

Role Title: Research Associate in AI & Wireless Communications
Grade and Salary: Grade 7, £37,694 - £47,389 per annum
FTE and working pattern: Full-time (35hrs per week), Fixed-term (6 months)
Reward and Benefits: 33 days annual leave, plus 9 buildings closed days for all full time staff. 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 Engineering & Physical Sciences has an international research reputation and close connection with the professional and industrial world of science, engineering and technology. Our research ranges from fundamental sciences through to engineering applications, all of which are supported by strong external funding. We have around 150 full-time academic staff who drive this research activity and are based in 5 research institutes: the Institute of Chemical Sciences, the Institute of Photonics & Quantum Sciences, the Institute of Mechanical, Process & Energy Engineering, the Institute of Sensors, Signals & Systems and the Institute of Biological Chemistry, BioPhysics & BioEngineering. REF2014 named Heriot-Watt in the top 25% of UK universities, with 82% of our research ranked as world-leading or internationally excellent. Heriot-Watt ranked 9th university in the UK and 1st in Scotland for research impact.
Purpose of Role
We are seeking to recruit a highly motivated PDRA willing to work as part of a team in this project to support the development of AT-native 6G wirless communications and robotic networking for healthcare. Applicants must have a PhD degree (or have submitted a PhD thesis) in Electrical, Electronic, computer engineering, Computer science or a related discipline, have excellent knowledge and strong background in Signal Processing for wireless communications/ networks (in particular physical/ cross layer technologies), MIMO signal processing, interference management, machine learning, beamforming, precoding, channel estimation, IoT, user interface technologies, mathematics and optimisation evidenced by high-quality research publications. The applicants must also have excellent written, oral presentation, and interpersonal skills, and software programming skills (Matlab and/or C/C++/JAVA/Python) appropriate for wireless communications simulation and testbed (USRP) work. It is desirable that the applicants have some industrial experience working in telecommunications/machine learning/networks/programming/testbed.
The project provides an excellent opportunity for career development and to make an important contribution to a very challenging field in wireless communications and will offer an opportunity to work with world-leading researchers. Possible placement opportunities with Nokia Bell Labs will be available through this post.
The successful candidate will join the digital signal processing for intelligent systems and communications (SPCOM), Institute of Sensors, Signals and Systems (ISSS), supervised by Prof Mathini Sellathurai (https://www.hw.ac.uk/schools/engineering-physical-sciences/staff-directory/mathini-sellathurai.htm). For further enquires please contact Prof Mathini Sellathurai (M.Sellathurai@hw.ac.uk).
Key Duties and Responsibilities
The post holder is required to;
Person Specification
These are the criteria on which the short-listing and recruitment selection will be made.
Essential
Desirable
How to Apply
Please submit via the Heriot-Watt on-line recruitment system (1) Cover letter describing your interest and suitability for the post; (2) Full CV
Applications can be submitted until 23:55 on Tuesday 9th June 2026.
For further enquires please contact Prof Mathini Sellathurai (M.Sellathurai@hw.ac.uk).
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.
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/ .
We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g. part-time working and job share options.
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.