Academic ConnectAssistant Professor (Research) in Non-Thermal Plasma Innovation (Electrical Engineering) (Job Number: 25001055)
Department of Engineering
Grade 8: - £46,735 - £55,755 per annum
Fixed Term - Full Time
Contract Duration: 2 years
Contracted Hours per Week: 35
Working Arrangements: Monday to Friday
Closing Date: 25-Aug-2025, 6:59:00 AM
Disclosure and Barring Service Requirement: Not Applicable.
Working at Durham University
A globally outstanding centre of teaching and research excellence, a warm and friendly place to work, a unique and historic setting - Durham is a university like no other.
As one of the UK’s leading universities, Durham is an incredible place to define your career. The University is located within a beautiful historic city, home to a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and surrounded by stunning countryside. Our talented scholars and researchers from around the world are tackling global issues and making a difference to people's lives.
We believe that inspiring our people to do outstanding things at Durham enables Durham people to do outstanding things in the world. Being a part of Durham is about more than just the success of the University, it’s also about contributing to the success of the city, county and community.
Our University Strategy is built on three pillars of research, education and wider student experience, but also on our keen sense of community and of inspiring others to achieve their potential.
We want our University to be a place where people can be free to be themselves, no matter what their identity or background. Together, we celebrate difference, value one another and are each responsible for creating an inclusive community that is respectful and fair for all.
Find out more about the benefits of working at the University and what it is like to live and work in the Durham area on our Why Join Us? - Information Page
Discover more about our total rewards and benefits package here.
The Department
The Department of Engineering at Durham University is continuing a period of strategic growth. This is an exciting opportunity to join an expanding, unified Engineering Department which is recognised as one of the very best in the UK, with a reputation for excellence in teaching, research and employability of our graduates. The University is in the QS Top 100, and the Department itself is ranked 6th in both the 2025 Times and Guardian tables and 4th in the Complete University Guide 2025. In the REF2021 exercise, 95% of our Engineering outputs were graded 3* or 4*, and the Department is committed to an ethos of research-led and industrially-relevant education at all levels of our taught programmes. We are a scholarly community that is open, representative and diverse: our commitment to this is expressed through work of the Department’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Group, and our Athena Swan Silver award.
The Department of Engineering demonstrates significant depth of research excellence across a range of disciplines, with activities that are currently concentrated thematically around eight Research Nodes which group together our day-to-day activities and expertise. We are particularly proud of the collaborative interdisciplinary nature of our research, which also includes strong industrial partnerships.
Professor Tony Roskilly leads a large Energy Systems Group in the Department of Engineering which includes academic, post-doctoral research staff, administration and technical personnel. The group has a successful track record of attracting funding, primarily from Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Innovate UK, EU and industry. Professor Roskilly is a Co-Director of Durham Energy Institute and the Chair of Energy Systems in the Department of Engineering.
The Department of Engineering at Durham University seeks to appoint an Assistant Professor (Research) in Non-Thermal Plasma Innovation and would welcome applications from those with electrical engineering experience and expertise in research, design and development in this field. The successful candidate will be part of a team which is aiming to revolutionises wastewater sludge management through innovative combination of leading-edge processes to convert biosolids into liquid fuels, biochar and carbon materials. The advanced system will provide a transformative approach to generating value from waste in the water industry. They will be line-managed by Professor Tony Roskilly but will be an independent researcher and expected to carry out high quality work closely with academic colleagues and industrial partners. This post offers an exciting opportunity to make an important contribution to the development of the Department of Engineering’s research while allowing you excellent opportunities to develop your career in an exciting and progressive institution.
For more information, please visit our department pages at www.durham.ac.uk/departments/academic/engineering.
Assistant Professors (Research) at Durham
Assistant Professors (Research) are encouraged to focus on research but are also expected to engage in wider citizenship to enhance their own development, support their department and discipline, and contribute to the wider student experience.
Academic colleagues are supported to publish excellent research in their area of interest with a focus on high quality outputs (including monographs and journal articles), rather than quantity. We aim to support your research needs, including practical help such as resources to attend conferences and to fund research activities, as well as a generous research leave policy and a designated mentor.
Applicants must demonstrate electrical engineering research excellence in the field of non-thermal plasma technology research, design and development, with the ability to fully engage in the services, citizenship and values of the University.
We strive to provide a working and teaching environment that is inclusive and welcoming and where everyone is treated fairly with dignity and respect. Candidates will be expected to demonstrate these key principles as part of the assessment process.
Key responsibilities:
- Pursue research that is world-leading in terms of originality, significance and rigour, commensurate with the Department’s continuing emphasis on international excellence;
- To be developing clear plans for the pursuit of suitable national and international funding opportunities to support research and end-user engagement;
- Contribute to enhancing the quality of the research environment in the Department, the wider University and beyond through collaborative research activity;
- Demonstrate a willingness to take contribute to the administrative work, citizenship and values of the Department;
- To fully engage in and enhance the values of the Department;
- To contribute to attracting and supervising research students, and to enhance the Department’s commitment to its vibrant and international postgraduate culture.
- Carry out such other duties as specified by the Head of Department.
- To carry out such other duties as specified by Professor Roskilly.
Durham University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion
Equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key component of the University’s Strategy and a central part of everything we do. We also live by our Purpose and Values and our Staff Code of Conduct. At Durham we actively work towards providing an environment where our staff and students can study, work and live in a community which is supportive and inclusive. It’s important to us that all colleagues undertake activities that are aligned to both our values and commitment to EDI.
We welcome and encourage applications from those who are currently under-represented in our work force, including people with disabilities and from racially minoritised ethnic groups.
If you have taken a career break or periods of leave that may have impacted on the volume and recency of your research outputs and other activities, such as maternity, adoption or parental leave, you may wish to disclose this in your application. The selection committee will take this into account when evaluating your application.
The University has been awarded the Disability Confident Leader status. If you are a candidate with a disability, we are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to support the interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, reasonable adjustments will be made to support people within their role.