Research Assistant or Research Fellow in Tea Plant and Soil Science

Role Description

We welcome applications from conscientious plant and soil scientists who can enable the development of more regenerative and resilient tea production systems.  

About the Role

You will manage and interpret research to improve understanding of the interactions between tea clones, soil microbiome, greenhouse gas emissions, drought, and fertiliser use to develop more sustainable agricultural practices. You will join the BBSRC Business and Academia Prosperity Partnership (2023-2028) between Cranfield University and Lipton Teas and Infusions. The partnership project combines digital agriculture, field experimentation, and molecular breeding to improve the resilience and sustainability of the East African tea crop. The post will include periods of field work in Kenya.

About You

You will be educated to doctoral level (or close to completion of PhD) in plant science, soil science, crop-based greenhouse gas emissions, or a closely related field. You will have experience of the calibration, use and interpretation of soil and/or crop measurement equipment and a track record of preparing high quality reports and peer-reviewed manuscripts. With excellent communication skills, you will be able to work effectively with stakeholders in academia and businesses in the tea industry.

About Us

As a specialist postgraduate university, Cranfield’s world-class expertise, large-scale facilities and unrivalled industry partnerships are creating leaders in technology and management globally. Learn more about Cranfield and our unique impact here.

The project will be part of the Environment and Agrifood Theme with a strong track record in digital agriculture and soil and crop sciences.

Our Values and Commitments

Our shared, stated values help to define who we are and underpin everything we do: Ambition; Impact; Respect; and Community. Find out more here.

We aim to create and maintain a culture in which everyone can work and study together and realise their full potential. We are a Disability Confident Employer and proud members of the Stonewall Diversity Champions Programme. We are committed to actively exploring flexible working options for each role and have been ranked in the Top 30 family friendly employers in the UK by the charity Working Families. Find out more about our key commitments to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and Flexible Working here.

Working Arrangements

Collaborating and connecting are integral to so much of what we do. Our Working Arrangements Framework provides many staff with the opportunity to flexibly combine on-site and remote working, where job roles allow, balancing the needs of our community of staff, students, clients and partners.

How to apply                                   

For an informal discussion about this opportunity, please contact Professor Paul Burgess, Professor of Sustainable Agriculture and Agroforestry, on (E): p.burgess@cranfield.ac.uk or Professor Andrew Thompson, Professor of Molecular Plant Sciences & Head of Soils, Agrifood and Biosciences, on (E): a.j.thompson@cranfield.ac.uk

Please do not hesitate to contact us for further details on E: peoplerecruitment@cranfield.ac.uk. Please quote reference number 4949.

Closing date for receipt of applications: 17 November 2024

Please note that we reserve the right to close this advert prior to the stated closing date should we receive sufficient numbers of applications. Therefore, we would encourage you to complete and submit your application as soon as possible.