National Centre for Food Manufacturing

Location: Holbeach
Salary: From £27,830 per annum
This post is full time and fixed term for 3 years.
Closing Date: Wednesday 10 July 2019
Interview Date: Tuesday 06 August 2019

We are seeking a Research Assistant with expertise in food chemistry and analytical chemistry to join our dynamic team at the University of Lincoln’s National Centre for Food Manufacturing (NCFM). The Research Assistant will work across a range of projects largely funded by industry partners, UK Government and other funding bodies. Whilst primarily focused on chemistry the opportunity to work across other food science and technology disciplines exists and so the role can provide a range of experiences.     

A satellite campus of the University of Lincoln, The National Centre for Food Manufacturing is a major resource for the UK’s food industry with over 250 major companies accessing courses, technical services and research.  Our clients include the major national and global food manufacturing businesses and leading supermarkets and we collaborate with many international partners and universities. The NCFM has outstanding sector-focused facilities, including a state-of-the-art food factory demonstrating cutting edge food automation.

The Research Assistant will contribute significantly to our food chemistry and analytical projects which focus on identifying and quantifying volatile and non-volatile organic compounds in a range of food (using GC-MS and HPLC), investigating hydration kinetics and cell wall dissolution in legumes, extracting and quantifying dietary fibres, fats, protein, starch, sugars, vitamins (using soxhlet, Kjeldahl and so) and analysing monosaccharides, oligosaccharides, polysaccharides (using HPLC and ELISA methods).  

Most of these projects will involve working in a wet chemistry laboratory therefore knowledge of Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations and experience of working with hazardous substance whilst applying Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) is essential.

The Research Assistant will ideally have a degree in analytical chemistry, food biochemistry, food chemistry or related discipline with practical experience in GC-MS, HPLC and other analytical chemistry tools. Essential skills include: attention to detail, ability to think creatively, accurate record keeping and ability to balance competing priorities with minimal direction while maintaining a high standard of accurate. He/she should have a flexible attitude to work, be proactive and willing to learn new skills and to undertake training on key pieces of equipment as required.

The data produced and analysed as part of these projects will be transferred to a range of outputs including publications and presentations therefore knowledge or experience of scientific writing is essential. Working with multidisciplinary team and industrial partners will be integral to this role, therefore effective communication and interpersonal skills are required.

The post offers an outstanding opportunity for a motivated and committed researcher to work within a dynamic, industry facing university environment and gain valuable experience in partnering in research with businesses, some of whom are at the cutting edge of technological innovation for the food sector.

Please note that this post requires a Enhanced DBS check