Position Details
School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK
Full time starting salary is normally in the range £35,880 to £45,163 with potential progression once in post to £47,874
Grade: 7
Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to September 2027
Closing date: 4th March 2025
UK travel may be required for this role
Please note: We are advertising for both a Grade 6 Research Associate (104920) and a Grade 7 Research Fellow (104983), however there is only 1 post available.
Background
We are recruiting a Research Fellow (Grade 7) for the SMARTWATER project (https://www.smart-water.org.uk/), a NERC Large grant involving multiple UK institutions and a US partner. The position will be split between maintaining water quality monitoring stations (including In-Situ, Proteus, TriOS and Xylem in-situ sensors) in our local catchments (travel required) and using data science approaches for analysis of high frequency datasets. The SMARTWATER project aims to use high-frequency sensing to diagnose locations of pollution hot spots and hot moments and assess their impact on water quality.
Role Summary
* To complete fieldwork relating to high-frequency sensor and low-cost sensor deployment
* Working on large time series data for trend analysis related to hot spots and moments
* Work within specified research grants and projects and contribute to writing bids and manuscripts
* Operate within area of specialism
* Analyse and interpret research findings and results
* Contribute to generating funding
* Supporting other members of the research team
Main Duties
The responsibilities may include some but not all of the responsibilities outlined below.
* Maintenance and data quality assurance from sensor network
* Use of analytical software for time series data analysis
* Collation of existing hydrological datasets
* Related lab work
* Develop research objectives and proposals for own or joint research, with assistance of a mentor if required
* Contribute to writing bids for research funding
* Analyse and interpret data
* Apply knowledge in a way which develops new intellectual understanding
* Disseminate research findings for publication, research seminars etc
* Supervise students on research related work and provide guidance to PhD students where appropriate to the discipline
* Contribute to developing new models, techniques and methods
* Undertake management/administration arising from research
* Contribute to Departmental/School research-related activities and research-related administration
* Contribute to enterprise, business development and/or public engagement activities of manifest benefit to the College and the University, often under supervision of a project leader
* Collect research data; this may be through a variety of research methods, such as scientific experimentation, literature reviews, and research interviews
* Present research outputs, including drafting academic publications or parts thereof, for example at seminars and as posters
* Provide guidance, as required, to support staff and any students who may be assisting with the research
* Deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines
* Promotes equality and values diversity acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.
Person Specification
* Degree in area of specialism and normally, a PhD (or near to completion) relevant to research area or equivalent qualifications
* High level analytical capability
* Ability to communicate complex information clearly
* Fluency in relevant models, techniques or methods and ability to contribute to developing new ones
* Ability to assess resource requirements and use resources effectively
* Understanding of and ability to contribute to broader management/administration processes
* Contribute to the planning and organising of the research programme and/or specific research project
* Co-ordinate own work with others to avoid conflict or duplication of effort
* Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day to day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly
* Experience using in-situ water sensors, their maintenance and calibration
* Experience in lab-based techniques for physical parameter measurements (Fluorescence, TOC/TN)
* Ability to clean high-frequency data and create graphical plots
* Desirable - experience with R-Shiny to create apps
* Demonstrable technical knowledge of/experience in analysis of high-frequency data
Interviews
We aim to shortlist candidates in early March and conduct interviews in late March and early April. Shortlisted candidates will receive updates throughout the process.
Informal enquiries to Liam Kelleher - Project Coordinator, email: l.kelleher@bham.ac.uk, Stefan Krause - Project Lead, email: s.krause@bham.ac.uk, or Suman Hira - Project Administration, email: s.hira@bham.ac.uk
We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy.
You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website.
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