Professor in Electrical Engineering (ENG_05)

Working at Durham University

A globally outstanding centre of teaching and research excellence, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, a unique and historic setting - Durham is a university like no other.

As one of the UK's leading universities, Durham is an incredible place to define your career while enjoying a high-quality work/life balance. We are home to some of the most talented scholars and researchers from around the world who are tackling global issues and making a difference to people's lives.

We believe that inspiring our people to do outstanding things at Durham enables Durham people to do outstanding things in the world.

Our University Strategy is built on three pillars of research, education and wider student experience, but also on our keen sense of community and of inspiring others to achieve their potential.

Our University Strategy

Our Purpose and Values

Find out more about the benefits of working at the University and what it is like to live and work in the Durham area on our Why Durham? information page.

The Department

The Department of Engineering at Durham University is continuing a period of strategic growth. This is an exciting opportunity to join an expanding, unified Engineering Department which is recognised as one of the very best in the UK, with a reputation for excellence in teaching, research and employability of our graduates. In the REF2021 exercise, 95% of our Engineering outputs were graded 3* or 4*. The Department is committed to an ethos of research-led education at all levels of our taught programmes. Engineering at Durham University was ranked 4th in The Complete University Guide 2025, 6th in The Guardian University Guide 2025, and 6th in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025. We were ranked 2nd in Engineering behind only Cambridge in a recent Institute for Fiscal Studies report on the difference in graduate earnings by UK university choice. We are a scholarly community that is open, representative and diverse: our commitment to this is expressed through work of the Department's Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Group, and our Athena Swan Silver award.

The Department of Engineering demonstrates significant depth of research excellence across a range of disciplines, with activities that are currently concentrated around three Research Challenge areas: Sustainable Infrastructure, Future Energy Systems and Advanced Materials, Electronics and Communications. Thematically, our research is split into eight Research Nodes which group together our day-to-day activities and expertise. We are particularly proud of the collaborative interdisciplinary nature of our research, which also includes strong industrial partnerships.

The Electrical Power research node comprises a group of eight academics with seven research associates and 20 PhD students. We currently have three laboratories to support the work in this area, focussing on Smart Grid and Power Systems Modelling, Electrical Machines and the development of Power Electronics to support research across a range of applications from both a UK and global perspective, including novel power convertors for hostile environments, and offshore energy systems. The established research activities include the reliability of offshore wind turbines, power take off systems, smart grids, hardware-in-loop simulations, magnetic material characterisation and transformer-less power converters. The laboratories house a range of electrical engineering infrastructure, including 75 kW and 20 kW dynamometers, a fully instrumented micro-grid and MVDC power electronics. Supported by Real Time power system simulation capability, these laboratories enable the investigation of a complete electrical power system using a combination of hardware and simulation. Industrial engagement is a key enabler for the research activities, in tandem with development of economic, environmental and societal impact.

This post offers an exciting opportunity to make a major contribution to the leadership and development of world leading and internationally excellent research and teaching while allowing you unrivalled opportunities to progress and embed your career in an exciting and progressive institution.

The Department

The Department of Engineering at Durham University seeks to appoint an outstanding individual to the role of Professor. We welcome applications from those with research and teaching interests in the broad field of experimental power electronics, machines and drives. We are particularly eager to hear from applicants with a focus on the application of electrical engineering in the fields of renewable energy, space, aerospace, power distribution and reliability of novel electrical machines.

This post offers an exciting opportunity to make a major contribution to the development of internationally excellent research and teaching while allowing you unrivalled opportunities to progress and embed your career in an exciting and progressive institution. For more information, please visit our Department pages at www.durham.ac.uk/departments/academic/engineering .

Professors at Durham

The University is committed to enabling all of our colleagues to achieve their full potential. We promote and maintain an inclusive and supportive environment to ensure that all colleagues can thrive. Academic colleagues are supported to publish world-leading and world-changing research in their area of interest in highest impact outputs with a focus on quality rather than quantity. We will fully support your research needs including practical, help such as resources to attend conferences and to fund research activity, as well as a generous research leave policy and a designated mentor. Sitting alongside world class research; teaching quality and innovation is critical to ensure a first class learning environment and curricula for all of our students. You will be supported to progress through the levels of the Higher Education Academy (HEA).

All of our Professors are encouraged to focus on quality and innovation in their research and teaching, and to provide excellent leadership in the administrative functioning and collegial environment of the Department, discipline and University in support of the wider student experience. We of course value research income, which is a necessary input to drive research outputs and impact.

Professor in Electrical Engineering

Applicants must demonstrate research excellence in the field of Electrical Engineering, with the ability to take a leading role in the development of the Department's research and teaching, and to fully engage in the services, citizenship and values of the University. The University provides a working and teaching environment which is inclusive and welcoming and where everyone is treated fairly with dignity and respect. Candidates will be expected to demonstrate these key principles as part of the assessment process.

Key responsibilities:

• Pursue experimentally focussed research that is world-leading, and world-changing in terms of originality, significance and rigour, showing leadership in a research field within and/or beyond the academic which is commensurate with the Department's continuing emphasis on international excellence;
• To lead the development of successful research project/fellowship proposals in pursuit of suitable national and international funding opportunities to support research and end-user engagement.
• Deliver excellent teaching, offering lectures, seminars and tutorials at undergraduate and taught postgraduate levels. Demonstrate leadership and innovation in the design and delivery of high quality learning environments and curricula.
• Enhance the quality of the research environment in the Department, providing leadership of national and international research groups and networks which is recognised at an international level. Engage in the mentoring of early career researchers;
• To attract and provide excellent supervision to research students, and contribute significantly to the development of PhD programmes. Enhance the Department's commitment to its vibrant and international postgraduate culture.
• Contribute significantly to the administrative functioning and collegial environment of the Department and wider University, demonstrating sustained excellence in leadership activities which support the functioning of the Department and wider University.
• To fully engage in, champion and enhance the values of the Department;
• Carry out such other duties as specified by the Head of Department.

Durham University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion

Our collective aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential and we believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work.

As a University equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key part of the University's Strategy ...