Working at Durham University
A globally outstanding centre of teaching and research excellence, a warm and friendly place to work, a unique and historic setting - Durham is a university like no other.
As one of the UK\'s leading universities, Durham is an incredible place to define your career. The University is located within a beautiful historic city, home to a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and surrounded by stunning countryside. Our talented scholars and researchers from around the world are tackling global issues and making a difference to people\'s lives.
We believe that inspiring our people to do outstanding things at Durham enables Durham people to do outstanding things in the world. Being a part of Durham is about more than just the success of the University, it\'s also about contributing to the success of the city, county and community.
Our University Strategy is built on three pillars of research, education and wider student experience, but also on our keen sense of community and of inspiring others to achieve their potential.
Our Purpose and Values
We want our University to be a place where people can be free to be themselves, no matter what their identity or background. Together, we celebrate difference, value one another and are each responsible for creating an inclusive community that is respectful and fair for all.
Find out more about the benefits of working at the University and what it is like to live and work in the Durham area on our Why Join Us? - Information Page
The Role and Department
The Department of Biosciences at Durham University has around 200 staff and isambitious and expanding, with an outstanding reputation in research, teaching, and impact.Research is centred around four key themes: 1) ecology, evolution & environment, 2) animal cells & systems, 3) biomolecular interactions, and 4) molecular plant sciences ( There is a lively research culture with many visitors and events, and active and rewarding collaborations with other departments in Durham and with other scientists in the UK and internationally.
As part of this people-driven focus, the department welcomes applicants interested in hybrid working to give staff who can work flexibly and on and off campus.
The Role
The Durham Bioscience Dept is seeking to appoint a motivated and skilled Postdoctoral Researcher in molecular plant science to investigate the biophysics of marine (macroalgal) cell wall polymers under physiological and stress conditions. This is a highly interdisciplinary project, funded under the UKRI Cross Council Responsive Mode Scheme, that aims to uncover the mechanical properties of cell walls in marine macroalgae. The bulk of our understanding of cell walls comes from studies in land plants, but macroalgal cell walls have evolved to deal with rapid and extreme cyclic changes in salinity and hydrostatic pressure and offer novel and under-explored insights into the fundamental architecture and evolution of cell walls and marine-adapted biopolymers. These insights require interdisciplinary expertise and the project will run across the cross-disciplinary LILACS consortium (\'Looking Inside Living Algal Cell Walls - A Soft Matter Approach\'), in which Durham researchers work closely with synthetic chemists at Imperial College London and rheologists at Liverpool University.
The successful applicant will begin by using proteomic and transcriptomic approaches to characterize novel macroalgal cell wall proteins and polymers in the green macroalga, Ulva compressa, which is being developed as a model marine species by Durham\'s project lead (John Bothwell), along with colleagues in Gent, Belgium. You will play a central role in leading, devising and conducting original experiments that bring together your molecular plant science expertise with researchers in biophysics, rheology and optical microscopy to design and construct innovative optical microscopy setups that probe how model hydrogels, constructed from the algal biopolymers and components that you have identified, respond to changing environments in real time. Experience with proteomic techniques is therefore essential, and expertise in cell wall polymer extraction, analytical chemistry techniques, or optical microscopy techniques would also be an advantage.
You will be working across traditional disciplines with biologists, chemists, optical and soft matter physicists, and your findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed manuscripts and conference presentations in several disciplines. We value and nurture mentorship, leadership development and collaboration, and you will have the opportunity to contribute to the guidance and supervision of postgraduate and undergraduate research projects. Additionally, there is potential for collaboration with industrial partners to further enhance the scope and impact of your research.
For more detail, please contact John Bothwell ( )
Key responsibilities:
You will be primarily responsible for the extraction and characterization of green macroalgal cell wall proteins and polymers using proteomic and other analytical techniques. Using these, you will also design and construct model composite hydrogels, working with our collaborators at Liverpool and Imperial. You will be actively involved in project management, in developing research questions and in project decision making, and appropriate mentorship and support will be provided. Findings are expected to be both novel and transformative, so results will be presented at national and international conferences and published in leading journals. It is therefore essential that you collaborate effectively with colleagues across different scientific disciplines.
- To understand and convey material of a specialist or highly technical nature to the team or group of people through presentations and discussions that leads to the presentation of research papers in conferences and publications.
- To prepare and deliver presentations on research outputs/activities to audiences which may include: research sponsors, academic and non-academic audiences.
- To publish high quality outputs, including papers for submission to peer reviewed journals and papers for presentation at conferences and workshops under the direction of the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder.
- To assist with the development of research objectives and proposals.
- To conduct individual and collaborative research projects under the direction of the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder.
- To work with the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder and other colleagues in the research group, as appropriate, to identify areas for research, develop new research methods and extend the research portfolio.
- To deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines by discussing with the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder and offering creative or innovative solutions.
- To liaise with research colleagues and make internal and external contacts to develop knowledge and understanding to form relationships for future research collaboration.
- To plan and manage own research activity, research resources in collaboration with others and contribute to the planning of research projects.
- To deliver training in research techniques/approaches to peers, visitors and students as appropriate.
- To be involved in student supervision, as appropriate, and assist with the assessment of the knowledge of students.
- To contribute to fostering a collegial and respectful working environment which is inclusive and welcoming and where everyone is treated fairly with dignity and respect.
- To engage in wider citizenship to support the department and wider discipline.
