Postdoctoral Research Associate / Fellow

**Salary**

The starting salary for a PDRA will be from £34,610 on Grade (E), depending on qualifications and experience.

The starting salary for a PDRF will be from £43,482 on Grade (F), depending on qualifications and experience.

**Contractual hours**

36.5

**Package**

Generous holiday allowances, flexible working, pension scheme and relocation package (if applicable).

**Job category/type**

Research

**Date posted**

16/02/2026

**Job reference**

Q13294

**Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy**

This new full–time post is available from 1st July 2026 or soon after, on a fixed term basis of up to 3 years.

The post is funded by a UKRI-EPSRC project, with additional project investigators based at the University of St. Andrews.

**The post**

The Faculty wishes to recruit an experienced and independent Postdoctoral Research Associate or Fellow to work in the group of Prof. J. Anders on a funded EPSRC research project entitled *"Good Enough” Prediction Of Realistic Open Quantum System Dynamics For Magnetism, Transport and Chemical Reactions*. The successful candidate will investigate the dynamics of systems that are strongly coupled to bath(s), giving rise to non-Markovian effects that can be observed in experiments [see Hartmann et al. arxiv.org/abs/2512.07378].

Our goal is to go beyond highly efficient classical modelling of such dynamics [see Hogg et al. doi.org/10.1063/5.0222528] and include quantum aspects not fully, but in a “good enough” way. I.e. capturing the emergence of some quantum properties reasonably well, while the computational cost increases only moderately. One direction is spin dynamics problems, specifically extensions of the Landau-Lifschitz-Gilbert (LLG) equation, where such solutions are required to solve systems consisting of many thousands of interacting spins [see also Berritta et al. doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.109.174441 and Weber et al. arxiv.org/abs/2508.11315].

The post is available starting 1st July 2026 or soon thereafter (negotiable) until 30th September 2029 on a fixed-term basis.

The successful applicant will be based at Streatham Campus Exeter (hybrid working and/or part-time arrangements can be discussed), and work with the quantum non-equilibrium group. The Fellow will also collaborate closely with the other investigators on the grant, Prof Brendon Lovett and Prof Jonathan Keeling at the University of St. Andrews, as well as the postdoc based there.

*[Applications to both postdoc positions, at Exeter and at* *St. Andrews**, are welcome.]*

**About you**

The successful applicant will be able to develop research objectives, projects and proposals; identify sources of research funding and contribute to the process of securing funds and make presentations at conferences and other events.

Applicants will already possess, or imminently complete, a relevant PhD or equivalent qualification/experience in a related field of study. The successful applicant will be a recognised researcher in open quantum systems or quantum information or quantum optics, and possess sufficient specialist knowledge in the discipline to develop research programmes and methodologies. They will also be able to work collaboratively, supervise the work of others and act as team leader as required. Applicants will be able to independently identify research questions and answer to them, to support their analytical work with numerical simulations coded e.g. in Python, and present their work in written notes and manuscripts, as well as give presentations to the project team and external stakeholders.

**Please ensure you read the Job Description and Person Specification for full details of this role.**

**What we can offer you**

• Freedom (and the support) to pursue your intellectual interests and to work creatively across disciplines to produce internationally exciting research;
• Support teams that understand the University wide research and teaching goals and partner with our academics accordingly
• An Innovation, Impact and Business directorate that works closely with our academics providing specialist support for external engagement and development
• Our Exeter Academic initiative supporting high performing academics to achieve their potential and develop their career
• A multitude of staff benefits including sector leading benefits around maternity, adoption and shared parental leave (up to 26 weeks full pay), Paternity leave (up to 6 weeks full pay), and a Fertility Treatment Policy
• A beautiful campus set in the heart of stunning Devon.

**The University of Exeter**

We are a member of the prestigious Russell Group of research-intensive universities and in the top 200 universities in the world (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024 and QS World University Ranking 2024). We combine world-class teaching with world-class research, achieving a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework Award 2023, underpinned by Gold ratings for Student Experience and Student Outcomes.

Our world-leading research impact has grown more than any other Russell Group university in recent years, and we are home to some of the world’s most influential researchers, seeking to answer some of the most fundamental issues facing humankind today. More than 99 percent of our research is of international quality and 47 percent is world-leading (2021 Research Excellence Framework).

We encourage proactive engagement with industry, business and community partners to enhance the impact of research and education and improve the employability of our students. Read about our world leading research – Green Futures and how we are transforming education for a changing world. We are located in a beautiful part of the country and Exeter (a fast growing tech hub) is one of only a few UK cities to have been designated as a UNESCO Creative City

**Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Commitment**

We are committed to ensuring reasonable adjustments are available for interviews and workplaces.

Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented within our working community.

With over 30,000 students and 7,000 staff from 150 different countries we offer a diverse and engaging environment where our diversity is celebrated and valued as a major strength. We are committed to creating an inclusive culture where all members of our community are supported to thrive; where diverse voices are heard through our engagement with evidence-based charter frameworks for gender (Athena SWAN and Project Juno for Physics), race equality (Race Equality Charter Mark), LGBTQ+ inclusion (Stonewall Diversity Champion) and as a Disability Confident employer.

We are proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant and welcome applications from service people.

**Further information**

For further information please contact Prof J. Anders, e-mail j.anders@exeter.ac.uk.

The closing date for applications is **29th March 2026** at 23:59. Interviews are expected to take place in early April 2026.