Research Associate (Plant Physiology)

University of Sheffield; Sheffield; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK university in Sheffield is seeking a Research Associate to join their School of Biosciences. The role focuses on thermal remote sensing and plant physiology, contributing to a project quantifying evapotranspiration in urban settings. The successful candidate will collect and analyze data, focusing on plant science and micrometeorology. Benefits include competitive leave, pension scheme, and opportunities for professional development and flexible working arrangements.

Benefits

Competitive annual leave

Generous pension scheme

Flexible working opportunities

Retail discounts

Qualifications

• Experience in collecting, processing, and analyzing thermal remote sensing data.
• Familiarity with measuring leaf gas-exchange and plant traits.
• Background in plant science or micrometeorology.

Responsibilities

• Work on a multi-disciplinary project applying modeling approaches to estimate evapotranspiration.
• Integrate thermal data into modeling approaches.
• Support and promote project outputs at conferences.

Skills

Data analysis

Scientific programming

Communication skills

Fieldwork

Education

PhD in remote sensing or closely aligned field

Job description

Job Description

We have an exciting opportunity in the School of Biosciences for a Research Associate specializing in thermal remote sensing and plant physiology. The research associate will work on a multi‑disciplinary project applying novel remote sensing‑based modelling approaches to estimate evapotranspiration (ET) in urban green infrastructure.

The position will require a researcher who can collect, process and analyse thermal remote sensing data, with experience in measuring leaf gas‑exchange and plant traits desirable. The ideal candidate will be comfortable with integrating thermal data into modelling approaches to quantify water fluxes from vegetation and have experience in experimental design and field data collection. The position will be with Dr. Holly Croft and Prof. Virginia Stovin, as part of wider EPSRC project ‘QUEST‑GI: Quantifying Evapotranspiration from Urban Green Infrastructure’. We expect you will be able to imprint your own ideas and direction on the project within months. We will support you to raise your research profile and to progress your career goals, whether in academia or in industry.

The ideal candidate will have a PhD (or equivalent postdoctoral level work experience) in remote sensing or a closely aligned field, which has a substantive element of collecting, processing and analysing remote sensing data. Applicants must have experience in plant science or micrometeorology, with a strong experimentation, fieldwork and data analysis component. You will have excellent data analysis, scientific programming, and communication skills and be able to plan and organise your time effectively. You will be based in Sheffield, with occasional travel to visit academic and industrial collaborators in the UK and abroad. You will also be supported and encouraged to present project outputs at national and international conferences.

The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world‑class university. We offer a range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pension scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more.

We build teams of people from different heritages and lifestyles from across the world, whose talent and contributions complement each other to greatest effect. We believe diversity in all its forms delivers greater impact through research, teaching and student experience.