Heriot-Watt University
 School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, and
 Scottish Institute for Solar Energy Research (SISER)
Postdoctoral Research Associate:
Aesthetic Integration of Photovoltaics into Buildings
INFORMATON FOR CANDIDATES
School of Engineering and Physical Sciences; and Scottish Institute for
Solar Energy Research (SISER)
Postdoctoral Research Associate:
Aesthetic Integration of Photovoltaics into Buildings
Salary scale:
£28,983 - £35,646
Duration:
36 months
Location:
Riccarton, Edinburgh
Heriot-Watt University
Heriot-Watt is a university for business and industry at the forefront of research and teaching innovation. With campuses in Edinburgh, the Scottish
Borders and Dubai, Heriot-Watt provides a top quality living and working environment. Our international focus creates a very cosmopolitan environment
with more than a quarter of our on-campus students in Scotland coming from
outside the UK. Heriot-Watt is one of the UK's leading research institutions
having been rated at the highest level by our national review body, the RAE,
and we are recognised internationally as a centre for high calibre research.
Heriot-Watt's Edinburgh's campus provides a top quality living and working
environment in one of the world's great cities. The Campus occupies 380
acres of mature meadow and woodland to the west of Edinburgh, just six
minutes from Edinburgh airport, and some 20 minutes from the city centre by
car. On site we also have the Edinburgh Conference Centre, one of the top
conference venues in the country. The Campus is also home to a large Research Park, the first of its kind in Europe, representing Heriot-Watt's commitment to active collaboration with industry.
The School of Engineering and Physical Sciences
The School of Engineering and Physical Sciences (http://www.eps.hw.ac.uk/)
is built around the established subjects of chemical engineering, mechanical
engineering, electrical, electronic and computer engineering, chemistry and
physics, but our interdisciplinary structure gives us a unique advantage in the
pursuit of new and exciting interdisciplinary topics. Our School is a community
of some two thousand staff, undergraduate and postgraduate students and
our mission is the creation and transfer of knowledge through our research,
teaching and learning, for the advancement of our subject and to contribute to
society.
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Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering at Heriot-Watt University is one of the largest
departments devoted to this subject in Scotland, and has a strong
international reputation in all areas of its research. Each year, we attract new,
external research contracts worth around £3M from industry, the research
councils and the EU. We host the Scottish Manufacturing Institute with
funding of more than £4M over 5 years from the Engineering and Physical
Sciences Research Council. We have strong links with industry and many of
the projects have particular industrial relevance.
Our research spans the spectrum of traditional mechanical engineering to
areas that cross the interface between mechanical engineering and other
disciplines (such as materials, medicine and physics). Our research is divided
into six broad themes:
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Design, Manufacture and Robotics
Energy Technology, Heat Transfer and Fluid Mechanics
Microsystems and Packaging
Optical Engineering
Surfaces, Microengineering and Diagnostics
Renewable Energy
Given the interdisciplinary nature of renewable energy, collaboration and with
other research disciplines is encouraged and at present active collaborations
exist with Physics, Electrical Engineering as well as with the University of
Edinburgh through a number of Joint Research Initiatives in addition to
international collaborators. In particular, formal collaborations currently exist
through the Edinburgh Research Partnership, a £14M initiative between
Heriot-Watt University and the Universities of Edinburgh, supported by the
Scottish Funding Council and the Office of Science and Technology.
Scottish Institute for Solar Energy Research (SISER)
HWU is the driving force behind the Scottish Institute for Solar Energy
Research (SISER – http://siser.eps.hw.ac.uk), which is a pan-Scotland
initiative that aims to enhance collaboration in the area of solar technologies both within Scotland and internationally - as well as providing a expertise and
facilities to support up-and-coming R&D and future commercialisation in the
field. Specifically SISER aims to:
 promote collaborative solar R&D in Scotland and beyond;
 be the leading UK solar R&D institute;
 develop solar technologies that are relevant to Northern Europe (such
as building integrated photovoltaic systems), and
 drive the solar revolution via the development and deployment of low
carbon energy systems.
There are currently five academics involved in SISER from HWU, including 2
lecturers and 3 professors, with a research group of about 4 research
associates and 14 PhD students.
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Research Assistant/Associate Appointment
The tasks to be performed by the HWU research associate within the project
are:
 Optical characterisation of materials to be used in PV systems;
 Electrical characterisation of PV components;
 Development and realisation of novel concepts for the integration of PV
technologies; into buildings, including the luminescent solar
concentrator technology
 Modelling of system performance;
 Accelerated weathering testing of all components;
 Conducting an energy payback time analysis and a cost analysis for
the technology.
Selection Criteria
The ideal candidate will have the following profile:
a) Essential
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PhD in engineering or physics (or a closely related discipline)
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Experience in the design and fabrication of optical and electrical
components and systems, ideally photovoltaic (PV), but also other
related technologies
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Excellent critical analysis skills to interpret research data, draw out
important conclusions, and identify gaps in the research understanding.
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Experience in communicating research into international high ranking
journal publications
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Excellent written and oral communication skills
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Excellent ability to work and liaise within a team of international
researchers
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Demonstrated ability to plan and manage own research activity in close
collaboration with other team members, including the development of
new research grant proposals
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Demonstrated ability to supervise student projects (e.g. MSc) as well
as day-to-day supervision of PhD students.
b) Desirable
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Experience with modelling techniques, such as optical ray-tracing and
PV system performance prediction
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Experience with polymer processing techniques
Duties and Responsibilities of Post
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The successful candidate will act as a project manager of the Heriot-Watt
University team, and coordinate collaboration with other partners.
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Take responsibility for co-ordinating their own experimental research within
the framework defined by the grant and as defined by the line manager.
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Organise their own work and time in order to meet the deadlines and
milestones as defined within the grant, or as modified after discussion with
the line manager.
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Represent Heriot-Watt University on regular project meetings and
international conferences.
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Drive the publishing of results in high-quality international journals, again, in
collaboration with other partners.
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Manage the relationship with the project coordinator and project officer.
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Keep their line manager and other relevant individuals informed of
progress.
Supervision
The line manager is Prof. Bryce Richards.
Informal Enquiries
Please direct all informal enquiries to Prof. Bryce Richards, email:
b.s.richards@hw.ac.uk.
Application Procedure
All completed formal applications may be returned by e-mail to hr@hw.ac.uk
or by post to Heriot-Watt University, Human Resources, Edinburgh EH14
4AS; tel. 0131 451 3475 (24 hours), Minicom 0131 451 8212 quoting Ref
167/10*
The application form available at: http://www.hw.ac.uk/hr/htm/vacancies/HRStandard-Appl-form-2009.doc). Please also include a copy of your curriculum
vitae (CV) and publication list.
Closing date: 1 October 2010
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