Research Associate/Fellow: Safety/Assurance of Robotics/Autonomy

Role Description

Department

The successful applicant(s) will join the Assuring Autonomy International Programme (AAIP) (https://www.york.ac.uk/assuring-autonomy/) in the Department of Computer Science at the University of York. The AAIP is an exciting £12 million initiative funded by Lloyd's Register Foundation and the University of York to spearhead research in the safety of robotics and autonomous systems (RAS) in a range of application domains including healthcare and autonomous driving.

Role

The roles can be filled at Grade 7 or Grade 6.

In this role you will be working on key aspects of the safety of RAS, such as the analysis of unmanned operation in complex environments, the validation of perception systems and the assurance of autonomous decision making. You will have the opportunity to work on real-world demonstrator projects undertaken in collaboration with external companies and other academic institutions (https://www.york.ac.uk/assuring-autonomy/projects/). You will be part of a vibrant and growing team of research, teaching and professional services staff, and will have the opportunity to collaborate with our research fellows and partners. You will play a key role in ensuring that the work of the programme has a substantial real-world impact. You will also contribute to the development of the Institute for Safe Autonomy, moving to a new £15M purpose-built facility housing modern experimental laboratories in Autumn 2021. In more general terms, you will be expected to:

• Conduct research and contribute to and/or lead on the production of research outputs and research outcomes
• Participate actively in the planning and management of research projects, including supervising the work of others and providing expert advice and guidance (Grade 7 only)
• Contribute to and/or lead the obtaining of external research funding
• Support demonstrator projects through collaboration with project partners
• Writing up of research results and dissemination through publications,  seminar and conference presentations and public engagement and outreach activities
• Assist with postgraduate teaching in own area of expertise (Grade 6 only)  

Skills, Experience & Qualification needed

We are looking for someone with strong technical, interpersonal and communication skills who is able to work effectively with a range of industrial and academic partners. In particular you must have:

• A first degree in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and a PhD in STEM or equivalent experience
• Knowledge of safety engineering/assurance and/or RAS technologies such as machine learning
• Highly developed communication skills, the ability to write up research work for publication, and the ability to engage with wider audiences including the public
• Experience of independent and collaborative research using a range of research techniques and methodologies
• Experience of working on RAS or similar complex systems and/or on safety, in industry or academia evidenced through research publications/ reports, and experience of dissemination of results to a range of audiences (Grade 7 only)
• A collaborative ethos and  willingness to work pro-actively with work colleagues and other institutions

Interview date: w/c 31 August 2020

For informal enquiries: please contact Prof John McDermid by email (john.mcdermid@york.ac.uk)

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