Research Assistant in Sedimentology

Royal Holloway; Egham; On-site; GBP 33,000 - 40,000; Part time

Job summary

An established university is looking for a dedicated Research Assistant to join their Geography Department. This part-time role involves conducting sedimentological investigations to support groundbreaking research on climate data from lake sediment records. The successful candidate will engage in lab work, including sampling sediment cores and preparing thin sections, while collaborating with an international team. The position offers the chance to participate in scientific discussions and fieldwork opportunities in Spain. If you're passionate about environmental research and eager to contribute to impactful projects, this could be the perfect opportunity for you.

Benefits

Generous annual leave entitlement

Training and Development opportunities

Pension Scheme with generous employer contribution

Cycle to Work scheme

Season Ticket Loans

Help with eyesight testing costs

Free parking

Qualifications

• BSc in a relevant field required.
• Experience in lab procedures for thin section preparation is essential.

Responsibilities

• Conduct sediment sampling and preparation for analysis.
• Perform microfacies analysis under supervision.

Skills

Sedimentological investigation

Lab procedures for thin section preparation

Microfacies analysis

Teamwork

Deadline management

Education

BSc in relevant field

Tools

Sediment cores sampling tools

Job description

Salary
£33,521 to £39,058 per annum pro rata - including London Allowance

Post Type
Part Time

Closing Date
23.59 hours GMT on Sunday 05 January 2025

Reference
1224-360

Right to work: Please note that it will not be possible for the University to issue a Certificate of Sponsorship to the successful candidate for this position. Therefore, the appointable candidate will need to be eligible to work in the UK or have leave to remain in the UK and associated right to work for the duration of their employment with the University, in accordance with the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006.

Part time (7 hours per week), Fixed Term (12 months)

Applications are invited for the post of Research Assistant in the Department of Geography.

The post holder will undertake sedimentological investigation in the lab to support scientific research as part of the UKRI-FLF Future Leaders Fellowship entitled ‘Rethinking Palaeoclimatology for Society’ awarded to Dr Celia Martin Puertas. The project will use annually resolved (varved) lake sediment records from across Europe and modelling approaches to deliver unprecedented quantitative, continuous, annual climate data for the study of the decadal behaviour of North Atlantic atmospheric dynamics and their impact on the UK and European climate (e.g. floods and droughts) over the Holocene period.

The candidate will have the opportunity to participate in scientific activities such as scientific meetings and discussions and there will be fieldwork opportunities in Spain during the project.

The post holder will work on the following main tasks under the supervision of the technician staff in the department:

1. Sampling sediment cores
2. Preparation of thin sections
3. Microfacies analysis

This is a lab technician position and requires someone who holds a relevant BSc, together with skills and experience in lab procedures for thin section preparation. Familiarity with organic varved is desirable. The post holder is expected to work in a team, meet deadlines and support research by other members of the team. The post holder will closely work with Dr. Celia Martin Puertas and will be part of the wider international team led by Dr Celia Martin Puertas, which integrates PDRAs, PhD students and senior investigators in the UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain and Finland.

In return we offer a highly competitive rewards and benefits package including:

• Generous annual leave entitlement
• Training and Development opportunities
• Pension Scheme with generous employer contribution
• Various schemes including Cycle to Work, Season Ticket Loans and help with the cost of Eyesight testing
• Free parking

The post is based in Egham, where the College is situated in a beautiful, leafy campus near to Windsor Great Park and within commuting distance from London.

For queries on the application process the Human Resources Department can be contacted by email at: [e-mail].

Applicants should submit a CV and cover letter with their online application form.

Royal Holloway recognises the importance of helping its employees balance their work and home life by offering flexible working arrangements. We are happy to consider a request for flexible working for this post including compressed working hours.

This position is not eligible for hybrid working.

Royal Holloway is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), and encourages applications from all people regardless of age, disability, gender, marital status, parental status, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or trans status or history. More information on our structures and initiatives around EDI, including information on staff diversity networks, can be found on our Equality and Diversity Intranet page.