3526326DA - Research Fellow - Offshore Geotechnics


Company:	University of Southampton
Salary:	£37,369 to £45,641 a year
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	Southampton, SO17 1BJ
Working pattern:	On-site
Job type:	Contract
Posting date:	12 Oct 2026
Closing date:	11 Nov 2026

Apply for this job

Summary

We are seeking a Post-doctoral Research Fellow to work within the Centre of Excellence for Intelligent & Resilient Ocean Engineering, based at the University of Southampton, on a fixed-term contract for 24 months with potential for extension to 36 months.

The Research Fellow will drive development of a whole life geotechnical design framework for offshore anchoring systems. The role will focus on creating a dataset from finite element analysis, interpretation of the results to create a lumped element macro model, and development of a stand-alone calculation tool to enable accessible interaction with the framework.

We are seeking candidates with a PhD or equivalent professional qualification in geotechnical engineering with strong numerical, computational and coding skills and preferably interests & knowledge of offshore renewable energy and seabed sediments.

This role is part of the Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Emerging Technologies for Intelligent & Resilient Ocean Engineering. The applicant will work within a large and vibrant group of offshore geotechnical engineers and geoscientists within the Centre of Excellence affiliated with the Chair.

We offer a generous renumeration package, including relocation assistance where appropriate, an attractive research environment on our modern Boldrewood Innovation campus, the latest facilities and access to a variety of staff development opportunities as part of the Centre of Excellence for Intelligent & Resilient Ocean Engineering (IROE) and the Southampton Marine & Maritime Institute (SMMI).

For further questions, please contact Professor Susan Gourvenec (smg1g17@soton.ac.uk).

Equality, diversity and inclusion are central to the ethos in the School of Engineering. We give full consideration to applicants who wish to work flexibly including part-time, and to those who have taken a career break. The University has onsite childcare facilities and we foster a good work-life balance. We also offer a mentorship programme, and the school runs a women-oriented network event on a bi-weekly basis. We are also committed to disability inclusion and encourage applications from disabled candidates as stated under the Equality Act 2010.

The University of Southampton is in the top 1% of world universities and the top 10 of the UK’s research-intensive universities, committed to sustainability and being a globally responsible university embedded into all aspects of our individual and collective work, in our business planning, policy-making, and professional activities.

Working at the University of Southampton:

Check out the staff benefits and why you should join us at The University of Southampton.

As a university we aim to create an environment where everyone can thrive and are proactive in fostering a culture of inclusion, respect and equality of opportunity. We believe that we can only truly meet our objectives if we are reflective of society, so we are passionate about creating a working environment in which you are free to bring your whole self to work. With a generous holiday allowance as well as additional university closure days we are committed to supporting our staff and students and open to a flexible working approach.

Apply by 11.59 pm UK time on the closing date. For assistance contact Recruitment on +44(0)2380 592750 or recruitment@soton.ac.uk quoting the job number.

Apply for this job

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme

About Disability Confident

Disability Confident is a government scheme. It encourages employers to recruit and retain disabled people and those with long term health conditions.