Professor of Artificial Intelligence

The role

The School of Engineering Mathematics and Technology at the University of Bristol is seeking to appoint a Professor of Artificial Intelligence.

The successful candidate will join us at an exciting time. Bristol has a rapidly expanding profile in AI, including leadership of three UKRI AI hubs and the ProAI Centre for Doctoral Training. We host the national Isambard AI supercomputer, and the University of Bristol was named AI University of the Year 2024.

Our School has a rich interdisciplinary environment with particular strengths in Digital Health, Robotics, and Autonomous Systems. We are launching several new undergraduate and MSc programmes in AI, supported by multiple Faculty appointments across 2025–27. Our new Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus, scheduled to open in 2026, will provide a vibrant hub for research, innovation, and collaboration. Several specialist initiatives including the Temple Quarter Research Hub and community micro-campuses are already active, strengthening our connections with Bristol’s thriving tech and creative sectors.

What will you be doing?

The successful candidate will provide academic and strategic leadership within our AI community and will play a key role in shaping the direction of a fast-growing School.

Responsibilities include:

• Conducting world-class research in AI and developing strategies for securing research funding for both your group and the wider AI community within the School.
• Delivering high-quality, research-informed teaching that enriches the student experience.
• Fostering a positive, inclusive, and supportive working culture, prioritising staff well-being, development, and retention.

You should apply if

You have a strong track record of foundational contributions to AI research and are either:

• already an established full Professor, or
• on a strong upward career trajectory with clear potential for leadership within the discipline and the wider University environment.

We particularly welcome applicants who hold prestigious fellowships such as UKRI Future Leaders, EPSRC Open, and ERC awards. We are especially interested in candidates who complement and extend our existing AI research portfolio in areas including:

• Natural Language Processing and Large Language Models
• Distributed and Collective Artificial Intelligence
• Reinforcement Learning and Multi-Agent Systems
• Scientific Machine Learning
• AI in Robotics (Embodied AI)

For a full description of responsibilities and selection criteria, please refer to the attached candidate brochure.

Additional information

Contract type: Open ended

Work pattern: Monday - Friday, 35 hours per week

Grade: Grade M - Professorial Range 2

Salary: Competitive

School/Unit: The School of Engineering Mathematics and Technology, Faculty of Science and Engineering

This advert will close at 23:59 UK time on Sunday, 18th January.

The interview date will be confirmed in due course.

For any informal enquiries, please contact Professor Jonathan Lawry, ().

The University of Bristol aims to be a place where everyone feels able to be themselves and do their best in an inclusive working environment where all colleagues can thrive and reach their full potential. We want to attract, develop, and retain individuals with different experiences, backgrounds and perspectives – particularly people of colour, LGBT+ and disabled people - because diversity of people and ideas remains integral to our excellence as a global civic institution.