Role: Assistant Professor in Marine Energy
Grade and Salary: Grade 7 (£37,694 - £47,389)
FTE and working pattern: Full-time (35 hours per week), Open-Ended
Holiday Entitlement: 33 days annual leave plus 9 buildings closed days (and Christmas Eve when it falls on a weekday)
Detailed Description
This is a unique opportunity to work alongside partners in a community at the center of marine energy development. More wave and tidal energy devices have been tested in Orkney than anywhere else globally. Orkney is now set to become a key hub for the expanding offshore wind sector. You will also be part of a global university with 5 campus locations across UK, Dubai and Malaysia, over 3,000 staff and 30,000 students.
The UK and Scottish governments have committed to energy transition and have set ambitious targets for achieving net zero carbon. The transition to sustainable marine energy (wind, wave and tide) is full of challenges. Heriot-Watt University (HWU) is at the forefront of education and research in energy systems to achieve net zero carbon while improving social and environmental wellbeing.
This post is ideally suited to a candidate with an engineering or physics background, prepared to collaborate with multidisciplinary partners. We are interested in hearing from candidates with research interests in offshore wind, wave, or tidal technologies. This includes, but is not limited to,
Hydrodynamics and resource assessment,
Understanding marine energy array and device interaction.
Application of robotics to marine renewables.
Environmental engineering – to minimize environmental and social impact
The candidate will be expected to collaborate with academics from the wider University participating in our Global Research Institutes (GRIs). Our GRI’s are intended to draw together academics from across the university to work on specific challenges. The GRI iNZ+ and GRI National Robotarium are of particular significance.
The successful candidate will contribute to our masters teaching programs. Our MSc programs in Marine Renewable Energy (MRE) and Renewable and Sustainable Energy Transition (RESET), are delivered from the Orkney Campus and on-line. MRE covers technical ecological and economic aspects of marine energy and is designed to help students from a variety of backgrounds to find work in the sector. The successful candidate will be expected to take a key role in teaching, and developing the curriculum, in marine energy technologies and resource assessment.
Living and Working in Orkney
The post is located in Orkney working from a purpose-built building on the Orkney Innovation and Research Campus in the town of Stromness. The Campus is shared with other businesses working in energy related science and technology.Stromness is home to a thriving community of researchers and professionals working in the fields of marine science and renewable energy.In addition to professional life, Orkney has excellent sports facilities and a thriving arts culture.Orkney has repeatedly been identified as one of the best places to live in the UK, and in some rankings THE best. All interests are well catered for and families will find good schools at all levels. The islands are home to several internationally famous festivals including the St Magnus Music and Arts Festival in the summer and the Science Festival in the autumn. We recommend looking at Orkney.com which provides information about Orkney and its economy, housing, leisure, education, health, and environment.
Key Duties & Responsibilities
The successful applicant will be expected to make positive and sustainable contributions to the areas below. However, you will be measured against the essential criteria, not by the key duties and responsibilities.
Research:
- To develop a research profile in marine energy technology of internationally recognised importance and quality that will make a significant contribution to the University’s submission to future Research Excellence Framework exercises, enhance the international profile of the University and contribute to the development of its own communities of research;
- Disseminate research through high-quality journal publications and papers, presentations at conferences, and relevant stakeholder events;
- Where appropriate partner with industry and local stakeholder organisations in research.
Pioneering Education:
Undertake continuous professional development both through the University and externally to remain up to date with current learning and teaching practice and external influencers in our sector to provide direction and leadership;
Share best practice in learning and teaching methodologies, working with colleagues to develop scholarly debate and the dissemination of excellence to advance the curriculum to be future focused and challenge-led;
- Supervise undergraduate and postgraduate students’ work and take responsibility for dealing with referred issues regarding students within their own educational programmes.
Collaboration and Leadership:
Work collaboratively within the Institute of Life and Earth Sciences to ensure excellent levels of student engagement, retention, and outcomes;
Collaborate with colleagues to ensure a consistent, effective, and high-quality delivery of teaching and research, in line with the strategic aims of EGIS, as well as the wider University;
- Represent EGIS with integrity in a professional capacity at academic conferences, with industrial partners, in professional societies, etc.
Please note this job description is not exhaustive, and the role holder may have the opportunity to undertake other relevant duties commensurate with the grading of the post. Activities may be subject to amendment over time as the role develops and/or priorities and requirements evolve.
Education, Qualifications and Experience:
Essential:
Qualifications
- A first degree in Engineering, Physics or related discipline.
- A PhD in Marine Energy, Renewable Energy, Energy Systems or a cognate subject
Experience
- A Publication record in the areas of marine or renewable energy
- Some experience in teaching and assessing at HE level
- Experience of working as part of a multi-disciplinary team
Competencies, Skills and Knowledge
- Excellent IT skills
- Good team player with good interpersonal skills
- Demonstrable potential to become an independent researcher
Desirable:
- Experience with multi-location live online teaching
- Experience with innovative teaching approaches
How to Apply
Applications can be submitted up to 23:55 (UK time) on Sunday 19th of July 2026.
Please must submit via the Heriot-Watt on-line recruitment system (1) Cover letter describing their interest and suitability for the post; (2) Full CV that includes the list of publications (3) Research and teaching statements, showing their strengths in one or more of the research areas above.
For informal discussions about the position please contact Professor Sandy Kerr – s.kerr@hw.ac.uk.
We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g., part-time working and job share options.
Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised, and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.
Heriot-Watt University values diversity across our university community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information, please see our website https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/services/equality-diversity.htm and also our award-winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers https://disc.hw.ac.uk/ .
Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.
About our Team
The School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society
The School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society is one of the UK’s leading institutions for multidisciplinary research and teaching in areas critical to economic development and societal equity. We aim to attain excellence in the teaching of the core disciplines that contribute to a sustainable, resource and energy efficient society and are committed to undertaking high value, high impact research and knowledge transfer in topics of relevance to global challenges.
Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society - Heriot-Watt University (hw.ac.uk)
The post is located on our Orkney Campus where we are co-located with a number of organisations working in the marine energy sector (e.g. EMEC), many of whom participate in the Orkney Renewable Energy Forum (OREF).Heriot Watt has had a presence in Orkney for over 35 years where a multidisciplinary team is located working on marine and energy related issues.
About Heriot-Watt University
At Heriot-Watt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real world impact which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team.
Our flourishing community will give you the freedom to challenge and to bring your enterprising mind and to help our partners with solutions that can be applied now and in the future. Join us and Heriot Watt will provide you with a platform to thrive and work in a way that also helps you live your life in balance with well-being and inclusiveness at the heart of our global community.
