Postharvest Bioscience Researcher (KTP Associate)

Fixed Term Contract: 36 months

£30,000–£35,000 per annum (40 hours/week), plus £6K personal development budget, based on skills and experience.

Location: Westfalia Fruit UK Limited, Spalding 

This is an exciting opportunity for a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) Associate to join Westfalia Fruit UK and Cranfield University. The successful candidate will contribute to reducing postharvest loss and waste by improving the supply chain through innovative, sustainable solutions. 

About the Role

The successful candidate will collaborate with Westfalia Fruit and Cranfield University to optimize storage and extend avocado shelf life for the UKRI Innovate UK-funded project. Responsibilities include developing maturity indexing, conducting storage trials, analyzing biochemical changes, standardizing postharvest strategies, and working with a multidisciplinary team of experts.

About You

The candidate must hold a 2:1 or first-class degree in plant science or a related field with research experience in postharvest biology, food loss, and modeling. Strong communication, lab skills (HPLC, LC/MS), data analysis (Genstat, R), and travel readiness are essential. 

The ideal candidate would preferably hold an MSc or PhD, and should be eager to produce new knowledge and contribute meaningfully to a sustainable and innovative future in fresh produce. Spanish skills are desirable but not essential.

About Us

Westfalia Fruit, supplying 52% of global avocados, operates plantations and breeding programs across three continents. Its integrated supply chain grows, ripens, packs, and markets produce year-round.

The Cranfield Postharvest Research Group is one of the largest and best-equipped laboratories worldwide, providing mechanistic understanding and innovative technology to reduce food loss and waste. Find out more 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.

Eligibility

An individual currently or previously employed by Westfalia Fruit, would not be eligible for the KTP Associate role.  

Individuals who have already been a KTP Associate would not be considered an ideal candidate.

How to apply                                     

To apply please click above 'Apply' Button. For further details, contact hrrecruitment@cranfield.ac.uk quoting 5034.

Closing date: 30/03/2025

This partnership received financial support from the Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) programme. KTP aims to help businesses to improve their competitiveness and productivity through the better use of knowledge, technology and skills that reside within the UK knowledge base. This successful Knowledge Transfer Partnership project, funded by UK Research and Innovation through Innovate UK, is part of the government’s Industrial Strategy.

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