- To engage in continuing professional development by participation in the undergraduate or postgraduate teaching programmes or by membership of departmental committees, etc. and by attending relevant training and development courses.
- You will advise PhD students working in the group, take part in discussions to agree targets for their work, and supervise their day-to-day activity.
This post is fixed term for two years as funding is available for that period only.
The post-holder is employed to work on research/a research project which will be led by another colleague. Whilst this means that the post-holder will not be carrying out independent research in his/her own right, the expectation is that they will contribute to the advancement of the project, through the development of their own research ideas/adaptation and development of research protocols.
Successful applicants will, ideally, be in post by ASAP.
Working at Durham
A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University: you will also receive access to the following fantastic benefits:
• 30 Days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year - a total of 42 days per year.
• The University closes between Christmas and New Year - please include or delete if not applicable.
• We offer a generous pension scheme, As a new member of staff you will be automatically enrolled into the University Superannuation Scheme (USS).
• No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered. We have parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies.
• There is a genuine commitment to developing our colleagues professionally and personally. There is a comprehensive range of development courses, apprenticeships and access to qualifications and routes to develop your career in the University. All staff have dedicated annual time to concentrate on their personal development opportunities.
• Lots of support for health and wellbeing including discounted membership for our state of the art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme.
• On site nursery is available plus access to holiday camps for children aged 5-16.
• Family friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, which are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers).
• The opportunity to take part in staff volunteering activities to make a difference in the local community
• Discounts are available via our benefits portal including; money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, the cinema and days out at various attractions.
• A salary sacrifice scheme is also available to help you take advantage of tax savings on benefits.
• If you are moving to Durham, you may be eligible for help with removal costs and we have a dedicated team who can help you with the practicalities such as house hunting and schools. If you need a visa, we cover most visa costs and offer an interest free loan scheme to pay for dependant visas.
Discover more about our total rewards and benefits package here.
Durham University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion
Equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key component of the University\'s Strategy and a central part of everything we do. We also live by our Purpose and Values and our Staff Code of Conduct. At Durham we actively work towards providing an environment where our staff and students can study, work and live in a community which is supportive and inclusive. It\'s important to us that all colleagues undertake activities that are aligned to both our values and commitment to EDI.
We welcome and encourage applications from those who are currently under-represented in our work force, including people with disabilities and from racially minoritised ethnic groups.
If you have taken a career break or periods of leave that may have impacted on the volume and recency of your research outputs and other activities, such as maternity, adoption or parental leave, you may wish to disclose this in your application. The selection committee will take this into account when evaluating your application.
The University has been awarded the Disability Confident Employer status. If you are a candidate with a disability, we are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to support the interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, reasonable adjustments will be made to support people within their role.
Person Specification
Essential Criteria:
Qualifications
- A good first degree in life sciences or
- A PhD (or be close to submission) in Molecular Plant Science or a related subject.
Experience
- Experience in conducting high quality academic research.
- Demonstrable ability to write material of a quality commensurate with publication in highly-ranked journals.
- Demonstrable ability to present research papers at (national/international) conferences and communicate complex information to specialists and within the wider academic community.
- Experience in proteomic techniques.
Skills
- Demonstrable ability to work cooperatively as part of a team, including participating in research meetings.
- Ability to work independently on own initiative and to strict deadlines.
Desirable Criteria
Experience
- Strong publication record in peer-reviewed journals, commensurate with stage of career.
- A track record of presenting research at conferences, symposia, or meetings, commensurate with stage of career.
- Demonstrable ability to develop research proposals and designs in collaboration with other academics.
- Experience of overseeing students with respect to the development of their practical/research skills e.g. acting as a demonstrator; supervising student projects/practicals.
- Experience in molecular plant techniques, especially in transcriptomic analysis and / or advanced optical microscopy techniques.
- Experience of interdisciplinary working
- Experience of plant or algal cultivation
How to Apply
To progress to the assessment stage, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification below. It will be at the discretion of the recruiting panel as to whether they will also consider any desirable criteria, but we would urge candidates to provide evidence for all criteria.
While some criteria will be considered at the shortlisting stage, other criteria may be considered later in the assessment process, such as questions at interview.
Submitting your application
We prefer to receive applications online. We will update you about your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to make sure you have not missed any of our updates.
What to Submit
All applicants are asked to submit:
- a CV and cover letter which details your experience, skills, and achievements in meeting (or the potential to meet) the criteria set out below.
- Any other additional documents the department feel would support the shortlisting process
Contact Information
Department contact for academic-related enquiries
Dr John Bothwell, Reader in Bioenergy.
Contact information for technical difficulties when submitting your application
If you encounter technical difficulties when using the online application form, we prefer you send enquiries by email. Please send your name along with a brief description of the problem you\'re experiencing to
Alternatively, you may call from the UK, or from outside the UK. This number operates during the hours of 09.00 and 17.00 Monday to Friday, UK time. We will normally respond within one working day (Monday to Friday, excluding UK public holidays).
University contact for general queries about the recruitment process
Next Steps
Short-listed candidates will be invited to the University, either virtually or in-person and will have the opportunity to meet key members of the Department. The assessment for the post will normally include a presentation followed by an interview and we anticipate that the assessments and interviews will take place over two days.
In the event that you are unable to attend in person on the date offered, it may not be possible to offer you an interview on an alternative date.
Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement Job Applicants/Potential Job Applicants - Durham University which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.
When appointing to this role the University must ensure that it meets any applicable immigration requirements, including salary thresholds which are applicable to some visas.
