Research Assistant - DLT (12 months fixed term)
School of Computing and Digital Technology
Location:     Birmingham, City Centre Campus
Salary:     £30,831 to £33,512 per annum
Posted On:     Monday 12 July 2021
Closing Date:     Wednesday 04 August 2021
Interview Date:     To be confirmed
Reference:     072021-296

Located in a modern £300M campus in the heart of Birmingham, the School of Computing and Digital Technology is a thriving, vibrant, and inspiring learning community committed to excellence in research, high quality teaching and impactful industrial engagement. Building on continuous success in student growth and in sustained advancement of research activities, the school has embarked on a programme of extensive expansion funded by substantial long-term investments. 

A research position is now available to work within Provenance-aware Decentralized Reputation System for Blockchain-based Ecosystems. The project will explore developing a decentralized, verifiable reputation system which investigates the challenge of achieving trustworthy reputation modelling and calculation of external services within a blockchain ecosystem. 

We invite applicants with strong background in distributed ledger technologies including blockchains, cryptocurrency, and smart contracts. The applicant will have experience of working with at least one of the blockchain platforms i.e. Ethereum, Hyperledger, Multichain, etc. The applicant will also have experience of developing blockchain-based applications using these platforms. 

We will also value the ability to learn new technologies outside your current skills and expertise. The role will also require you to collaborate effectively with external stakeholders including industry partners, and other team members. Interpersonal skills will be essential for this role. Core responsibilities of this role are listed below and further details can be found in the Job Description. 

• Carry out research work, design and development of technological innovations the team is responsible for. 
• Contribute to proposal and realisation of innovative solutions to problems
• Contribute to project deliverables and reports, describing and reflecting on progress and results
• Contribute to publication of research findings in high quality international Journals & Conferences.
• Collaborate with project partners to achieve the common aims of the project.
• Carry out any other duties appropriate to the position, and as directed by the project lead.

Essential Skills

• Have a firm grounding in distributed ledger technologies including the design, development and evaluation of blockchain-based systems using appropriate platforms and testbeds.
• Have strong skills in design, development and evaluation of smart contracts 
• Able to meet deadlines and prioritise workload.
• Possess excellent communication skills and collaborative attitude.

Desirable Skills

• Possess familiarity with sensor / IoT devices and use of blockchains to develop solutions within such systems.
• Able to work independently and to assist with the technical project management duties.
• Keen to develop new skills and gain experience at a rapid pace.
• Birmingham City University has the drive and ambition to be a leading seat of teaching and research excellence. We are passionate about providing our learners with a transformational journey, enabled by an exceptional and supportive academic community.

We're investing £340 million in our estate, including a major expansion of our City Centre Campus at Eastside, providing students with an enviable range of facilities

Our staff and student community is defined by our core values, which outline who we are as a University and how we will work with each other. Our core values are Excellence, People focused, Partnership working and Fairness and integrity.

For informal discussion of the post and the technical knowledge requirements, please contact Dr Junaid Arshad (Junaid.Arshad@bcu.ac.uk).

To apply for this role, please complete the online application and upload a copy of your CV.  Candidates are advised to remove personal information to ensure a fair and transparent process.

The University is committed to internationalism and diversity and welcomes applications from all countries, faiths and backgrounds.

It is each individual successful applicants responsibility to ensure that they have permission to work in the UK. Some applicants may require sponsorship from the University and a visa from UKVI to take up the role if successful. More information on this can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa

Some roles are not capable of sponsorship because they do not meet the UKVI criteria relating to skill and salary level. If you are unsure as to whether you would require sponsorship if successful, or whether the role is capable of sponsorship, please contact us: RTinbox@bcu.ac.uk

Please note on occasions where we receive a large number of applications, we may close the advert ahead of the publicised closing date. If this does happen, we will contact all candidates via email who have started but not yet completed their application, giving 48 hours’ notice.  We would therefore advise that you submit your completed application as soon as possible.

At Birmingham City University we are proud to be an equal opportunities employer.  All staff are expected to understand and enact the University’s commitment to ensuring equality, diversity and inclusion in our employment practice and in all that we do . This commitment is enshrined in our Core Values and is detailed in our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Employment Policy. The University values and celebrates the diversity of our staff and students; we welcome people from the many  different backgrounds and life experiences that reflect the students and the citizens we serve.  We are committed to equality of opportunity for all staff and actively encourage unique contributions, in particular from under-represented groups in respect of age, disability, sex, gender or gender identity, ethnicity, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation or transgender status

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