Research Assistant in ML/AI-based Thermal Comfort Prediction

About The University

Swansea University is a research-led university that has been making a difference since 1920. The University community thrives on exploration and discovery and offers the right balance of excellent teaching and research, matched by an enviable quality of life.

Our stunning waterfront campuses and multicultural community make us a desirable workplace for colleagues from around the world. Our reward and benefits, and ways of working enable those who join us to have enriching careers, matched by an excellent work-life balance.

About The Role

The School of Management at Swansea University is seeking to appoint a part-time Research Assistant to support the project “Explainable ML-based Predictive Model for Thermal Comfort for Net Zero Buildings.” The project aims to develop a data-efficient and explainable machine learning framework to predict thermal comfort and support smarter, lower-carbon building management in the Swansea Bay City Region.

The successful candidate will work closely with the Principal Investigator and external collaborators to prepare and analyse indoor environmental quality and occupant comfort data, including sensor measurements and short comfort survey data. The role will involve cleaning, harmonising, and quality-assuring datasets; addressing missing values, sparse comfort labels, and class imbalance; and applying data augmentation methods such as SMOTE or GANs where appropriate.

A key focus of the role will be to develop, train, optimise, and evaluate compact machine learning models, including Gradient Boosting, Support Vector Regression, and shallow neural networks. The postholder will contribute to robust cross-validation, Bayesian optimisation, reproducible model development, and SHAP-based explainability to identify the influence of factors such as air temperature, mean radiant temperature, relative humidity, air speed, clothing insulation, and metabolic rate on thermal comfort.

The Research Assistant will also support the development of a Building Management System-ready advisory prototype, including clear visual outputs and practical recommendations on comfort-preserving setpoints and schedules. The role will contribute to project deliverables, technical reporting, academic outputs, stakeholder engagement, and knowledge exchange activities with regional partners, including building management, housing, and energy-sector stakeholders.

This role would suit a motivated candidate with experience in Python-based machine learning, real-world sensor or time-series data, and an interest in explainable AI, smart buildings, thermal comfort, or net-zero innovation. The post is fixed-term, part-time for 10 months and based at Swansea University’s Bay Campus.

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

The University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity in all its practices and activities. We aim to establish an inclusive environment and welcome diverse applications from the following protected characteristics: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race (including colour, nationality, ethnic and national origin), religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation.

As an inclusive and welcoming workplace, we value people for their skills regardless of their background. Applications are welcome in Welsh and will not be treated less favourably than those submitted in English.

Welsh Language Skills

The Welsh language level required for this role is Level 1 - A little. The role holder will be able to pronounce Welsh words, answer the phone in Welsh (good morning/afternoon) and use very basic everyday words and phrases (thank you, please etc.). Level 1 can be reached by completing a 1 hour course.

The University is a proud bilingual institution, our Welsh Language Strategy outlines our aspiration to promote the language and enable our staff to engage with the language as an additional workplace skill and as a gateway to new cultural and social opportunities. Applications are welcome in Welsh and will not be treated less favourably than those submitted in English. Welsh speakers have the right to an interview in Welsh. Applicants for a role where Welsh skills are essential are expected to present their application in Welsh and will be interviewed in Welsh, if shortlisted.

Additional Information

Applications for this role will take the format of a CV submission and cover letter.

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