Postdoctoral Research Assistant in Earthquake Nucleation

Overview

The Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Oxford is recruiting a Postdoctoral Research Assistant in Earthquake Nucleation. The post is full time and fixed term for 24 months, based in Oxford. It sits within a NERC-funded collaborative project that combines experiments, modelling and seismology to study the mechanics and conditions under which earthquakes begin, in collaboration with Durham University.

What you will do

The postholder leads the seismological and modelling parts of the project, under the supervision of the project leads. On the seismology side they will use a range of analysis tools to find features that reveal the processes before earthquake nucleation, for example by stacking long-period signals from many earthquakes and applying new methods to estimate radiated energy. They will use these observations to examine how nucleation varies across tectonic settings and physical conditions. They will also carry out fault-slip modelling to explain observed nucleation behaviour in both natural and experimental settings, working with all project members to link laboratory and natural scales and to identify the physical conditions that control different behaviours.

Requirements

Applicants should be motivated to think deeply about seismological observations, experiments and modelling, have experience in seismic data analysis and have a track record of robust scientific analysis.

What you get

The salary is 40,514 to 47,779 GBP per year.

How to apply

Applicants upload a CV and a supporting statement only; manuscripts, transcripts and certificates are not considered. Applications are particularly welcome from women and black and ethnic minority candidates, who are under-represented in research posts in the department.

Key dates

The closing date is midday on 23 November 2026, and interviews are scheduled for 3 December 2026.