Research Assistant or Research Associate

Job Description

Grade UE06: £34,132 to £39,355 or UE07: £40,497 to £48,149 per annum, pro-rata if part time

College of Science and Engineering / School of Informatics

Full-time: 35 hours per week

Fixed term: to 31 October 2026

The School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh invites applications for two posts, which can be appointed at either Research Assistant or Research Associate levels, to contribute to cutting-edge research in machine learning for time series health and care data with opportunities for innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and career development.

The Opportunity

The MoveR Laboratory at the University of Edinburgh (mover.ed.ac.uk) is a multidisciplinary research hub focused on improving movement, rehabilitation, and physical health across the life course. Combining expertise in engineering, informatics, medicine, and social science, MoveR develops low-cost, people-centred digital technologies that address real-world needs in health and care.

At its core is the MoveR Wearable, a bespoke, affordable sensor platform that captures rich movement, physiological, and behavioural data, supporting on-device machine learning and remote monitoring. The lab explores digital biomarkers and predictive analytics to support conditions such as Parkinson’s, stroke, cerebral palsy, and post-operative recovery. Research areas span biomechanical modelling, physical activity analysis, and digital phenotyping using edge computing.

MoveR collaborates extensively with industry, healthcare providers, and the public, translating research into products and services through partnerships and innovation funding. The team, led by Prof. Kia Nazarpour, includes researchers with expertise in AI, sensor systems, co-design, and translational health tech.

We are currently recruiting for two full-time positions at Grades UE06 (Research Assistant) or Grade UE07 (Research Associate) to join our team. These posts are full-time (35 hours per week); however, we are open to considering part-time or flexible working patterns. We are also open to considering requests for hybrid working (on a non-contractual basis) that combines a mix of remote and regular on-campus working.

Your Skills And Attributes For Success

For the UE06 Research Assistant position:

An MSc (or equivalent) in broad areas of informatics, engineering, physics, or other natural, biological, or medical sciences or equivalent work experience
Background in “time-series analysis and machine learning” or “Machine learning in electronic hardware including circuit design and fabrication”
Strong programming skills, ideally including Python
Strong presentation skills
Proactive approach to building partnerships
Experience of writing proposals for funding/investment

For The UE07 Research Associate Position

A PhD in broad areas of informatics, engineering, physics, or other natural, biological, or medical sciences or equivalent work experience
Background in “time-series analysis and machine learning” or “Machine learning in electronic hardware including circuit design and fabrication”
Full understanding and experience of co-creation, co-design in digital health and care
Track record of innovative (beyond ordinary) research work in the higher education, health, care sectors, evidenced by publications, e.g. patents
Strong presentation skills
Proactive approach to building strategic partnerships with stakeholders
Experience of writing proposals for funding/investment

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Application Information

Please ensure you include the following documents in your application:

CV
Cover letter

Contact details for enquiries: Prof Kia Nazarpour

Feedback is only provided to interviewed candidates.

As a valued member of our team you can expect:

A competitive salary
An exciting, positive, creative, challenging and rewarding place to work.
To be part of a diverse and vibrant international community
Comprehensive Staff Benefits, such as a generous holiday entitlement, competitive pension schemes, staff discounts, and family-friendly initiatives. Check out the full list on our staff benefits page (opens in a new tab) and use our reward calculator to discover the total value of your pay and benefits

Championing equality, diversity and inclusion

The University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher education. We are members of the Race Equality Charter and we are also Stonewall Scotland Diversity Champions, actively promoting LGBT equality.

Prior to any employment commencing with the University you will be required to evidence your right to work in the UK. Further information is available on our

right to work webpages

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The University may be able to sponsor the employment of international workers in this role. This will depend on a number of factors specific to the successful applicant.

Key dates to note

The closing date for applications is

21 July 2025.

Unless stated otherwise the closing time for applications is 11:59pm GMT. If you are applying outside the UK the closing time on our adverts automatically adjusts to your browsers local time zone.

About Us

As a world-leading research-intensive University, we are here to address tomorrow’s greatest challenges. Between now and 2030 we will do that with a values-led approach to teaching, research and innovation, and through the strength of our relationships, both locally and globally.

About The Team

Informatics is the study of how natural and artificial systems store, process and communicate information. Research in Informatics promises to take information technology to a new level, and to place information at the heart of 21st century science, technology and society. The School enjoys collaborations across many disciplines in the University, spanning all three College, and also participates as a strategic partner in the Alan Turing Institute and, with Heriot-Watt University, in the Edinburgh Centre for Robotics.

The School provides a fertile environment for a wide range of studies focused on understanding computation in both artificial and natural systems. It attracts students around the world to study in our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, and currently has approximately 1000 undergraduate students, 320 MSc students and 350 PhD students. Informatics is one of seven schools in the College of Science and Engineering, at the University of Edinburgh. It is recognised for the employability of its graduates (demand exceeds supply), its contributions to entrepreneurship, and the excellence of its research. Since the first Research Assessment Exercise in 1986, Informatics at Edinburgh has consistently been assessed to have more internationally excellent and world-class research than any other submission in Computer Science and Informatics. The latest REF 2014 results have again confirmed that ours is the largest concentration of internationally excellent research in the UK. This contributes to our ranking in the top 15 CS departments world-wide according to the latest Times Higher Education ranking.

We aim to ensure that our culture and systems support flexible and family-friendly working and recognise and value diversity across all our staff and students. The School has an active programme offering support and professional development for all staff; providing mentoring, training, and networking opportunities.
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