Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Exeter; England; Remote; GBP 26,000 - 28,000; Part time

Job summary

University of Exeter invites applications for a part-time Postdoctoral Research Fellow to study social behaviour in wild banded mongooses. The role is 0.6FTE from 1 December 2026 for six months, with salary from £44,352 p.a. pro rata based on experience.

The successful candidate will join a team led by Prof Michael Cant, contribute to data management, and help develop a behavioural data collection application while maintaining high research standards.

Qualifications

• The applicant will hold a PhD or equivalent in behavioural ecology, animal behaviour or evolutionary biology.
• Strong statistical and IT skills with field data collection, experimental design and data management experience.
• Experience with animal behaviour research and handling pedigree or social network data is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Develop research objectives and proposals; identify funding sources and assist with grants.
• Lead collaborative work and present findings at conferences and events.
• Oversee the project database transition and assist with data collection app development.

Skills

Statistical analysis

IT skills

Field data collection

Experimental design

Team leadership

Education

PhD or equivalent

Tools

Database management

Statistical software

Job description

About The Role

Postdoctoral Research Fellow. UKRI funded part-time (0.6FTE) post available from 1 December 2026 until 31 May 2027. Salary will be from £44,352 per annum, pro rata on Grade F subject to knowledge, skills and experience. We welcome applications from candidates interested in working part-time hours or job‑sharing arrangements. Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy. The Faculty wishes to recruit a part-time Postdoctoral Research Fellow to participate in research on social behaviour in animal societies. This UKRI funded 0.6 FTE post is available from 1 December 2026 for a period of 6 months. The successful applicant will work with a team led by Prof Michael Cant to investigate the causes of individual variation in social behaviour in wild banded mongooses, using genetic, life history and animal movement data from our long‑term field study. In addition to conducting original research, the successful applicant will help to oversee the transition of the project database to a new platform, and assist with the development of a behavioural data collection application.

About You

The successful applicant will be able to develop research objectives, projects and proposals; identify sources of research funding and contribute to the process of securing funds and make presentations at conferences and other events.

Applicants will possess a relevant PhD or equivalent qualification/experience in a related field of study. The successful applicant will be a nationally recognised authority in behavioural ecology, animal behaviour, or evolutionary biology and possess sufficient specialist knowledge in the discipline to develop research programmes and methodologies. The successful applicant will also be able to work collaboratively, supervise the work of others and act as team leader as required. Applicants will have good statistical and IT skills and familiarity or experience with field data collection, experimental design, database management and animal behaviour research. Experience studying among‑individual behavioural variation in terrestrial species, including from observational and tracking data, is desirable. Any experience handling pedigree or social network data in these contexts would be considered advantageous.

Please ensure you read the Job Description and Person Specification for full details of this role.

Further information

Please contact Professor Michael Cant, [e-mail].

About Us

Transform Your Career and Help Shape a Greener, Healthier, and Fairer Future. Join the University of Exeter, a top 200 Russell Group university (QS & THE World University Rankings 2025), excelling in teaching (triple Gold rating, TEF 2023) and leading groundbreaking research in the beautiful southwest of England. We are committed to understanding different cultures and perspectives, supporting diverse leadership, and striving for social justice. We encourage applications from all groups underrepresented in our community, including racially minoritised individuals and those with disabilities. Our inclusive, merit based recruitment processes seek to embrace a diverse set of experiences to ensure colleagues feel supported equitably. With over 30,000 students and 7,000 staff from 140 countries, we foster a culture where everyone can thrive. You can read more about our current accreditations and commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion here, including our commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant.

What we can offer you:

• Freedom (and the support) to pursue your intellectual interests and to work creatively across disciplines;
• Support teams that understand the University wide teaching goals and partner with our academics accordingly;
• An Innovation, Impact and Business directorate that works closely with our academics providing specialist support for external engagement and development;
• Our Exeter Academic initiative supports high performing academics to achieve their potential and develop their career;
• A multitude of staff benefits including sector leading benefits around maternity, adoption and shared parental leave (up to 26 weeks full pay), paternity leave (up to 6 weeks full pay), and a Fertility Treatment Policy;
• A beautiful campus set in the heart of stunning Devon/Cornwall.