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The University of Edinburgh
Postdoctoral Research Associate
City of Edinburgh On-site 2-5 yrs exp£41k – £49k / year
Probability TheoryIndependent ResearchCollaborative ResearchResearch DisseminationAcademic Writing
Requirements
Applicants must hold a PhD in Mathematics or be close to completing one, and have a strong background in probability theory. They should be able to conduct independent and collaborative research, communicate and work effectively in a team, and organize research activities; experience in KPZ-related areas, percolation, directed polymers, or integrable probability is desirable.
Job Description
Job Description
Grade UE07: £41,064 - £48,822 per annum
CSE /School of Mathematics
Full-time: 35 hours per week
Fixed-term: 24 months fixed term contract with the option to extend for a further 12 months
The Opportunity
We are looking for a highly motivated Postdoctoral Research Associate to join Dr Ofer Busani’s research group in the School of Mathematics at the University of Edinburgh.
The position is funded by Dr Busani’s ERC Starting Grant “UnivKPZ” and offers the opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge projects in random growth models, the KPZ universality class, and probability theory. The successful candidate will work closely with Dr Busani and collaborators within the Maxwell Institute for Mathematical Sciences, a joint research centre between the University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University.
Light teaching opportunities (e.g. undergraduate tutorials, project supervision) are available for candidates who wish to broaden their career development.
Your skills and attributes for success
View the full Job Description (opens in a new browser tab)
How To Apply
Please include the following documents in your application:
As a valued member of our team, you can expect:
The University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher education. 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
We welcome applications from all qualified candidates and particularly encourage applications from women or other under-represented groups in applied mathematics.
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 .
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 6 November 2026.
Unless stated otherwise, the closing time for applications is 11:59 pm (UK time). If you are applying from outside the UK, the closing time shown on our adverts will automatically adjust to your browser’s local time zone .
Interviews date for shortlisted candidates to be confirmed.
About Us
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.
About The Team
The School of Mathematics
The University of Edinburgh's School of Mathematics is one of the world’s leading mathematical sciences departments, home to world-class researchers and to an innovative educational environment for both undergraduates and postgraduates. We are proud to have a highly international faculty and students from around the world. As a School we value both the breadth and depth of our research and teaching.
We have around 110 permanent faculty and around 45 research fellows and research associates, who cover a broad range of research topics in pure and applied mathematics, operational research and statistics. The School has an enviable record of attracting prestigious fellowships and currently hosts, for instance, 6 ERC grant holders and 7 Royal Society University Research and Dorothy Hodgkin Fellows. In the 2023 Shanghai Global Ranking of Academic Subjects we are ranked 18 th among the world’s best Mathematics departments. Together with the Departments of Mathematics and Actuarial Mathematics & Statistics at Heriot-Watt University, we form the Maxwell Institute; our joint submission to REF2021was ranked 3rd in the UK for Mathematical Sciences by research power, based on the quality and breadth of our combined research.
The School delivers a world-leading educational experience for its students and is constantly exploring new evidence-based ideas in mathematical education in order to provide a stimulating learning environment. There are excellent possibilities for imaginative curriculum development, including online activities, and course design and delivery. The School teaches pure and applied Mathematics, operational research and statistics. We have approximately 1000 undergraduate students, around 210 MSc students, and our Graduate School has close to 160 PhD students.
Edinburgh is home to the International Centre for Mathematical Sciences, one of the UK’s two major conference centres in the mathematical sciences and operated jointly by the University with Heriot-Watt University. Over the past 30 years the centre has established a superb reputation for hosting workshops at the highest scientific level on all mathematical topics, attracting many of the best mathematicians in the world to the UK.
The School is located in the James Clerk Maxwell Building which is situated on the King's Buildings campus, approximately 3 kilometres south of the city centre.
Further information about the School, our research and our teaching is available on the School of Mathematics Website ( https://www.maths.ed.ac.uk ) (Opens in new browser tab)
Grade UE07: £41,064 - £48,822 per annum
CSE /School of Mathematics
Full-time: 35 hours per week
Fixed-term: 24 months fixed term contract with the option to extend for a further 12 months
The Opportunity
We are looking for a highly motivated Postdoctoral Research Associate to join Dr Ofer Busani’s research group in the School of Mathematics at the University of Edinburgh.
