Assistant Professor or Associate Professor (Research and Education) in Geotechnical Engineering ...

Position Details

School of Engineering

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Grade 8 Full time starting salary is normally in the range £47,389 to £56,535 with potential progression once in post to £63,606

Grade 9 Full time starting salary is normally in the range £58,225 to £67,468 with potential progression once in post to £87,974

Grade: 8 or 9

Full Time, Permanent

Closing date: 13th April 2026

Background

This is an exciting time to join the University of Birmingham and advance your academic career. Following the creation of the School of Engineering in 2016, which brought together Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Electronic, Electrical and Systems Engineering, we are now entering the next phase of our development.

The School has invested significantly in both people and infrastructure, including our new £65m signature engineering building, the world leading £26m National Buried Infrastructure Facility, and the £28m UK Rail Research and Innovation Network (UKRRIN). These facilities have strengthened our research capabilities and reinforced Birmingham's position as a leading institution for engineering research and education.

Our strong culture of collaboration with industry ensures that pioneering research is translated rapidly into practice. This strength was recognised in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF), where Engineering at Birmingham was ranked among the top ten institutions in the UK.

In line with these developments, we seek to appoint a highly research active academic to join the Department of Civil Engineering. The Department of Civil Engineering undertakes research across geotechnical engineering; structures and fluids; resilient systems and climate action; and railway engineering, while working closely with other research groups across the School and the wider University.

For this recruitment we are particularly interested in candidates who demonstrate ambition, innovation and leadership, and who undertake research and teaching in geotechnical engineering with an emphasis on digital technologies, computational modelling, smart systems and artificial intelligence. This could cover but is not limited to, research ranging in:

• Computational geotechnics, including AI supported modelling, data driven soil-structure interaction, and the integration of field and laboratory data for geo infrastructure design.
• Digital twins, automation and robotics in ground engineering, including AI driven asset management, predictive maintenance, autonomous inspection, computer vision and sensing technologies.

The successful candidate will be expected to create and disseminate knowledge through initiating and conducting original research, through publication and through developing and delivering undergraduate, postgraduate and CPD programmes, as appropriate to the disciplinary area. In addition, the successful candidate will contribute to the Department and School through leadership, management and enterprise activities, as appropriate.

The successful candidate will hold a PhD (or equivalent qualification) in civil engineering, geotechnical engineering or a closely related discipline. Industrial experience, either through working in or with industry would also be desirable. They will be expected to engage actively with external partners in academia, government and industry in the UK and internationally.

The School of Engineering is dedicated to upholding the principles of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) in all its endeavours, and we strongly encourage applications from individuals belonging to underrepresented groups.

Role Summary

The role holder will be based in Edgbaston. The key duties and responsibilities will include but not be limited to: giving lectures and seminars and supervising undergraduate / post graduate students, course development and innovation, taking an active part in examinations, carrying out innovative research and writing papers on topics relevant to the specialist subject area (this will include journals, books and other material), and obtaining research grant funding.

The successful applicant will have a PhD in a relevant specialist subject area, as well as postdoctoral experience. We are looking for candidates who will actively contribute to our portfolio and community, through pursuit of research that will bring new opportunities, synergies, and interdisciplinary collaboration. The successful candidate will also have a track record in teaching at a higher education institution.

Appointments will be made at either an Assistant Professor or Associate Professor level please specify which role you are applying for in the application.

To download the full job description please click here:

Grade 8

Grade 9

Informal enquiries to Professor Asaad Faramarzi, email: and Professor Karl D. Dearn, email:

Use of AI in applications

We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone.