RCST Rockfield College of Sciences and Technology

The Role Two fixed-term full time Research Assistant (RA) positions are available at the Department of Psychology. The successful candidates will join the research project "Chasing Likes - Developing a Psychobiological Model of Adolescents' Social Media Use and Overuse Based on Social Reward". This large-scale project is led by Dr Niklas Ihssen and Prof Mary Hanley and funded by the Huo Family Foundation. You wi ll report to Dr Niklas Ihssen as the Principal Investigator and Professor Mary Hanley as Co-Investigator of the project. Funding for post one (RA1) is available from 1st August 2026 for a fixed period of 40 months (until November 2029). Funding for post two (RA2) is a vailable from 1st June 2026 for a fixed period of 28 months (until September 2028). The post-holders are employed to work on research/a research project which will be led by another colleague. Whilst this means that the post-holder will not be carrying out independent research in their own rights, the expectation is that they will contribute to the advancement of the project, through the development of their own research ideas/adaptation and development of research protocols. Successful applicants should be in post by 1st August 2026 (RA1) or 1st June 2026 (RA2), respectively.

Introduction As a University of Applied Learning, SIT works closely with industry in our research pursuits. Our research staff will have the opportunity to be equipped with applied research skill sets that are relevant to industry demands while working on research projects in SIT.  The primary responsibility of this role is to deliver on an industry innovation research project where you will be part of the research team to develop software platforms for supporting multi-user AR/VR applications. Key Responsibilities Participate in the research project with Principal Investigator (PI), Co-PI and the research team members to ensure all project deliverables are met. Undertake one of the three responsibilities: Develop an interactive metaverse application for online education, team collaboration, and workplace training with a focus on real-time interactive simulation. (app developer) Design, build, and implement a multiplayer architecture and backend services for a real-time AR/VR multiplayer system. (network engineer) Design, build, and implement the the game engine for both client and server. (game engine software engineer) Perform testing Perform documentation and optionally publishing paper to international conferences/journals. Carry out Risk Assessment, and ensure compliance with Work, Safety and Health Regulations. Work independently, as well as within a team, to ensure proper operation and maintenance of equipment. Job Requirements A degree in Computer Science or relevant field Experience with software development life cycle For app developer role: Strong knowledge in C++ and/or Javascript for 3D/VR applications (e.g., babylon.js, A-Frame, etc.) will be an advantage Experience in developing XR app for teaching & learning/training. Experience developing optimized modules in C#/C++ within Unity and/or Unreal Engine Experience with database management systems For network engineer role: Experience in computer networking, multiplayer architecture, and backend services Experience in connecting backend to various internal and external services and microservices. Deep knowledge in computer network protocols (e.g., TCP/IP, UDP, and other relevant network protocols). Expertise in handling latency, packet loss, and synchronization issues. Expertise in designing a scalable server architecture for handling thousands to millions of concurrent players, Load balancing, auto-scaling, and server instance management. Expertise in securing a multiplayer game network system. Knowledge of encryption techniques to ensure data in transit remains confidential. Prevention measures against common threats like DDoS attacks, SQL injection, and cheating. Experience in multiplayer game services such as Azure PlayFab, AWS GameLift, Google Cloud Servers, and other similar services. Strong knowledge in C++ will be an advantage. Experience with database management systems Familiarity with core engine technologies such as engine architecture and streaming. Familiarity in developing optimized modules in C#/C++ within Unity and/or Unreal Engine. For game engine software engineer: Strong knowledge in C++ and/or Javascript for 3D/VR applications (e.g., babylon.js, A-Frame, etc.) will be an advantage 3D engine development experience Familiarity with core engine technologies such as engine architecture, multi threading, streaming, computer graphics and advanced real-time rendering techniques Experience developing optimized modules in C#/C++ within Unity and/or Unreal Engine Experience with database management systems

The primary responsibility of this role is to deliver on an academic research project funded by MPA, where you will be part of the research team under the project titled: HarbourCraftSafe: Fire Resilinet Battery Room Design for Next-Gen Electric Habour. The project is in collaboration with two local industry collaborators. Under this job title, you will develop a CFD modelling platform to evaluate the combustion, flammable and toxic gases emission and dispersion characteristics resulted from battery fires/thermal runaway in the battery room and beyond, considering the various common battery chemistries in eHC and atmospheric conditions. You will also need to experimentally characterise the heat release rate (HRR), flammable and toxic gases emissions of various types of batteries potentially deployed in eHC through reduced scale testing. Lastly, you will also need to evaluate the various gas monitoring sensors performance in detecting the battery gas releases for remote monitoring and early detection, and evaluate the potential fire suppression strategies on battery fires. Job Responsibilities:  Participate in and manage the research project with Principal Investigator (PI), Co-PI and the research team members to ensure all project deliverables are met. Undertake these responsibilities in the project: i. Assists in co-supervision of final year projects (FYP) or capstone projects students under the Project PI. ii. Meeting the deliverables by carrying out the computational simulations and experimental studies planned for under the scope of work of the projects within the timeframe to meet the deliverables. iii. Assists the PI in drafting of reports, conference proceedings and journal articles based on the outcome of the projects. iv. Prepares and shares fortnightly report of results from the computations with the PI. Carry out Risk Assessment, and ensure compliance with Work, Safety and Health Regulations. Coordinate procurement and liaison with vendors/suppliers. Work independently, as well as within a team, to ensure proper operation and maintenance of equipment. Job Requirements: Master or Ph.D (preferred) in Mechanical Engineering, Marine and Offshore Engineering or related fields. Strong knowledge and experience in battery fire simulation is high advantageous. Hands on experience on experimental studies Familiarity with CFD applications working on industrial related projects using high performance computing clusters would also be advantageous Strong foundation in Fluid Dynamics Strong prior experience in CFD – particularly in battery fire combustion and spread. Strong skills in turbulence modelling, CFD mesh generation in complex 3D geometries. Proficient in handling large data sets and the ability to analysis and interpret results. Experience in commercial CFD package such as ANSYS package and FDS is preferred. Candidate preferably should be familiar and have sufficient experience in using ANSYS FLUENT and FDS, Meshing tool and post-processing software. Able to work independently with strong data analytical skills, communication and interpersonal skills. Key Competencies: Proficient in Ansys Fluent or FDS Simulation Strong foundation in Fluid Dynamics Able to work independently with strong data analytical skills, communication and interpersonal skills. Able to build and maintain strong working relationships with people within and external to the university. Self-directed learner who believes in continuous learning and development Proficient in technical writing and presentation Possess strong analytical and critical thinking skills Show strong initiative and take ownership of work