Postdoctoral Research Associate

Grade UE07: £41,064 - £48,822 per annum pro-rata if part-time

CSE / School of Mathematics

Full time: 35 hours per week

Fixed term: 2 years

Vacancies: 2

The role is part of AI²: Assurance and Insurance for Artificial Intelligence, a major research programme on insuring AI systems. The project is a collaboration between the University of Edinburgh, the University of Oxford, the University of Warwick and AXA. It aims to develop the mathematical, statistical and computational foundations needed to evaluate, price, monitor and mitigate risks arising from AI systems, including generative and agentic AI.

The successful candidates will work on rigorous methods for AI risk assessment and insurance. Relevant research areas include risk measures, systemic risk, conformal prediction, uncertainty quantification, stochastic and Bayesian optimisation, reinforcement learning, AI security, red-teaming and jailbreak evaluation. Candidates are not expected to cover all of these areas, but should have strong expertise in at least one and an interest in developing methods that apply to AI assurance, risk management and insurance. 

The Opportunity: 
The School of Mathematics at the University of Edinburgh is at the forefront of research in financial mathematics, stochastic analysis, machine learning, AI safety and quantitative risk. The successful candidates will join a growing interdisciplinary team working on the foundations of AI insurance and algorithmic assurance.
The project will develop tools and theory for questions such as: how should AI-related risk be measured; how can uncertainty and tail risk be quantified; how can failures of AI systems be modelled and priced; how can systemic risk emerge from interacting AI systems; and how can testing, validation, monitoring and red-teaming evidence be translated into insurance and risk-management frameworks?
The posts offer the opportunity to work closely with leading academic and industry partners, including AXA, and to contribute to a broader international research agenda on safe, trustworthy and insurable AI.
 

Main responsibilities
The postholders will be expected to:
• Conduct high-quality research on AI risk, algorithmic assurance and insurance.
• Develop mathematical, statistical or computational methods for evaluating, pricing and monitoring AI-related risks.
• Work on one or more relevant areas, including risk measures, systemic risk, conformal prediction, stochastic/Bayesian optimisation, reinforcement learning, AI security, red-teaming, jailbreak evaluation or agentic AI evaluation.
• Build reproducible research code, simulations, benchmarks or evaluation tools where appropriate.
• Publish research in leading peer-reviewed journals and conferences.
• Present findings at academic conferences, industry workshops and project meetings.
• Collaborate with researchers at Edinburgh, Oxford and Warwick, and with industry partners including AXA.
• Contribute to the development of the broader AI² research agenda.
• Support project activities, including workshops, reports, grant development and engagement with stakeholders in insurance, finance, AI assurance and regulation.
 

This post is full-time (35 hours per week); however, we are open to considering part-time or flexible working patterns. We are also open to considering requests for hybrid working (on a non-contractual basis) that combines a mix of remote and regular on-campus working.
 

Informal enquiries may be directed to Professor Lukasz Szpruch: [email protected].

View the full job description 
 

How to apply

Applications should be submitted through the University of Edinburgh online recruitment system and should include:

• A CV, including publications and, where relevant, links to software or code repositories.
• A supporting statement explaining how the applicant meets the selection criteria.
• A short research statement, no more than two pages, explaining how the applicant's current research connects with the role and which AI² research themes they would be interested in developing.
• At least two references that support your application.
   

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. 

   

Championing equality, diversity, and inclusion

The University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher education. We are members of the Race Equality Charter, and we are also Stonewall Scotland Diversity Champions, actively promoting LGBT equality.

We welcome applications from all qualified candidates.

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 18 September 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 are expected to be held within a few weeks after the closing deadline. The exact interview date will be confirmed by HR.

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 18th 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)