Research Associate in Human-Robot Interaction

# About you To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates with the following skills and experience: **Essential criteria** 1. PhD awarded (or near completion\*) in Engineering, Computer Science, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, or a closely related discipline. 2. Strong research background in socially aware or human-centred AI, machine learning, robotics, and/or human–robot interaction. 3. Strong publication record in high-quality peer-reviewed journals and/or international conferences, such as ICRA, IROS, RA-L, CoRL, AAAI, NeurIPS, CVPR, HRI, or related venues, commensurate with career stage. 4. Excellent programming skills, particularly in Python, and hands-on experience with deep learning frameworks and models. 5. Practical experience with the Robot Operating System (ROS), physical robotic platforms, and/or robot simulation environments. 6. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate complex technical concepts effectively to both academic and non-academic audiences. **Desirable criteria** 1. Experience of collaborative research, particularly in multidisciplinary environments involving researchers, engineers, and other project stakeholders. 2. Experience with multimodal machine learning, foundation models, and/or neuro-symbolic AI approaches. 3. Experience conducting human–robot interaction studies or evaluating robotic systems with human participants. 4. Experience of, or strong motivation for, collaborating with healthcare professionals, patients, and other stakeholders in real-world clinical environments. **Downloading a copy of our Job Description** Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the page. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process. ***\**** *Please note that this is a PhD level role but candidates who are close to completing their PhD will be considered. In these circumstances the appointment will be made at Grade 5, spine point 30 with the title of Research Assistant. Upon confirmation of the award of the PhD, the job title will become Research Associate and the salary will increase to Grade 6.* ## Further Information At King’s, we believe that the diversity of our community and a culture that is welcoming, open, inclusive and collaborative, are great strengths of the university. The Equality Act of protects the rights of our students and staff and provides a framework to fulfil our duties to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and in addition, to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between those who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. At times, this will include balancing rights and beliefs that can feel in tension. We are committed to free speech and to academic freedom, believing that our foundational purpose as a university, is to create spaces where a wide range of ideas, including ideas that are controversial, can be discussed and debated, and where members of our community can express lawful views without fear of intimidation, harassment or discrimination. When engaging in the robust exchange of ideas, we ask that our community is mindful of our Dignity at King’s guidance. We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the person specification section of the job description. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible. Artificial intelligence (AI) is evolving rapidly, and we recognise its growing role in professional work. Applicants may use AI tools to support preparation of their application, for example to research the role or structure written responses. However, applications must reflect the applicant’s own work and experience. AI tools should not be used during interviews or assessment activities unless this has been agreed in advance as a reasonable adjustment. Further guidance on the use of AI in recruitment can be found [here]( We reserve the right to close adverts early due to the volume of applications we receive. While the closing date may change, all adverts will close at 23:59 to allow sufficient time for applications to be submitted on that day. We encourage you to apply at the earliest opportunity to avoid disappointment as once we have closed a vacancy you will be unable to submit your application. To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our ‘ [How we Recruit]( pages. **Interviews are expected to take place during the week commencing 30 November .**