Research Administrator

Type of contract: Funding limited to 28^th February 2027

This post will be based in the School of Medicine, Medical Science and Nutrition and linked to the Interdisciplinary Centre for Health, Nutrition and Wellbeing, where the project will be coordinated. This is one of five interdisciplinary centres that span Schools in the University and part of the Aberdeen 2040 Strategy.

The successful candidate will be responsible for the day-to-day administration of a large interdisciplinary research project funded by Wellcome: PLant-bAsed convenience for susTainablE Diets (PLATED). The project is led by Professor Pete Smith at the University of Aberdeen, with collaborators in the School of Language Literature, Music and Visual Culture in Aberdeen and Universities of Glasgow and Oxford. The project team comprises four senior researcher scientists (Professors Pete Smith and Eleonora Belfiore, and Drs Esther Papies and Mike Clark) and four postdoctoral fellows.

This interdisciplinary project will explore the use of plant-based convenience foods to achieve realistic environmentally sustainable and healthy diets. Current diets in the UK are unhealthy and contributing to environmental damage, with recommendations to move towards plant-based diets and reduce meat consumption (‘sustainable diets’). However, changing diets is notoriously difficult and often proposed sustainable diets are idealistic and do not consider the true cost, accessibility, convenience and appeal of these types of diets in the realities of modern living. The aim is to determine the potential use of plant-based convenience food to achieve realistic sustainable diets to influence the development of policies to be consistent with modern lifestyles. The project, comprising four work packages, takes an interdisciplinary approach to developing realistic sustainable diets and provide the insights into what needs to be fully accounted for in the policy development and decision-making process to be successful to achieve actionable climate change mitigation polices with health co-benefits.

We are seeking to appoint a proactive, highly motivated research administrator for the above project. They will need to have excellent organisational, communication, relationship and interpersonal skills, as well as experience of providing high quality administrative support to research projects.

Salary will be at the appropriate point on the Grade 5 scale, 50% of £31,396 - £34,980 per annum, pro rata, with placement according to qualifications and experience.

Informal enquiries should be made to Professor Pete Smith, Professor of Soils & Global Change, (pete.smith@abdn.ac.uk).

In accordance with the UKVI immigration rules, it is with regret that this role DOES NOT MEET THE SALARY REQUIREMENTS for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route.  For this role, the successful candidate must be able to demonstrate their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment and obtain the right to work in the UK.  Information on other visa options is available at www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa.

To apply online for this position visit www.abdn.ac.uk/jobs

The closing date for the receipt of applications is 18^th July 2024

The School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition embraces a diverse working environment and recognises the many benefits this can bring.  Applications from individuals from across all of the equality protected characteristics are encouraged.

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