Postdoctoral Research Associate

Job id: 089765. Salary: £43,205 – £46,732 per annum, including London Weighting Allowance.

Posted: 17 May 2024. Closing date: 30 June 2024.

Business unit: Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sci. Department: Chemistry.

Contact details:Tim Nott. [email protected]

Location: Guy's Campus. Category: Research.

The Nott group is looking for a skilled and motivated Postdoctoral Research Associate with a strong background in structural biology, cell biology, or biophysics. The project will combine novel methods for studying membraneless organelles with structural strategies for characterising molecular conformations, interactions, and enzyme activity.

Applicants should hold (or be near completion of) a PhD in a relevant area of biological or physical science and have the ability to independently drive an interdisciplinary project. Expertise in structural, biophysical, or cellular methods are all advantageous. Applicants should have a keen interest in the biology of membraneless cellular compartments, excellent communication skills, and the ability to write for scientific publication.  

This post will be offered on an a fixed-term contract for 3 years. 

This is a full-time post.

The position is for a Postdoctoral Researcher who is expected to independently manage day-to-day laboratory work. Specific research goals will be discussed and agreed with the PI. Key responsibilities include: 

• Perform original research using structural, biophysical, and/or cellular approaches to characterise properties, functions, and interactions of biomolecular systems.
• Independently manage and execute research and administrative activities to agreed timelines.
• Work with other group members and collaborators to perform research, maintain equipment, and contribute to a safe and productive lab environment.
• Liaise with administrative and technical teams to support the research project.
• Supervision of junior lab members.
• Disseminate research via publication in scientific papers, meetings, and conferences.
• Document all work in an Electronic Lab Notebook and update laboratory databases as reagents and data are generated and validated.
• Undertake other reasonable duties as required by the PI.

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.

Essential criteria

1.       Hold or be near completion of a PhD in a relevant area of biological or physical science. 

2.       Have a strong track record in a key area of research such as molecular structure-function relationships, intracellular compartmentalisation, or similar. 

3.       Excellent experimental skills and the ability to independently drive a project, including decision-making, problem solving, planning, and organising. 

4.       Strong communication skills both in writing and for oral presentation. 

5.       Capacity to work as part of a team and supervise more junior colleagues. 

6.       Ability to lead in the preparation of manuscripts for publication and communicate the outcomes of projects to researchers from a broad range of disciplines. 

7.       Enthusiasm for the research being carried out in the lab. 

8.       Ability to address complex problems creatively. 

Desirable criteria

1.       Proven and substantive expertise in biomolecule expression, isolation, and characterisation. 

2.       Proven and substantive expertise in one or more structural, biophysical, or cell biological method e.g., NMR, x-ray crystallography, cryoEM/ET, single molecule fluorescence, proteomics etc. 

3.       Experience in giving oral or poster presentations. 

4.       Experience in writing scientific papers. 

5.       Experience in the supervision of graduate and undergraduate research projects. 

* Please note that this is a PhD level role but candidates who have submitted their thesis and are awaiting award of their PhDs will be considered. In these circumstances the appointment will be made at Grade 5, spine point 30 with the title of Research Assistant. Upon confirmation of the award of the PhD, the job title will become Research Associate and the salary will increase to Grade 6.