Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy

The above full-time, ERC funded post is available from 1 October 2022 to 30 September 2024 in the Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy.

The post

The College wishes to recruit a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to participate in ‘SEACHANGE: Quantifying the impact of major cultural transitions on marine ecosystem functioning and biodiversity’ a 6 year European Research Council funded Synergy project (grant ref 856488).  The project is led by four Principal Investigators based in the UK and Europe, Prof James Scouse is the PI based at Exeter. The successful applicant will be responsible for constructing and interpreting bivalve mollusc sclerochronologies from shell series collected in northern Europe, Iceland and Australia. The post will include field sampling for bivalve molluscs, sclerochronological crossdating and analysis, shell subsampling for stable isotopic analysis (C,N,O), collaborating in the interpretation of stable isotopic analysis, and integrating results with data from coeval sedimentary archives. 

About you

The successful applicant will be able to develop research objectives, projects and proposals; identify sources of research funding and contribute to the process of securing funds and make presentations at conferences and other events.

Applicants will possess a relevant PhD or equivalent qualification/experience in a related field of study and some years postdoctoral experience The successful applicant will be a nationally recognised authority in bivalve sclerochronology and scleroclimatology and possess sufficient specialist knowledge in the discipline to develop research programmes and methodologies. The successful applicant will also be able to work collaboratively, supervise the work of others and act as team leader as required. Applicants will be able to be fully involved in the SEACHANGE project from field sampling to final analysis. They will provide intellectual and technical leadership in the field of sclerochronology, to publish in a timely manner all results deriving from the project.

The successful applicant will deliver the results of the project at appropriate scientific meetings, initiate and deliver appropriate outreach activity relating to SEACHANGE and develop an independent scientific research portfolio leading to an academic career. They will have the opportunity to supervise technical staff involved in sclerochronological analysis, to co-supervise research students both within and outside the SEACHANGE projects as appropriate and to contribute to teaching activity within the Department of Earth and Environmental Science as appropriate

Please ensure you read the Job Description and Person Specification for full details of this role by clicking on the attachment.

What we can offer you

• Freedom (and the support) to pursue your intellectual interests and to work creatively across disciplines to produce internationally exciting research;
• Support teams that understand the University wide research and teaching goals and partner with our academics accordingly
• An Innovation, Impact and Business directorate that works closely with our academics providing specialist support for external engagement and development
• Our Exeter Academic initiative supporting high performing academics to achieve their potential and develop their career

• A beautiful campus set in the heart of stunning Cornwall.

The University of Exeter

We are a member of the prestigious Russell Group of research-intensive universities and in the top 150 universities in the world (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2022 and QS World University Ranking 2022). We combine world-class teaching with world-class research, achieving a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework Award 2017.

Our research income in recent years means we’re the fastest growing UK Research University with some of the world’s most influential scientists, and we seek to answer some of the most fundamental issues facing humankind today through this. 98% of our research is of international quality (2014 Research Excellence Framework). We encourage proactive engagement with industry, business and community partners to enhance the impact of research and education and improve the employability of our students. Read about our world leading research – Green Futures  and how we are transforming education  for a changing world. We are located in a beautiful part of the country and Exeter (a fast growing tech hub) is one of only a few UK cities to have been designated as a UNESCO Creative City

Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Commitment

With over 27,000 students and 6,400 staff from 180 different countries we offer a diverse and engaging environment where our diversity is celebrated and valued as a major strength. We are committed to creating an inclusive culture where all members of our community are supported to thrive; where diverse voices are heard through our engagement with evidence-based charter frameworks for gender (Athena SWAN), race equality (Race Equality Charter Mark), LGBTQ+ inclusion (Stonewall Diversity Champion) and as a Disability Confident employer. Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented within our working community. Reasonable adjustments are available for interviews and workplaces.

For further information please contact Professor James Scourse, Principal Investigator of the SEACHANGE project, e-mail [email protected]. or telephone 01326 371 883.