Postdoctoral Research Associate

Grade UE07 £41,064 – 48,822 per annum

CSE / School of Mathematics            

Full time: 35 hours per week

Fixed term: 36 months (with possible extension to 48 months)

We are looking for a talented and ambitious early career researcher to work on the project “Numerical Analysis for Stable AI” funded by a European Research Council Advanced Grant.

The Opportunity:

This postdoctoral position will be devoted to research on algorithms in Artificial Intelligence (AI) from the perspective of numerical analysis and computational mathematics. The overarching aim of the project is to develop new mathematical theory and algorithms to identify, quantify and, where possible, mitigate the empirically observed vulnerabilities in current AI systems. The project is led by Professor Des Higham in the School of Mathematics at the University of Edinburgh, and it will exploit links with EPCC (formerly the Edinburgh Parallel Computing Centre), the Generative AI Lab, and the Centre for Technomoral Futures.

The successful candidate will contribute to both theoretical analysis and computation experimentation (in Python, using GPUs), with the  precise balance determined by the candidate’s background and interests.  The mathematical tools involved will include matrix analysis, optimization, backward error analysis, condition number theory, high-dimensional analysis (concentration of measure) and stochastic computation.

A record of some high-quality mathematical reports and/or publications, as well as coding skills (e.g. in MATLAB, Python, C) are essential. You will also closely collaborate with a second postdoctoral researcher, who will be hired later in the year,  a cohort of PhD students, and a range of visiting experts. Communication skills are essential for this project, as the results will be developed in collaboration with AI developers, end-users,  and regulators, and with feedback from colleagues in ethics, law, social science and the creative arts. 

You will be part of Edinburgh’s world-leading Applied and Computational Mathematics Group, providing a friendly and vibrant research environment. You will also have access to a generous travel allowance which will enable you to present your work at national and international conferences. There is scope for a strong candidate to shape the research direction.

Your skills and attributes for success:

• Research experience and some publications in at least one of numerical analysis/scientific computing and/or algorithms for AI
• Enthusiasm to investigate and quantify vulnerabilities in current AI systems 
• Excellent academic writing and communication skills
• Strong coding skills in at least one of MATLAB, Python, C, and experience with, or willingness to learn, Pytorch and GPUs

Click to view a copy of the full job description (opens new browser tab) 

Applicants should upload a CV and a one page summary of their previous research contributions when applying for the post online. In addition, they should provide details of two referees whom we may contact for letters of reference. 

For informal enquiries about the post please contact Des Higham – d.j.higham@ed.ac.uk

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 (opens new browser tab).

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 15th October 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.

We anticipate that interviews will be held in the week November 17, 2025.

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.