Innovation Fellow

Location: United Kingdom Department: Academic

Grade UE08: £50,253 - £61,759 per annum

College of Science and Engineering/ School of Informatics

Full Time: 35 hours per week

Fixed term: 24 months

The Opportunity

As part of a strategic investment supporting the UK’s National Quantum Strategy, the University of Edinburgh is recruiting up to three Innovation Fellows to develop high-impact applications of quantum computing across a range of scientific domains. This is a rare opportunity to help shape a new field: to work at the frontier of quantum computing while delivering results that matter to science, industry, and society.

The Innovation Fellows will be recruited as a cohort and pursue collaborative research within the Quantum Advantage Turbo Charger (QATCH) programme. Over the course of their fellowships they will work alongside research teams at the Quantum Software Lab, domain experts from across the College of Science and Engineering, the National Quantum Computing Centre, and QATCH’s industry partners to deliver applications of quantum computing in one or more of the following target sectors:

S1) Healthcare and Life Sciences.

S2) Materials and Manufacturing.

S3) Finance.

S4) Energy.

S5) AI and Data Science.

S6) Cybersecurity.

These fellowships are designed for ambitious early-career researchers who want to turn frontier quantum research into real-world impact. We welcome applicants approaching quantum computing from either direction. If your background is in quantum algorithms, information science, or hardware, this is your opportunity to apply that expertise to concrete, high-value scientific problems and to build end-to-end software pipelines that run on cutting-edge hardware. If you are an expert in one of our application domains (life sciences, materials, energy, finance, AI, or cybersecurity) this is your opportunity to unlock long-standing problems in your field with quantum computing, working side by side with leading algorithm and hardware specialists to translate your challenges into quantum solutions.

Applicants should have a demonstrable research track record in quantum computing and/or a relevant application domain and will ideally have at least two years of postdoctoral (or equivalent industry) experience. Above all, we are looking for researchers who combine scientific rigour with pragmatic execution, and who are energised by turning ideas into working solutions.

We're building a research environment that combines the intellectual freedom of Bell Labs with the urgency and impact of a focused start-up. We offer the opportunity to work on hard, long-term problems that matter—with the autonomy to follow promising directions. We value researchers who can balance scientific rigour with pragmatic execution: people who want to ship real solutions to real problems, energised by turning research into impact. QSL provides a tight-knit team of exceptional researchers, the freedom to publish your work, and the rare opportunity to see your ideas go from concept to demonstration, all within a highly stimulating intellectual environment.

View the full job description (opens in a new browser tab)

How to apply

Please include the following documents in your application

CV

Cover letter, mentioning the target sector(s) you feel most keen to contribute to.

As a valued member of our team, you can expect

A competitive salary.

An exciting, positive, creative, challenging and rewarding place to work.

To be part of a diverse and vibrant international community.

Comprehensive Staff Benefits, including generous annual leave entitlement, a defined benefits pension scheme, a wide range of staff discounts, family-friendly initiatives, and flexible work options. Check out the full list on our staff benefits page (opens in a new tab) and use our reward calculator to discover the value of your pay and benefits.

Championing equality, diversity, and inclusion

The University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher education. We are members of the Race Equality Charter, and we are also a Stonewall Proud Employer, actively promoting LGBTQ+ equality.

Prior to any employment commencing with the University, you will be required to evidence your right to work in the UK. Further information is available on our right to work webpages (opens new browser tab)

The University is able to sponsor the employment of international workers in this role. If successful, an international applicant requiring sponsorship to work in the UK will need to satisfy the UK Home Office’s English Language requirements and apply for and secure a Skilled Worker Visa.

Key dates to note

The closing date for applications is 11 November 2026.

Unless stated otherwise the closing time for applications is 11:59pm UK time. If you are applying outside the UK the closing time on our adverts automatically adjusts to your browsers local time zone.

Interview dates to be confirmed.

Informal enquiries can be directed to Professor Julien Michel, QATCH Deputy Director of Impact, [email protected]