The position is funded by Dr Busani’s ERC Starting Grant “UnivKPZ” and offers the opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge projects in random growth models, the KPZ universality class, and probability theory. The successful candidate will work closely with Dr Busani and collaborators within the Maxwell Institute for Mathematical Sciences, a joint research centre between the University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University.
Light teaching opportunities (e.g. undergraduate tutorials, project supervision) are available for candidates who wish to broaden their career development.
Your skills and attributes for success
- PhD in Mathematics (or near completion)
- Strong background in probability theory
- Ability to conduct independent and collaborative research
- Ability to disseminate research outcomes through publications and presentations
- Excellent communication and teamwork skills
- Strong organisational skills (e.g. contributing to seminars, workshops)
- Research experience in the KPZ universality class, first/last passage percolation, directed polymers, or integrable probability (desirable)
View the full Job Description (opens in a new browser tab)
How To Apply
Please include the following documents in your application:
- CV
- Research statement
- Contact details of three academic referees.
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, including generous annual leave entitlement, a defined benefits pension scheme, a wide range of staff discounts, family-friendly initiatives, and flexible work options. Check out the full list on our staff benefits page and use our reward calculator to discover the value of your pay and benefits.
The University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher education. 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
We welcome applications from all qualified candidates and particularly encourage applications from women or other under-represented groups in applied mathematics.
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 .
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 6 November 2026.
Unless stated otherwise, the closing time for applications is 11:59 pm (UK time). If you are applying from outside the UK, the closing time shown on our adverts will automatically adjust to your browser’s local time zone .
Interviews date for shortlisted candidates to be confirmed.
About Us
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.
About The Team
The School of Mathematics
The University of Edinburgh's School of Mathematics is one of the world’s leading mathematical sciences departments, home to world-class researchers and to an innovative educational environment for both undergraduates and postgraduates. We are proud to have a highly international faculty and students from around the world. As a School we value both the breadth and depth of our research and teaching.
We have around 110 permanent faculty and around 45 research fellows and research associates, who cover a broad range of research topics in pure and applied mathematics, operational research and statistics. The School has an enviable record of attracting prestigious fellowships and currently hosts, for instance, 6 ERC grant holders and 7 Royal Society University Research and Dorothy Hodgkin Fellows. In the 2023 Shanghai Global Ranking of Academic Subjects we are ranked 18 th among the world’s best Mathematics departments. Together with the Departments of Mathematics and Actuarial Mathematics & Statistics at Heriot-Watt University, we form the Maxwell Institute; our joint submission to REF2021was ranked 3rd in the UK for Mathematical Sciences by research power, based on the quality and breadth of our combined research.
The School delivers a world-leading educational experience for its students and is constantly exploring new evidence-based ideas in mathematical education in order to provide a stimulating learning environment. There are excellent possibilities for imaginative curriculum development, including online activities, and course design and delivery. The School teaches pure and applied Mathematics, operational research and statistics. We have approximately 1000 undergraduate students, around 210 MSc students, and our Graduate School has close to 160 PhD students.
Edinburgh is home to the International Centre for Mathematical Sciences, one of the UK’s two major conference centres in the mathematical sciences and operated jointly by the University with Heriot-Watt University. Over the past 30 years the centre has established a superb reputation for hosting workshops at the highest scientific level on all mathematical topics, attracting many of the best mathematicians in the world to the UK.
The School is located in the James Clerk Maxwell Building which is situated on the King's Buildings campus, approximately 3 kilometres south of the city centre.
Further information about the School, our research and our teaching is available on the School of Mathematics Website ( https://www.maths.ed.ac.uk ) (Opens in new browser tab)
Education
Postgraduate Degree
Skills
Probability TheoryIndependent ResearchCollaborative ResearchResearch DisseminationAcademic WritingPresentationsCommunicationTeamworkOrganizationSeminar and Workshop CoordinationKPZ Universality ClassFirst- and Last-Passage PercolationDirected PolymersIntegrable ProbabilityTeachingProject Supervision