Oxford EARTH Senior Research Associate in Biotechnology for Natural Resource Innovation

University of Oxford; Oxford; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A prestigious academic institution is seeking a Senior Research Associate in Biotechnology to lead innovations in sustainable natural resources. The role, set to begin in January 2026, involves working in a collaborative environment on biotechnological applications and scaling these innovations for resource challenges. Ideal candidates will have a PhD and experience in bio-mining, bio-recycling, and bio-process engineering. Attractive benefits include generous leave and pension schemes.

Benefits

Excellent contributory pension scheme

38 days annual leave

Comprehensive childcare services

Family leave schemes

Cycle loan scheme

Discounted bus travel and Season Ticket travel loans

Qualifications

• Creative researcher in biotechnological approaches.
• Experience in natural resource identification and recycling.

Responsibilities

• Join an interdisciplinary team working on resource innovation.
• Develop biotechnologies for sustainable resource challenges.

Skills

Resource bio-mining

Bio-recycling and bio-recovery

Natural bio-prospecting

Bio-process engineering

Education

PhD in Biotechnology or related field

Job description

Overview

The Department of Engineering and the department of Earth Sciences is seeking to appoint a Senior Research Associate in Biotechnology for Natural Resource Innovation to join our thriving academic community. The post will commence on 5 January 2026 (or later by mutual agreement) and will be offered for five years. This post is one of four new Senior Research Associate positions being created as part of Oxford EARTH (Equitable Access to sustainable Resources for a Thriving Habitat), a new strategic research programme. While this role will be based within Engineering and Earth Sciences, the other three posts span across Geography, Law, Economics, Chemistry, and Materials. Oxford EARTH works in close partnership with other major strategic research programmes at Oxford, including Oxford Net Zero, the Zero Institute, and Sustainable Chemistry. Successful applicants will work at the forefront of innovation in biotechnological applications to resources alongside an interdisciplinary team pushing forward the technologies underpinning this area, ranging from identification of natural resource-accumulating microbes to robotic platforms for engineering and optimisation of their behaviour. Biotechnologies developed will be scaled and applied to resourcing challenges in collaboration with the wider Oxford EARTH team, capitalising on these innovations and their far-reaching possibilities in the sustainable use of resources on Earth. We welcome applications from creative researchers working in the broad area of biotechnological approaches to sustainable natural resource identification, accumulation, and recycling/remediation, which may span methods including, but not limited to:

• resource bio-mining


• bio-recycling and bio-recovery


• natural bio-prospecting


• bio-process engineering

Benefits

As an employer, we genuinely care about our employees\' well-being, and this is reflected in the range of benefits that we offer including:

• An excellent contributory pension scheme


• 38 days annual leave


• A comprehensive range of childcare services


• Family leave schemes


• Cycle loan scheme


• Discounted bus travel and Season Ticket travel loans.