Principal Teaching Fellow, Imperial College London, United Kingdom (Sep 2025-to- Present)
- Lead the delivery of ELEC40002: Analysis and Design of Electrical Circuits, a core Year 1 module with 200+ students, ensuring alignment of lectures, tutorials, labs, and personalised academic support.
- Set direction for the department’s digital education strategy as Digital Learning Lead, guiding staff adoption of tools such as Blackboard, Panopto, and Wiseflow to enhance blended and online teaching.
- Shape assessment policy as Assessment and Feedback Lead presenting the department at faculty level, embedding inclusive and evidence-based practices across multiple modules.
- Leading (as PI) the College-funded project “Transforming Feedback Consistency and Usefulness with LLMs” (2025–2026), awarded by the Excellence Fund for Learning and Teaching Innovation; supervise a Research Assistant, direct technical and pedagogical design, and collaborate with CHERS to develop and evaluate an AI-powered tool that enhances clarity, consistency, and usefulness of student feedback.
- Oversee digital examinations for 1000+ students, coordinating adjustments to meet diverse student needs.
- Mentor MSc/MEng students and supervise industrial placements, ensuring alignment with emerging trends in power systems and the energy transition.
- Represent the department in faculty and college-level groups, influencing institutional strategy on digital education and assessment.
Senior Teaching Fellow, Imperial College London, United Kingdom (Aug 2020-to- Aug 2025)
- Co-designed and delivered ELEC70107: Professional Competencies Portfolio, embedding teamwork, ethics, and reflective practice into the MEng curriculum. Also, co-designed and delivered ELEC40002: Analysis and Design of Circuits.
- Piloted the use of large language models (LLMs) to improve feedback clarity in laboratory courses, achieving measurable increases in student engagement.
- Conducted educational research on digital assessment and pedagogy, publishing in peer-reviewed journals and presenting at international conferences.
- Contributed departmental perspectives to faculty-level digital learning groups, informing college-wide policy on assessment platforms.
- Supervised PhD research on inverter-based power systems and renewable integration; served as external examiner for three PhD theses.
- Led analysis of pedagogical changes within the department, using evidence to refine teaching practice and curriculum design.
- Chaired the Remote Teaching Committee during the COVID-19 pandemic, pioneering drone-based and remote-access labs to sustain hands-on learning.
Strategic Teaching Fellow, Imperial College London, United Kingdom (Oct 2017 -to- Aug 2020)
- Delivered theory classes and supervised laboratory sessions across key modules, enhancing student understanding of foundational concepts through engaging and interactive teaching methods.
- Managed the second-year Electronics Laboratory, streamlining operations and introducing innovations that improved hands-on learning and student satisfaction.
- Supervised MSc and MEng theses as well as industrial placements, mentoring students in applying academic knowledge to real-world engineering problems and supporting career development.
- Provided personalized academic and pastoral support through one-on-one tutorials, helping students navigate academic challenges and enhance their wellbeing.
- Led curriculum mapping initiatives to define module-specific learning outcomes and identify links across the program, resulting in improved coherence, progression, and clarity in student learning pathways.
- Oversaw the department’s use of Blackboard (VLE), optimizing digital course delivery and providing training and support that improved both staff engagement and the student digital learning experience.
Post-Doctoral Research Associate (Part-time), Queen Mary University London, United Kingdom (Aug 2018 -to- Dec 2018)
- Developed a multi-physics sensor array for prognostics of power electronic converters in electric vehicles, enhancing reliability and predictive maintenance capabilities.
- Designed a sensing platform to assess the health of power electronic modules within electric vehicle drive systems, integrating multi-physical sensors to generate a spatially sparse image of key measurements, including temperature, electrical parameters (voltage, current, impedance), and mechanical displacement (wire bond movement and device deformity) across varying time scales.
- Collaborated with four universities and two industrial partners
Post-Doctoral Research Associate (Part-time), Queen Mary University London, United Kingdom (Nov 2017 -to- Apr 2018)
- Designed advanced control strategies for autonomous operation of AC/DC microgrids, integrating energy storage systems and power electronic compensators for voltage and frequency regulation.
- Successfully completed a project on the coordination of power electronic compensators in distribution systems, enhancing system stability and efficiency.
- Guided and supervised PhD students within the research group, providing mentorship and technical expertise to support their academic progress and research outcomes.
Graduate Teaching Assistant / Research Postgraduate, Imperial College London, United Kingdom (Sep 2013 -to- Aug 2017)
- Demonstrated and assessed laboratory sessions for the Switch Mode Power Supply experiment, ensuring practical comprehension of theoretical concepts.
- Delivered 1st and 2nd-year Mathematics tutorials, fostering a strong foundational understanding of mathematical principles.
- Evaluated presentations and reports for the Professional Engineering course, providing constructive feedback to enhance students’ communication and technical writing skills.
- Developed an integrated approach for voltage and frequency control in distribution networks, enabling demand response and supporting increased integration of renewable energy units and electric vehicle charging stations through autonomous control of power electronic compensators.
- Reviewed academic papers for high-impact journals, including IEEE Transactions on Smart Grids, IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery, and IEEE Transactions on Sustainable Energy, contributing to advancements in the field.
- Co-supervised MSc/MEng theses, mentoring students in research and project execution.
Lecturer / Assistant Professor, University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Lahore, Pakistan (Sep 2008 -to- Sep 2013)
- University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Lahore: The oldest, largest, and top-ranked public-sector engineering university in Pakistan.
- Delivered theory and laboratory classes across all undergraduate years, covering topics such as Circuit Analysis and Design, AC/DC Machines, Power Transmission and Distribution, Electric Machine Design, Power System Protection, Power Systems Operation and Control, and High Voltage Engineering.
- Promoted from Lecturer to Assistant Professor in 2012 in recognition of teaching excellence and academic contribution.
- Supervised final-year student projects, guiding students through applied research and design implementation.
- Conducted insulation testing in the high-voltage laboratory, supporting both academic research and industrial consultancy.
- Organised the departmental timetable, ensuring efficient allocation of teaching resources and room scheduling.
- Served as Hostel Warden for the International Students’ Hostel (Iqbal Hall), managing student welfare and residential facilities.
Research Assistant, University of Paderborn, Germany (Sep 2009 -to- Feb 2010)
- Conducted research in the LEA Laboratory (Power Electronics and Electrical Drives Lab) on developing a Linear Rail Cab System, leveraging linear induction motor technology and hybrid energy systems with supercapacitors and batteries to optimize performance and energy efficiency.
Research Engineer, Pak Elektron Limited (PEL), Pakistan (Jun 2008 -to- Sep 2008)
- Developed an empirical formula to accurately calculate stray losses in power transformers, enhancing efficiency and reliability.
- Conducted high-frequency modeling of power transformers to optimize insulation design and improve performance under various operating conditions.
Dr Zohaib Akhtar 