Research Fellow in Offshore Digital Twins

Role Description

We are delighted to announce a new opening for a postdoctoral researcher to work on offshore digital twins, focusing on fixed and floating wind turbines. The postholder will play a key role in an EU Horizon project.

About the Role

The successful applicant will be joining a large, international consortium with dozens of academic and industrial members. You will look into many novel aspects of developing offshore digital twins, such as sensing, data handling, physics and AI modelling, software development, as well as experiments at the Cranfield Ocean Systems Laboratory. You will also be involved in assessing the techno-economic performance and life-cycle sustainability of the newly developed technologies. You will assist the coordinator in managing the project. You will have the opportunity to travel extensively to work with partners and attend international events.

We believe this is a precious opportunity for a postdoctoral researcher to build up an impressive and well-rounded profile. The post will be 24 months in the first instance, whilst a renewal of the contract is possible.

About You

You should have a PhD (or close to completion) in the area of Mechanical Engineering, Ocean Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Software Engineering, or related disciplines. You are expected to demonstrate knowledge and a track record in some of the following aspects: offshore wind turbines, wave tank experiments, fluid-structure interactions, sensors for offshore structural health monitoring, software development, machine learning and advanced AI modelling, and previous experience of working in large international collaborations.

Being independent and confident, having good planning and self-management skills, having great oral and written communication, and having a passion for teamwork will be ideal.

About Us

As a specialist postgraduate university, Cranfield’s world-class expertise, large-scale facilities and unrivalled industry partnerships are creating leaders in technology and management globally. Learn more about Cranfield and our unique impact here.

Cranfield’s Automotive, Energy and Photonics theme is an industry-focussed research cluster at the University and aims to bring together interdisciplinary teams to tackle existing and rising challenges for a Net-Zero future. Our researchers, academics and students engage in projects with industry and government to tackle issues ranging from offshore placement of renewable energy systems, to desktop-based development of advanced AI systems.

Our Values and Commitments

Our shared, stated values help to define who we are and underpin everything we do: Ambition; Impact; Respect; and Community. Find out more here.

We aim to create and maintain a culture in which everyone can work and study together and realise their full potential. We are a Disability Confident Employer. We are committed to actively exploring flexible working options for each role and have been ranked in the Top 30 family friendly employers in the UK by the charity Working Families. Find out more about our key commitments to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and Flexible Working here.

Working Arrangements

Collaborating and connecting are integral to so much of what we do. Our Working Arrangements Framework provides many staff with the opportunity to flexibly combine on-site and remote working, where job roles allow, balancing the needs of our community of staff, students, clients and partners.

How to apply                                   

For an informal discussion about this opportunity, please contact Dr Luofeng Huang, Senior Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering – Renewable Energy Systems, on (E): luofeng.huang@cranfield.ac.uk

Please do not hesitate to contact us for further details on (E): peoplerecruitment@cranfield.ac.uk. Please quote reference number 5382.

Closing date for receipt of applications:   13 September 2026

Please note that we reserve the right to close this advert prior to the stated closing date should we receive sufficient numbers of applications. Therefore, we would encourage you to complete and submit your application as soon as possible.