School/Department School of Water, Energy and Environment
Based at Cranfield Campus, Cranfield, Bedfordshire
Hours of work 37 hours per week, normally worked Monday to Friday. Flexible working will be considered
Contract type Fixed term contract
Fixed Term Period 12 months
Salary £30,600 per annum (Research Assistant) or £33,309 per annum (Research Fellow)
Apply by 14/02/2021

Role Description

Research Assistant (if close to completion) or Research Fellow (if PhD obtained) in Environmental Chemistry

Cranfield University’s world-class expertise, large-scale facilities and unrivalled industry partnerships is creating leaders in technology and management globally. Learn more about Cranfield and our unique impact here.

Cranfield University Water welcomes applications from experienced environmental chemists who have a passion to understand the mechanism of geogenic fluoride mobilisation into groundwater.

About the Role

You will join a UK-India project on the impact of rainwater harvesting (RWH) on groundwater quality in India with specific reference to fluoride and micropollutants. The project aims at providing a better understanding of the transport, interactions and fate of established (e.g. fluoride) and emerging contaminants managed aquifer recharge (MAR). Ultimately, the outcomes of the project will help reducing the incidence of fluorosis in India, hence contributing to the improvement of public health and well-being of local populations.

The work to be performed by the candidate will help the consortium better understand both the fate of fluoride and potentially other emerging contaminants during MAR with rainwater using column experiments but also the understanding of the impact of dissolved organic matter (DOM) present in rainwater on fluoride levels in groundwater using   fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (F-EEM) for  reliable and fast determination of DOM as well as trace pollutants in ground/abstracted water.

About You

You will hold a PhD (or near completion) in Environmental Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering or a related Natural Science. You will have high level experimental and analytical capability in Water Chemistry and an ability to design, modify and operate experimental equipment and to make and interpret observations reliably.   You will understand micropollutant fate and removal in aquifers and the fundamentals of managed aquifer recharge.

In return, you will have exciting opportunities for career development in this key position, and to be at the forefront of world leading research and education, joining a supportive team and environment.

Our Values

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.

Diversity and Inclusion

Our equal opportunities and diversity monitoring has shown that women and minority ethnic groups are currently underrepresented within the university and so we actively encourage applications from eligible candidates from these groups.

To further demonstrate our commitment to progressing gender diversity in STEM, we are members of WES & Working Families, and sponsors of International Women in Engineering Day.

Flexible Working

We actively consider flexible working options such as part-time, compressed or flexible hours and/or an element of homeworking and commit to exploring the possibilities for each role. Find out more here.

How to apply

For an informal discussion about this opportunity, please contact Alison Parker, Senior Lecturer in International Water and Sanitation on (E); A.Parker@cranfield.ac.uk