Climate change is already reshaping the systems we depend on – from infrastructure and energy to water, housing, and mobility. Too often, engineering responses focus on technical performance alone, overlooking the social realities, lived experiences, and uneven impacts that shape how these systems succeed or fail.
This new Post Doctoral Research Associate in Human-Centred Engineering for Climate Resilience role offers an opportunity to help change that.
Working closely with FeME and based in the Institute for Infrastructure and Environment at the University of Edinburgh, the postholder will lead research that asks deeper questions about how engineering responds to climate disruption and who those responses are designed for.
The work
At the heart of this role is a commitment to care, inclusion, and collaboration.
You will explore how engineering can better integrate social values, community knowledge, and environmental priorities into decision-making and design. Drawing on insights emerging from FeME activities, you will work across disciplines and alongside external partners to co-produce research that supports more equitable, resilient, and context-sensitive engineering practice.
Rather than working in isolation, you will be embedded in an engaged and supportive research community that values reflection, experimentation, and learning from failure. There is real scope here to shape a research agenda that connects theory with practice, and scholarship with lived experience.
The FeME context
FeME is an EPSRC-funded Network Plus project, delivered in partnership by the Universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Heriot-Watt. It brings together researchers, practitioners, and communities who are rethinking what engineering failure means in the context of climate change and how engineering might act more responsibly, creatively, and justly in response.
As part of FeME, you will have opportunities to collaborate nationally and globally, contribute to network activities, and help build a growing community committed to inclusive, climate-responsive engineering.
Shaping the research
We are inviting candidates to help shape the direction of this work. As part of your application, you will be asked to propose two or three research themes you would like to develop with the FeME network. These might explore questions such as:
- How can engineering systems adapt to unpredictable climate disruptions while keeping people and communities at their centre?
- What does meaningful co-creation look like in engineering research and design?
- How do social, ecological, and technical factors interact in engineering failure?
- How can innovation happen under conditions of uncertainty, scarcity, or constraint?
- What ethical frameworks can support fair and responsible engineering decisions in climate-sensitive contexts?
Who we’re hoping to hear from
This role would suit someone who enjoys working across boundaries – disciplinary, professional, and social – and who is motivated by the real-world implications of their research.
You may come from engineering, environmental science, social science, or a related field, and will bring either a PhD or equivalent professional experience. More than a specific disciplinary label, we are interested in your approach: your curiosity, your ability to collaborate, and your commitment to socially engaged, climate-relevant research.
What we offer
The post is full-time (35 hours per week), fixed-term for up to 24 months, and based at King’s Buildings in Edinburgh, with hybrid working available. The role is offered at Grade UE07, with a salary range of £41,064–£48,822 per annum, alongside a generous benefits package and flexible working options.
You will be joining a university that actively supports equality, diversity, and inclusion, and a School of Engineering that values collegiality, mentorship, and professional development.
How to apply
- Application deadline: 9 February 2026
- Full details and application information are available via the University of Edinburgh recruitment portal (job reference 13506)