Research Assistant XTRUST-6G

Salary £19,934 - £22,792 (£27,319 - £31,236 x 0.7297) per annum

Contractual hours 27

Basis Part-Time

Job category/type Fixed Term - Part-Time

Job reference REC00005243

The University of Portsmouth is a global employer of choice where exceptional people create, share, and apply knowledge that makes a difference. Experience the pride of being part of a select group, one of only four universities in the South East of England to achieve a prestigious Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework. We also rank among the top 140 young universities globally in the Times Higher Education Young University Rankings.

Ambition, Responsibility and Openness drive everything we do. Join an institution with a proven track record of success, where dedication to excellence is valued and rewarded. We want people who are ready to make their mark in a professional community that values innovation, achievement and its people.

The Role

The Research Assistant will work closely with the XTRUST-6G Principal Investigator, Professor Stavros Shiaeles, and support the delivery of the project’s research and technical activities.

The successful candidate will collect, organise, and manage research data from experiments, simulations, testbeds, and other relevant sources. They will analyse the data using appropriate statistical, computational, and machine-learning methods and present the findings in a clear and accurate format.

The role will also involve contributing to the preparation of high-quality research papers, technical reports, project deliverables, presentations, and other academic outputs. The Research Assistant will conduct literature reviews, identify relevant research gaps, document methodologies, interpret results, and support the submission of publications to journals and conferences.

The candidate will design, develop, test, and maintain software tools, scripts, prototypes, and experimental programs as required by the Principal Investigator. Development tasks may include data-processing tools, cybersecurity applications, network experiments, artificial intelligence models, automation scripts, and research demonstrators relevant to the XTRUST-6G project.

The Research Assistant will also contribute to the development of research proposals by supporting background research, technical writing, work-package design, methodology development, impact planning, budgeting information, and the preparation of supporting documentation.

The working pattern for this role is 27 hours per week. The postholder will normally work Monday and Tuesday, 9.00am to 3.00pm, and Wednesday to Friday, 9.00am to 2.00pm.

This appointment is offered on a fixed-term contract until 31 July 2027.

For internal candidates it may be possible to apply for this role under the Secondment Policy . If you wish to apply as a secondee, you must have approval of your line manager in advance of submitting your application form. Please confirm in your application that your line manager has approved this.

For informal enquiries regarding this position, please contact Sarah Beavis at [email protected]

Discover the advantages of joining our university. We offer a range of attractive benefits and opportunities to enhance your work experience:

• Competitive salary, including incremental progression within your scale.
• Generous pension scheme.
• Generous leave entitlement of 32–35 days a year, plus bank holidays, and an additional Christmas closure.
• Family-friendly policies supporting flexible working.
• Staff discounts and loyalty schemes.
• Staff car parking and discounted public travel.
• Excellent training and development opportunities.
• Staff wellbeing programmes.
• Recreation facilities, including discounted gym membership, food on campus schemes, use of the Library and staff social activities.
• Discounted learning.
• Start-up business mentoring from expert entrepreneurs via our Entrepreneurs in Residence programme.
• The perks don’t stop there - click ‘apply’ for further information on My Reward and Benefits

Salary Information:

New appointments will routinely be made to the entry spine point (minimum) for the advertised grade, from where the individual will (in addition to receiving annual cost-of-living-related increases) progress through the pay range to the maximum for the grade, within a reasonable timeframe. This ensures fairness, consistency and transparency in our pay structures. A higher starting salary or market supplement may be available for a truly exceptional candidate when circumstances fully justify a departure from our normal policy.

UKVI Statement

Prior to submitting your application, kindly ensure that you can either demonstrate or acquire the necessary right to work in the UK. If you currently do not possess the right to work in the UK, please be aware that our offer of employment is conditional upon you obtaining it.

ED\&I Statement:

We are committed to upholding the University’s values of being ambitious, open and responsible, in an inclusive working environment that promotes dignity and respect.

Please note that this vacancy may be closed earlier than advertised, so early applications are advised.