Research Assistant (Maternity cover)

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Department of Clinical Research
Salary:  £38,282 to £43,947 per annum, inclusive.
Closing Date:  Wednesday 06 March 2024
Reference:  ITD-CRD-2024-01-E

The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is a world-leading centre for research and postgraduate education in public and global health. Our mission is to improve health and health equity in the UK and worldwide; working in partnership to achieve excellence in public and global health research, education and translation of knowledge into policy and practice.

This is a maternity cover position starting at 9 months but may increase to 12 months. It is a full-time post, but we will consider someone working 0.6 FTE or more, within the Wellcome Trust Funded Biomedical Resource project; Schistosome and Snail resource (SSR); supporting global schistosomiasis research. The SSR is a joint project between the Natural History Museum (NHM) and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) with this advertised post based at the LSHTM, London. 

The post-holder will be responsible for the maintenance of the Schistosoma life cycle, which is an integral part of the SSR. This will involve the general maintenance of intermediate host snails, small rodent infections and procedures, preparation of Schistosoma parasite material for research and as a supply to the wider research community. They will be responsible for scheduling infections, material harvesting, animal orders which is all time critical, whilst also leading the data management in relation to the species and strains involved and the productivity of the life-cycle system. Other key responsibilities will be working closely with the Natural History Museum and the technical staff member responsible for snail population enhancement and maintenance, and to test protocol refinements to improve efficiency and reduce animal use. Furthermore, the post will liaise with SSR users and clients to fulfil their product requests. 

We are seeking a highly pro-active candidate with a minimum of a BSc level in biology, parasitology or relevant technology discipline including experimental animal work. They do not need to acquire and / or hold a personal animal license, but holding a license is beneficial. However, they need to confidently be able to carry out experimental animal procedures. This includes working with small parasitic worms (Schistosoma species) and working in Category 2 containment facilities. They would also ideally have some experience of teaching and hold an MSc in parasitology or relevant biological subject. Further particulars are included in the job description.

The salary will be on the Academic Pathways scale at Grade 5 in the range £38,282 - £43,947 per annum pro rata (inclusive of London Weighting). The post will be subject to the LSHTM terms and conditions of service.  Annual leave entitlement is 30 working days per year, pro rata for part time staff. In addition to this there are discretionary “Wellbeing Days”. Membership of the Pension Scheme is available. The post is based in London. 

Applications should be made on-line via our website at http://jobs.lshtm.ac.uk . Applications should also include the names and email contacts of 2 referees who can be contacted immediately if appointed. Online applications will be accepted by the automated system until 10pm of the closing date. Any queries regarding the application process may be addressed to [email protected] . 

The supporting statement section should set out how your qualifications, experience and training meet each of the selection criteria. Please provide one or more paragraphs addressing each criterion. The supporting statement is an essential part of the selection process and thus a failure to provide this information will mean that the application will not be considered. An answer to any of the criteria such as "Please see attached CV" will not be considered acceptable. 

Please note that if you are shortlisted and are unable to attend on the interview date it may not be possible to offer you an alternative date.

The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is committed to being an equal opportunities employer. We believe that when people feel respected and included, they can be more creative, successful, and happier at work. While we have more work to do, we are committed to building an inclusive workplace, a community that everyone feels a part of, which is safe, respectful, supportive and enables all to reach their full potential.