Post Doctoral Position in Civil Engineering available at NUIG Galway

Applications are invited from suitably qualified candidates for a full-time fixed term position as a Postdoctoral Researcher to work on two climate resilience-related projects with the School of Engineering at the National University of Ireland, Galway (NUI Galway).

This position is available from May 2021 for a period of 7-10 months: depending on the level of appointment.

The researcher will join the environmental engineering research group in the Department of Civil Engineering at NUI Galway where they will work on two exciting climate-resilience engineering projects: (1) developing a shoreline erosion monitoring system in Brandon Bay, Ireland and (2) investigating climate impacts on wastewater Infrastructure. The post holder will work within an existing multidisciplinary team at the Department of Civil Engineering, affiliated with the national MaREI centre (ShoreCam) and the Ryan Institute of Environment, Marine and Energy. The research team is active in improving the sustainability and resilience of the built and natural environment.

About the projects:

Development of a shoreline monitoring system in Brandon Bay, Ireland.

This project aims to establish, test and validate a low-cost shoreline monitoring system using fixed, time-lapse cameras at a test site – Brandon Bay, Co. Kerry. Images will be captured at high frequency (every 10 mins) and analysed to determine wave run-up and shoreline elevation changes. The monitoring will be supplemented by shoreline surveys before and after high intensity storm events. A GIS system will be designed and implemented to allow storage and analysis of the images. The research is funded by Geological Survey Ireland.

Investigation of Climate Impacts on Wastewater Infrastructure

This project aims to analyse the impacts of rainfall, urban development and climate change on wastewater infrastructure. It will require the analysis of land use and land cover in selected urban areas and regional climate model data. This position is part of the wider ESIPP programme.

Informal enquiries concerning the post may be made to Stephen Nash (Senior Lecturer, Civil Engineering) email: ei.yawlagiun@hsan.nehpets

Job Description

Main Duties and Responsibilities

The projects are funded by Geological Survey Ireland and Science Foundation Ireland. The main duties of the post will involve:

Review of project progress in line with the commitments of the Project Agreements (outputs and deliverables, etc.) and work with project partners and the NUI Galway Team to ensure that these are met.
Management of project reporting (technical and financial).
Installation of three digital cameras on the Brandon Bay shoreline and development of a GIS infrastructure to store and analyse captured images
Periodic surveying of the Brandon Bay shoreline to develop and validate the shoreline monitoring system
Use of GIS and climate data to analyse the impacts of climate change and urban development on wastewater infrastructure
Day to day supervision of PhD researcher work
Dissemination of research results and activities through a variety of media
Development and contribution to academic dissemination via journal publications and conferences
Engagement in the development of new research funding proposals.

Qualifications/Skills RequiredEssential Requirements:

Essential Requirements:

A PhD in a relevant discipline, e.g. civil, environmental or coastal engineering, or equivalent
Proven experience with GIS software such as ArcGIS or QGIS and geospatial data management and analysis
Demonstrated ability to collect, manage and analyse large quantitative and/or qualitative datasets and conduct statistical analyses
Demonstrate an interest and previous experience in areas such as environmental/coastal engineering and climate change
Excellent project management skills including a proven record of meeting project deadlines
Experience of report writing, both technical and progress reports for projects
Proven ability to work well in a team
Ability to support the development of appropriate methodologies for research in a multidisciplinary environment
Demonstrated aptitude for critical thinking and capable of taking initiative.
Evidence of excellent communication skills (both written and oral) in English
Ability to deliver high quality peer-reviewed papers commensurate with their career stage
Candidates may be required to drive and should be able to access their own transport.

Desirable Requirements

Experience in planning and execution of fieldwork
Experience in conducting engineering surveys e.g. taking levels, processing data, etc.
Experience in supervision of researchers

Salary

€38,631 to €45,943 per annum pro rata for shorter and/or part-time contracts (public sector pay policy rules pertaining to new entrants will apply).

Start Date

Position is available from May 2021

Further information on research and working at NUI Galway is available on Research at NUI Galway Researchers at NUI Galway are encouraged to avail of a range of training and development opportunities designed to support their personal career development plans. NUI Galway provides continuing professional development supports for all researchers seeking to build their own career pathways either within or beyond academia. Researchers are encouraged to engage with our Researcher Development Centre (RDC) upon commencing employment – see www.nuigalway.ie/rdc for further information

For information on moving to Ireland please see www.euraxess.ie

To Apply

Applications to include a covering letter, CV, and the contact details (names & addresses) of three referees should be sent, via e-mail (in word or PDF only) to: ei.yawlagiun@hsan.nehpets

Please put reference number NUIG RES-081-21 in subject line of e-mail application.

Closing date for receipt of applications is 5.00 pm Thursday, 13^th May 2021

All positions are recruited in line with Open, Transparent, Merit (OTM) and Competency based recruitment

Due to the University closure related to COVID-19, interviews may have to take place virtually and start dates may need to be delayed

NUI Galway reserve the right to readvertise or extend the closing date for this post.

National University of Ireland, Galway is an equal opportunities employer.