Assistant Professor in Electronic, Electrical, and Systems Engineering

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

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

Grade: 8

Full Time, Permanent

Closing date: 30th November 2026

Academic Development Programme - new Assistant Professors will undertake a 5-year development programme, at the end of which they are expected to be promoted to Associate Professor. The programme consists of a variety of development opportunities and the time to reflect and develop.

Role Summary

Electronic, Electrical and Systems Engineering (EESE) at the University of Birmingham is a dynamic and growing department within the School of Engineering. We deliver internationally recognised research and education across key areas including:

• Communications and sensing
• Power and energy systems
• Control and robotics
• Cyber-physical systems & digital healthcare
• Rail and transportation technologies
• Space environment.

We offer an exciting, collaborative environment for ambitious researchers seeking to address global engineering challenges while educating the next generation of engineers.

We are seeking an ambitious researcher ready to transition into the next step of their career. Your interest will lie in frontier technologies of electrical, electronic and computer engineering; applications are welcomed from candidates with expertise in one or more of the following or closely related technologies: computing, data, and intelligence; electromagnetic, aerospace, and defence; robotics and autonomy; applied physics; advanced materials, devices, and components; sustainable energy technologies; human experience and augmentation; smart connected and integrated systems; electrical engineering education advancement.

Successful candidates are expected to fulfil key responsibilities across research, teaching, mentorship, and administrative leadership. These might include:

• Research & Innovation: Build an internationally recognised research programme, execute and publish impactful scholarly work, obtain external funding, and forge industrial partnerships to enhance academic prominence.
• Teaching & Curriculum Development: Design, manage, review, and deliver high-quality modules, programmes, and assessments while enhancing student employability and educational experience.
• Mentorship & Supervision: Provide specialist guidance to students and colleagues, supervise and examine PhD candidates, and advise on instructional practices.
• Administration & Leadership: Engage actively at Departmental and School levels, participate in university strategic task forces, and drive enterprise, knowledge transfer, and outreach initiatives.
• Academic Citizenship: Exemplify collegiate citizenship by fostering supportive relationships with colleagues and students and contributing positively to the work environment.

Main Duties

Education

Using a variety of methods in teaching and advising individuals and groups of undergraduates, postgraduates, or CPD students, including (as appropriate):

• teaching and examining courses at a range of levels;
• planning and reviewing your own teaching approaches and encouraging others to do the same;
• designing contemporary, inclusive, engaging and academically challenging curriculum content;
• working collaboratively with colleagues to design and deliver teaching, learning and assessment;
• using digital resources/environments effectively to support learning and assessment;
• developing programme proposals and making substantial contributions to the design of teaching programmes more widely;
• where appropriate, undertaking and developing the full range of responsibilities in relation to supervision, marking and examining;
• developing and advising others on learning and teaching tasks and methods;
• developing and making substantial contributions to knowledge transfer, enterprise, business engagement, public engagement activities or similar on own specialism that enhances the student experience or employability and which benefits the College and University;
• devising and supervising projects, student dissertations and practical work.

Research

Planning and carrying out research, including (as appropriate):

• planning and publishing high quality research, including winning financial support;
• project managing research activities, and/or supervising other research staff;
• presenting findings in publications and conference proceedings;
• effectively supervising and mentoring PhD students or early Career Researchers;
• providing expert advice to staff and students within the discipline;
• participating in research-related enabling activities such as adding value to a cross disciplinary network;
• applying knowledge in a way which develops new intellectual understanding;

developing and making substantial contributions to knowledge transfer, and enterprise (including business engagement, public engagement) and similar activity that is of benefit to the College and the University, including ensuring that the impact of your activities is realised fully and the impact is documented.

Management/Administration

Contributing to Departmental/School administration, including:

• contributing to the administration/management of research and/or teaching across the Department/School;
• leading and managing a team to devise and implement a new and/or revised process (e.g. new programme or a recruitment drive);
• advising on personal development of colleagues and students;
• making a major contribution to some administrative activities within the University (e.g. appeals panels, working groups);
• managing enterprise, business development, and public engagement activities;
• developing and making substantial contributions to knowledge transfer, enterprise, business engagement, public engagement, widening participation, schools outreach.
• Actively manages equality, diversity and inclusion through monitoring and evaluation and actively challenging unacceptable behaviour in line with university policies.
• Plans, monitors and evaluates relevant processes for equality impact in line with the Equality Act 2010 and the objectives of the University EDI strategy.
• Other relevant criteria from our equality and diversity duties document.

Citizenship

Contributing to an inclusive working environment:

• demonstrating a willingness to be involved in a variety of activities supporting University life (e.g., participation in graduation, Departmental/School committees);
• demonstrating support for colleagues, such as sharing resources, providing advice;
• willingness to volunteer for one-off duties (such as supporting School, Institute, and Departmental projects);
• positively engaging in School strategic initiatives;
• proactive support and involvement in activities specifically contributing to a positive and inclusive community spirit across the School/College/University.

Person Specification

• A PhD relevant to the research/teaching area (or near completion) or equivalent qualifications
• Extensive research/teaching experience and scholarship within subject specialism
• Proven ability to devise, advise on and manage learning/research
• Skills in managing, motivating and mentoring others successfully at all levels

Teaching

• Ability to design, deliver, assess and revise teaching programmes
• Extensive experience and demonstrated success in developing appropriate approaches to learning and teaching, and advising colleagues
• Experience and success in knowledge transfer, enterprise and similar activity that enhances the student experience or employability

Research

• Experience and achievement reflected in a growing reputation
• Extensive experience and demonstrated success in planning, undertaking and project managing research to deliver high quality results
• Extensive experience of applying and/or developing and devising successful models, techniques and methods
• Experience and achievement in knowledge transfer, enterprise and similar activity

Management Administration

• Ability to contribute to School/Departmental management processes
• Ability to assess and organise resources effectively
• Understanding of and ability to contribute to broader management/administration processes
• Ability to monitor and evaluate the extent to which equality and diversity legislation, policies, procedures are applied
• Ability to identify issues with the potential to impact on protected groups and take appropriate action
• Ability to identify issues with the potential to impact protected groups and take appropriate action.
• Other relevant criteria from our equality and diversity knowledge, skills and experience document.

Informal enquiries to Neil Cooke n.j.cooke@bham.ac.uk

View our staff values and behaviours here

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.

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 on our website.