King's College London

About us

The Department of Engineering at King’s College London is internationally recognised for research in robotics, mechanism design, and intelligent systems. The successful candidate will join a growing research group focused on metamorphic robotics and morphology-driven design, working at the intersection of robotics, mechanical systems, and control. The position is part of the EPSRC-funded RROBOMORPHOSIS project, which aims to develop next-generation reconfigurable robotic systems capable of adapting their structure and functionality across diverse tasks and environments in real-time.

About the role

This position is part of the EPSRC-funded RROBOMORPHOSIS project, which aims to develop next-generation metamorphic robotic systems capable of real-time structural reconfiguration and morphology-driven adaptation. The successful candidate will contribute to the design, modelling, and experimental validation of robotic mechanisms that can alter their topology and kinematic structure to operate across multiple modes of locomotion and interaction.

The role sits at the intersection of robotics, mechanism design, and control, with a strong emphasis on integrating physical system design with control and sensing. The PDRA will be responsible for developing and evaluating novel reconfigurable robotic platforms, including the implementation of control strategies for multi-modal operation and the validation of system performance through experimental testing.

The PDRA will work closely with the Principal Investigator and other members of the research group, contributing to the delivery of project objectives and the development of research outputs. This includes publishing in leading robotics venues, supporting the supervision of students, and engaging with collaborators where appropriate.

The role offers the opportunity to contribute to foundational advances in metamorphic robotics, while also supporting the development of demonstrators that highlight the potential of structurally adaptive robotic systems across a range of applications.

This is a full-time post (35 hours per week), and you will be offered a fixed term contract for 36 months.

About you

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

Essential criteria

1.      PhD (or near completion) in Robotics, Mechatronics, Mechanical Engineering, Automation, Control, Computer Science, or a related discipline

2.      Experience in modelling and analysis of kinematic and/or dynamic systems

3.      Experience in experimental robotics, including hardware development and testing

4.      Experience in control of robotic systems (e.g. model-based, model-free or learning-based approaches)

5.      Evidence of high-quality research outputs in top robotics journals and conferences

6.      Ability to work independently and contribute to collaborative research projects

7.      Strong programming skills in relevant languages (e.g. C++, Python, MATLAB), with experience in robotic software frameworks (e.g. ROS)

8.      Strong written and verbal communication skills

Desirable criteria

1.      Experience with reconfigurable or metamorphic robotic systems

2.      Experience with compliant mechanisms or soft robotics

3.      Experience with human–robot interaction or assistive robotics

Downloading a copy of our Job Description

Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the page. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

* Please note that this is a PhD level role but candidates who have submitted their thesis and are awaiting award of their PhDs will be considered. In these circumstances the appointment will be made at Grade 5, spine point 30 with the title of Research Assistant. Upon confirmation of the award of the PhD, the job title will become Research Associate and the salary will increase to Grade 6.

Further Information

At King’s, we believe that the diversity of our community and a culture that is welcoming, open, inclusive and collaborative, are great strengths of the university.

The Equality Act of 2010 protects the rights of our students and staff and provides a framework to fulfil our duties to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and in addition, to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between those who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. At times, this will include balancing rights and beliefs that can feel in tension.

We are committed to free speech and to academic freedom, believing that our foundational purpose as a university, is to create spaces where a wide range of ideas, including ideas that are controversial, can be discussed and debated, and where members of our community can express lawful views without fear of intimidation, harassment or discrimination.

When engaging in the robust exchange of ideas, we ask that our community is mindful of our Dignity at King’s guidance.

We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the person specification section of the job description. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.

We reserve the right to close adverts early due to the volume of applications we receive. While the closing date may change, all adverts will close at 23:59 to allow sufficient time for applications to be submitted on that day.

We encourage you to apply at the earliest opportunity to avoid disappointment as once we have closed a vacancy you will be unable to submit your application.

To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our ‘ How we Recruit’ pages.

Interviews are due to be held in June 2026.