Research Assistant in AI for Building Energy Efficiency, University of Cambridge
Job Description
Cambridge’s Department of Computer Science and Technology is hiring a Research Assistant working on data-driven and AI methods for building energy efficiency. The salary is £33,002 to £35,608 a year and applications close on 13 October 2026.
At a glance
- Post: Research Assistant in AI for Building Energy Efficiency
- Where: Department of Computer Science and Technology, University of Cambridge
- Salary: £33,002 to £35,608 a year
- Reference: NR51196
- Apply by: 13 October 2026
Read the official University of Cambridge advertisement before you apply.
About the work
Decarbonising heat in the UK’s existing building stock is hard, particularly for older and heritage buildings where conventional retrofit can be costly, disruptive or limited by the fabric itself. This project takes a complementary, technology-led approach: using data, physical modelling and intelligent control to understand a building’s dynamic energy performance and improve the efficiency and economics of low-carbon heating.
The work combines machine learning, physical modelling, data engineering and optimisation, with a real deployment behind it. The initial testbed is buildings at Queens’ College, Cambridge, where energy and heating data are being collected.
Funds for the post are available for nine months in the first instance.
What you need
- A background in computer science, engineering, physics or a related quantitative field
- Machine learning and data engineering skills, with an interest in physical modelling
- Read the official advertisement for the full person specification
Pay
The advertised range is £33,002 to £35,608 a year. This is a fixed-term post.
How to apply
Apply online through the Cambridge job page. Quote reference NR51196 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.
Check this first. The University states that it has a responsibility to ensure all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK. If you are applying from outside the UK, read the visa position for this post before you spend time on the application.
Browse more research jobs on ResearchJobs.in, or search our Find a supervisor page.
Hiring institution: University of Cambridge
Official advertisement: www.jobs.cam.ac.uk
How to prepare for this application
- This is applied work on a real building. Experience with sensor data and messy real-world time series counts.
- Nine months initially. Worth knowing before you move for it.
- Heritage buildings are the hard case. That constraint is the point of the project.
- Quote the reference, NR51196. Cambridge asks for it on the form and in every email about the post.
- Check your right to work in the UK. Every Cambridge advert carries this condition, and it is the usual reason an overseas application stalls.
About the University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge was founded in 1209 and is one of the world's leading research universities. Its research posts are advertised centrally at jobs.cam.ac.uk, with each department running its own selection.
