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: For 24 months
Salary: Research Assistant (if close to completing PhD): Full time starting salary is normally in the range of £34,450 per annum; Research Fellow (if PhD obtained): Full time starting salary is normally in the range of £37,337 to £39,316 per annum
Apply by: 10/07/2024

Role Description

We welcome applications from environmental modellers to join our team to contribute to understanding the field- to catchment-scale challenges and opportunities for raising watertables within agriculturally drained lowland peat soils across England.

About the Role

You will evaluate the challenges and opportunities for modifying the design and/or operation of agricultural drainage systems within lowland agricultural peatlands (former wetlands) to support raised in-field watertables and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. The role will apply a novel integration of spatial mapping, remote sensing and field-specific modelling to evaluate the drain water levels, drainage system configurations and water storage requirements needed to meet target watertable depths across England’s lowland peatlands.

About You

You will be educated to doctoral level (or close to completion) in Geography, Environmental Sciences, Agriculture, Numerical Modelling or related disciplines, and have experience of applying modelling techniques to environmental problems. With excellent communication skills, you will have a good understanding of agricultural drainage and soil hydrology and a broad understanding of the contemporary challenges facing the agricultural sector.

About Us

As a specialist postgraduate university, Cranfield’s world-class expertise, large-scale facilities and unrivalled industry partnerships are creating leaders in technology and management globally. Learn more about Cranfield and our unique impact here.

The Water Theme at Cranfield has a global reputation for its research on the science, engineering and management of water. Find out more about our work here.

Our Values and Commitments

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. We are a Disability Confident Employer and proud members of the Stonewall Diversity Champions Programme. We are committed to actively exploring flexible working options for each role and have been ranked in the Top 30 family friendly employers in the UK by the charity Working Families. Find out more about our key commitments to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and Flexible Working here.

Working Arrangements

Collaborating and connecting are integral to so much of what we do. Our Working Arrangements Framework provides many staff with the opportunity to flexibly combine on-site and remote working, where job roles allow, balancing the needs of our community of staff, students, clients and partners.

How to apply

For an informal discussion about this opportunity, please contact Professor Ian Holman, Head of the Centre for Water, Environment and Development and Professor of Integrated Land and Water Management, on (T): +44 1234 758277 or (E): i.holman@cranfield.ac.uk

Please do not hesitate to contact us for further details on E: peoplerecruitment@cranfield.ac.uk. Please quote reference number 4860.

Closing date for receipt of applications: 10 July 2024