Research Assistant or Research Fellow in Environmental Chemistry

Fixed Term Contract until 31 December 2026

Research Assistant (if close to completing PhD): Full time starting salary is £28,929 to £39,586 per annum

Research Fellow (if PhD obtained): Full time starting salary is £37,337 to £39,864 per annum

Location: Cranfield, Bedfordshire

We welcome applications from passionate, skilled and committed individuals to join our team working on nature-based solution (NbS) for wastewater treatment.

About the Role

This is a project funded by Sanofi S.A., titled "Nature-based Solutions for Pharmaceutical Wastewater Treatment", through Sanofi’s Planet Care Challenge programme. The successful candidate will design, construct, and validate innovative constructed wetland technologies as a nature-based solution for treating wastewater contaminated with pharmaceutical compounds. The project will assess the removal, transformations, and risks of these chemical micropollutants during the treatment. Additionally, the research will evaluate co-benefits, such as biodiversity enhancement and carbon sequestration, provided by the treatment wetland technologies. The final technology will be deployed at a Sanofi site for real-world wastewater treatment. The candidate will also visit the partner organisation and attend national and international conferences to disseminate research findings. 

About You

You will be educated to doctoral level, or near completion, in a relevant subject such as Environmental Engineering or Chemistry. Demonstrated skills in environmental chemistry, particularly in the remediation of chemical micropollutants and the use of advanced analytical instruments (e.g., LC-MS/MS), are essential. These skills will have been acquired through a recognised course and research experience. Your knowledge of pharmaceuticals or other chemical micropollutants and data analysis should be evidenced through publications, reports, or research projects. Experience in water and wastewater treatment, particularly in constructed wetlands or other biological treatment technologies, is desirable. Excellent communication skills are essential, as this role requires collaboration with university staff and coordination of international partnerships with the industrial partner.

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.

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 Dr Tao Lyu, on (E): t.lyu@cranfield.ac.uk

Apply online now via the above ‘Apply’ button. Please do not hesitate to contact us for further details on (E): peoplerecruitment@cranfield.ac.uk. Please quote reference number 4991.

Closing date for receipt of applications: 15 January 2025

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