Postdoctoral Research Officer in Biogeochemistry (Biochar)

Applications are invited for this 45-month fixed-term post-doctoral position in the School of Natural Sciences at Bangor University working on a Greenhouse Gas Removal (GGR) demonstrator project to evaluate the viability of biochar to store carbon from the atmosphere to counter the impact of climate change. The wider project is led by Nottingham University, in collaboration with UKCEH, Forest Research and the Universities of Glasgow, Leeds and Bangor.

Duties will include leading research in the laboratory, greenhouse and field based studies using a range of state-of-the-art approaches, including metabolomics, to assess the effects of different biochar, soil, environment and management factors on long-term biochar stability, and impact on soil organic carbon degradation and overall greenhouse gas in the soil environment.

Candidates should possess a PhD (or near completion) in an area such as Soil Science, Plant Science, Agronomy, Microbiology, Agricultural Science, Crop Science, and/or a related Environmental Science, have previous experience of studying nutrient cycling in laboratory and/or field environments and previous experience of metabolomics and other new indicators of soil biological health.

The successful candidate will be expected to commence on 1st September or as soon as possible thereafter.

For more information about the post, please contact Prof Davey Jones (d.jones@bangor.ac.uk)

Closing date for applications: 17 August 2021

Applications will only be accepted via our on-line recruitment website, jobs.bangor.ac.uk. However, in cases of access issues due to disability, paper application forms are available by telephoning 01248 383865.

Committed To Equal Opportunities

Overview

Bangor University was established in 1884 and currently has over 11,000 students. It comprises 14 Academic Schools grouped in to 3 colleges. The College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering at Bangor University is one of the leading centres in the UK for teaching and research in biology, environmental sciences, geography, ocean sciences, computer science and electronic engineering. The University was awarded a Gold rating in the recent UK Teaching Excellence Framework. The college has over 2300 students and 350 teaching and support staff, and consists of three academic schools and the BioComposites Centre. The School of Natural Science (SNS) is a school within this College.

The Project

The post would suit an enthusiastic, self-motivated researcher with an interest in using state-of-the-art approaches to understanding the impacts of management practices on soil and plant health, and specifically on impacts of management practices on delivery of key ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas regulation.

The successful candidate will be based in the Ecosystem and Environment Group on the 2nd floor of the Environment Centre Wales building, and be part of the Bangor University greenhouse gas removals (GGR) team that includes a dedicated project technician. in addition to a second post-doctoral researcher in a Peatland-based GGR project, Professors Davey Jones and Dave Chadwick, and the wider project collaborators.

Purpose of the Job

Working closely with the Bangor University research leaders and a dedicated project technician you will be responsible for designing and carrying out experiments at a range of scales using stable- and radio-isotopes and metabolomic approaches to trace the effects of biochar amendments on carbon and nutrient cycling.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Developing sampling and measurement protocols to determine the effects of biochar additions on soil and plant health
Assessing the greenhouse gas balance of using biochar to sequester carbon in soils, including potential priming effects
Identify and test the potential use of metabolomics as indicators of soil health following the addition of biochar to soil
Conduct laboratory, greenhouse and field experiments to understand the effects of biochar amendments on soil carbon and nutrient cycling
Collaborating with the Peatland-GGR post-doctoral researcher and industry colleagues working in this project
Statistical analysis and interpretation of data generated from monitoring and experiments
Liaising with other researchers in the Biochar-GGR and other related GGR projects (e.g. Peatland) to maximise research opportunities and impact
Drafting and submitting high impact publications and proposals, and promoting the project at conferences
Day to day line management of the project research technician.

Other Duties and Responsibilities

The post holder will be expected to participate in performance review and career developmental activities.
The post holder will be expected to comply with the University’s equality policies and statements, Dignity at Work and Study Policy and the University’s Welsh Language Scheme.
The post holder has a general and legal duty of care in relation to health, safety and wellbeing and must take all reasonable steps to ensure a safe and healthy working environment for him/herself and for other members of staff, students and visitors affected by his/her actions or inactions. The post holder is also required to comply with all applicable health and safety policies, procedures and risk assessments.
The post holder must comply with relevant legal and financial policies and procedures and be aware of their responsibilities in terms of the legal requirements of their post.

Person Specification

Qualifications/Training

Essential

A PhD (or near completion) in an area such as Soil Science, Plant Science, Agronomy, Microbiology, Agricultural Science, Crop Science, and/or a related Environmental Science.

Experience/Knowledge

Essential

Previous experience of studying nutrient cycling in laboratory and/or field environments.
An in depth understanding of impacts of land management on soil nutrient processes is essential.
Previous experience of metabolomics, volatilomic approaches and other new indicators of soil biological health, e.g. use of VOCs.
Experience in metabolomic and .
Statistical knowledge for the analysis of complex datasets.
Strong publication track record in international peer-reviewed journals.

Desirable

Previous use of stable- or radio-isotope techniques to study plant-soil-microbial processes.
Knowledge of pipelines for the processing and analysis of omics datasets.
Previous work on biochar.
Journal publications on soil quality and health assessment.
Experience in the communication of science via social media.

Skills/Abilities

Essential

Full UK driving licence for travel to field sites and project meetings.
Well organised.
Motivated and conscientious.
Excellent interpersonal skills; ability to interface with diverse audiences and wide sectors of the public, as well as scientific and policy communities and the ability to work as part of a team.
Appropriate statistical data analysis and interpretation skills.
Experience in undertaking field work.
The role will require the successful applicant to work on field sites where work can be physically demanding and require a certain amount of manual handling.

Desirable

Experienced in programming.
Willingness to work unsociable hours on occasion.
Previous experience in line management would be advantageous.

Other

Essential
• Demonstrate an understanding of the bilingual nature of the institution and area.

General

The University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds. We strive to develop a workforce from all sections of the community regardless of sex, gender identity, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, trans identity, relationship status, religion or belief, caring responsibilities, or age. We promote and facilitate the use of the Welsh language through our progressive Welsh Language Policy. We comply with the Welsh Language Standards and are committed to equality of opportunity. You are welcome to apply for any job in English or Welsh and all applications submitted will be treated equally.

We are a member of Advance HE’s Athena SWAN Gender Equality charter and hold a Bronze award in recognition of our commitment to and progress towards gender equality within the University’s policies, practices, and culture. We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer.

All members of staff have a duty to ensure their actions are in line with the overall environmental aims of the University and minimise their environmental impact.

All offers are made subject to proof of eligibility to work in the UK and receipt of satisfactory references.

All candidates must meet the requirements of UK ‘right to work’ requirements *** If you require Home Office permission to work in the UK, or need to switch your visa status in order to take this job we recommend you use the following link to information about the routes into employment and to check eligibility requirements: https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas.

Please note that we are unable to employ anyone who does not have the right to live and work in the UK legally. When applying for this post you will be required to explain the basis upon which you believe you will be able to live and work in the UK legally on the commencement date of the role should your application be successful.

Candidates should also note that they may be required to apply for an ATAS certificate (Academic Approval Technology Scheme) from the Counter-Proliferation and Arms Control Centre of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office before being able to apply for a visa - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/academic-technology-approval-scheme.

Please note that, in the event of applications being received from candidates on the University’s Redeployment Register with a reasonable skills match to the post specification, these applicants will be given prior consideration.