School of Life Sciences
Our staff are passionate about science and have travelled from all over the world to be at Essex and use our first class facilities.
The Ecology and Environmental Microbiology Group in the School of Life Sciences are focused on understanding the ecological mechanisms behind global change and providing clear management and policy recommendations.
Our research crosses all levels of biological organisation (from genes to ecosystems) and across taxonomic groups (from microbes to macro-organisms). We are now looking to appoint a Senior Research Officer to work in Dr Anna Sturrock’s Research Lab on a UKRI-funded project ‘From Ions to Ecosystems: A Novel Framework for the Biomonitoring and Management of Vulnerable and Commercial Fishes’
Duties of the post
The researcher in this post will lead a research project assessing fish health and pollution exposure histories by measuring chemical tracers (e.g. contaminants, hormones) in fish tissues and archival structures such as eye lenses, otoliths and scales. The candidate will have flexibility to shape the research direction, but proposed topics include quantifying hormone and/or contaminant concentrations in sequential tissue layers to reconstruct age at sexual maturity, skipped spawning events, stress responses to sublethal stressors (e.g. pollution, high temperatures, hypoxia) and/or contaminant exposure events. Responsibilities include day-to-day data and lab management, method development, data analysis and publication writing, fieldwork/sample collections, maintaining relationships with project partners, and public outreach.
You will undertake or manage practical elements of research such as setting up and conducting experiments, conducting fieldwork, analysing data and engaging in individual and/or collaborative research activities resulting in internationally excellent publications that is in keeping with Research Excellence Framework (REF) criteria.
A full list of duties can be found within the job pack attached.
Skills and qualifications required
The successful candidate will hold a relevant doctoral level degree inenvironmental science/chemistry/ biology, or equivalent professional experience or practice.
As part of the process and to be successful you will be required to demonstrate how you your research has been impactful within and beyond the academic sphere, recognising the importance of this and the effect it will have on the University.
At the University of Essex, internationalism and diversity is central to who we are and what we do. We are committed to being a cosmopolitan, internationally oriented university that is welcoming to staff and students from all countries, faiths and backgrounds, where you can find the world in one place.
To support this commitment we have our Global Forum, a staff-led network that promotes and celebrates the rich cultural diversity among Essex staff, and our Colchester campus based Faith Centre, which hosts regular services, meetings and events organised by our chaplains and faith representatives.
Please see the attached job pack, which contains a full job description and person specification which outlines the full duties, skills, qualifications and experience needed for this role plus more information relating to the post. We recommend you read this information carefully before making an application. Applications should be made on-line, but if you would like advice or help in making an application, or need information in a different format, please contact resourcing@essex.ac.uk
*More information: Working at the University