{"id":3272635,"url":"https://alion.io/job/heriot-watt-university-postdoctoral-research-associate","title":"Postdoctoral Research Associate","company":{"id":1762508,"name":"Heriot-Watt University","domain":"hw.ac.uk","url":"https://alion.io/company/hw-ac-uk","size_band":"501-1000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Oracle","truth_index":null},"role":"Science & Research","role_family":"Science & Research","seniority":null,"employment_type":null,"work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Edinburgh, United Kingdom"],"countries":["GB"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":38448,"max":46970,"currency":"GBP","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":62820},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":null,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-10-26T11:22:31Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-26","last_verified_at":"2026-11-04T16:35:51Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":9,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":9},"description":"Role: Postdoctoral Research Associate\nGrade and Salary: Grade 7 (£38,448 - £46,970) per annum\nFTE and working pattern: 1 FTE (full time - 35 hours per week) fixed term until 2030\nHoliday Entitlement: 33 days annual leave plus 9 buildings-closed days (and Christmas Eve when it falls on a weekday). 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.\nPurpose of Role\nApplications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Assistant (PDRA) position, funded through the Leverhulme Trust research grant “Tackling questions and conjectures around Gromov-hyperbolicity,” led by Dr. Alessandro Sisto. The post will be held at the Department of Mathematics of Heriot Watt University and at the Maxwell Institute, Edinburgh, and will be for a fixed term of up to 36 months (3 years). The successful applicant is expected to start on July 1st, 2027.\nGeometric group theory is a field that studies groups by realizing them as symmetries of spaces with a rich geometry, and finds itself at the interface between algebra, geometry, topology, and combinatorics.\nThe overall objective of the project is to tackle the main open questions in geometric group theory that relates to hyperbolicity, and in the process to further our understanding of groups with hyperbolic features. Specifically, the projects focus on hierarchically hyperbolic structures, quasi-isometry invariant random processes on groups, and Dehn fillings and related constructions.\nThe project leader is happy to be contacted for informal discussions about the position - email at \nKey Duties & Responsibilities\nYou will conduct and disseminate research in geometric group theory and related fields (write and submit academic articles, give talks at seminars and conferences). You will work on questions related to the proposed project together with the project leader and his collaborators (more detail on the project below) and develop your own research directions.\nYou will actively engage with the thriving research community in geometric group theory of Heriot Watt University and the Maxwell Institute by attending seminars, organizing research events, as appropriate.\nYou will be offered the opportunity to further your professional and personal development skills, and the project leader will support the successful applicant in their academic, scientific, and professional growth.\nThis position has no teaching load but comes with the possibility of taking on some light teaching duties, should the candidate wish to gain teaching experience.\nEssential & Desirable Criteria\nEssential\nApplicants should hold (or be about to obtain) a PhD in mathematics.\n\nEvidence of excellent work in geometric group theory.\n\nExcellent oral and written communication skills.\n\nAbility to work both independently and as part of a group.\n\nDesirable\nEvidence of work on hyperbolic features of groups.\n\nEvidence of research on topics that complement the existing expertise of the Heriot Watt geometric group theory team.\n\nHow to Apply\nApplications can be submitted up to 11:55pm (UK time) on Sunday 29th November\nPlease submit your CV & covering letter via the Heriot-Watt on-line recruitment. Applications must contain:\nA CV (max. 5 pages) containing a list of publications. The applicant may add to their CV the contact details (name, institution, email address) of up to two people who may be contacted for recommendation letters.\n\nA research statement (max. 5 pages) containing a description of past results as well as future research directions.\n\nWe may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. We therefore encourage you to submit your application promptly.\nThe interviews are anticipated to be conducted mid-January 2027.\nWe recognise that many candidates use AI tools during the application process and are comfortable with AI being used as a supporting aid. However, we want to hear from you, not AI.\nYour application should be an authentic representation of your skills, experience and achievements. Applications that appear to have been fully generated by AI may not accurately reflect your suitability for the role and are therefore discouraged.\nAt interview, candidates will be expected to discuss and provide evidence of the experience, skills and examples included in their application.\nWe welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g., part-time working and job share options.\nHeriot-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.\nHeriot-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/.\nUse 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.\nAbout the Team\nThe PDRA will work closely with the project leader and his network of collaborators. The Geometric Group Theory team at Heriot Watt University consists of five permanent faculty (Laura Ciobanu, Matthew Cordes, Francesco Fournier-Facio, Alexandre Martin, Alessandro Sisto), as well as several PhD students. The team is also a member of the North British Geometric Group Theory research network, which organises regular events bringing together mathematicians from several institutions: Aberdeen, Glasgow, St Andrews, Durham, etc.\nThe department of mathematics at Heriot Watt is part of the Maxwell Institute for Mathematical Sciences, an institute bringing together the mathematical activities of Heriot Watt University and the University of Edinburgh. The Maxwell Institute coordinates a wide spectrum of activities, including a large graduate school, numerous seminar series, Knowledge Exchange and outreach events, and distinguished lecture series.\nHeriot Watt has also a central role in the running of the International Centre for Mathematical Sciences (ICMS), a world-renowned conference centre. The ICMS further enriches the research environment of the Maxwell Institute by attracting a constant flow of national and international research visitors.\nAbout Heriot-Watt University\nAt 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.\nOur 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.","description_format":"text","description_chars":7451,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":null,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"phd","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Annual leave","Flexible schedule","Stock options"],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Higher Education"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-26T12:29:56Z"}],"visa":[{"country":"GB","licensed_sponsor":true,"evidence":"Licensed UK visa sponsor (Skilled Worker)","filings_12m":null,"filings_prev_12m":null,"green_card_filings_12m":null,"median_offered_wage_usd":null,"route":"Skilled Worker","cap_exempt":false,"checked_at":"2026-11-04T06:27:35+00:00","sources":["UK Home Office: register of licensed sponsors (workers)"],"filings_for_role_12m":0}],"liveness":{"score":77,"band":"hot","label":"Hiring now","p_open":1,"p_active":0.817,"p_room":0.945,"age_days":8,"expected_fill_days":15,"reasons":["conf:1","velocity","win:mid"],"computed_at":"2026-11-04T06:34:25Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":62820,"is_top_pay":false},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/heriot-watt-university-postdoctoral-research-associate","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/heriot-watt-university-postdoctoral-research-associate.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-11-04T18:40:36Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":28722,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-11-05T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":1762508},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=1762508"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fheriot-watt-university-postdoctoral-research-associate"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fheriot-watt-university-postdoctoral-research-associate"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fheriot-watt-university-postdoctoral-research-associate"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/heriot-watt-university-postdoctoral-research-associate\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fheriot-watt-university-postdoctoral-research-associate"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":3272635}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"hw.ac.uk","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":3272635},"note":"people open to offers who fit this vacancy"}],"note":"The same data through MCP tools: https://alion.io/mcp/open needs no sign-in (compact searches, postings, people); https://alion.io/mcp with an Alion account has everything. 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