nuclear thermal‑hydraulics expertise, and industry connections. Additional support from the School of Civil Engineering and WRL includes precision measurement hardware, instrumentation, data logging systems, and specialist rig‑design knowledge.

Skills & Experience

• A PhD in a related discipline, such as experimental thermal hydraulics, computational fluid dynamics, mechanical engineering or nuclear engineering.
• Experience in optimizing the operation of physical test rigs for the validation of computational models.
• Expertise and/or experience in the use of computational modelling tools to analyse thermal hydraulics and multiphase flow in conditions relevant to water‑cooled nuclear reactors.
• Knowledge of nuclear engineering and design, and the ability to contextualise and describe the impact of fundamental phenomena on industrial, economic and safety related outcomes.
• Proven commitment to proactively keeping up to date with disciplinary knowledge and developments in nuclear thermal hydraulics and nuclear engineering design.
• Demonstrated ability to undertake high quality academic research and conduct independent research with limited supervision.
• Demonstrated track record of publications and conference presentations related to the opportunity.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a team, collaborate across disciplines and build effective relationships.
• Evidence of highly developed interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate and interact with a diverse range of stakeholders and students.

Pre‑Employment Checks

• National and International Criminal history checks
• Entitlement to work and ID checks
• Working With Children Checks
• Completion of a Gender-Based Violence Prevention Declaration
• Verification of relevant qualifications
• Verification of relevant professional membership
• Employment history and reference checks
• Financial responsibility assessments/checks
• Medical Checks and Assessments

Compliance with the necessary combination of these checks is a condition of employment at UNSW. To be considered you will hold Australian Working Rights or Australian Citizenship. Visa sponsorship is not available for this appointment.

UNSW is committed to evolving a culture that embraces equity and supports a diverse and inclusive community where everyone can participate fairly, in a safe and respectful environment. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds and encourage applications from people with diverse gender, sexual orientation, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds, people with disability and those with caring and family responsibilities. UNSW provides workplace adjustments for people with disability, and access to flexible work options for eligible staff.