Postdoctoral Research Assistant in Palaeofire Analysis

We seeking to recruit a PDRA in Palaeofire Analysis to join the dynamic research team of the  Leverhulme Centre for Wildfires, Environment and Society, an exciting and ground breaking joint initiative of Imperial College, Kings College, Royal Holloway and the University of Reading. The Palaeofire PDRA will be responsible for the analysis of changes in fire regimes in response to past environmental and climate changes, using large-scale data synthesis and fire modelling. The main responsibilities of the PDRA will be the collection and analysis of relevant palaeodata sets. The PDRA will be involved in the design and analysis of model experiments to test explicit hypotheses about the response of fire to environmental and climate change in the past. The postholder will be based in Reading but will be expected to spend time at Imperial College in order to work with the PDRAs who are based there. The post is initially funded for 12 months but, subject to the extension of funding during Phase 2 of the Leverhulme Centre, is likely to continue beyond this.

The ideal candidate will have:

• Academic qualifications in physics, geography, ecology, environmental science or a related subject at MSc/MA level, and a PhD in a relevant subject by the start date of the appointment
• A strong interest in palaeofire and palaoeclimate research
• Hands-on experience of working with charcoal data to reconstruct past fire regimes
• Database skills (ACCESS, mySQL)
• Good programming skills (r, Fortran, Python)
• Familiarity of statistical approaches to palaeodata analysis, including time series and geostatistics
• Previous research experience and publication record
• Ability to use own initiative and plan, manage and prioritise workload effectively to meet varied and strict project delivery deadlines

Interviews will be held on 11/12 April 2023, with the expectation that the appointment will start as soon as possible thereafter.

Informal contact details

Contact role: Supervisor
Contact name: Sandy P. Harrison
Contact phone: +44 (0)118 378 5258
Contact email: s.p.harrison@reading.ac.uk

Alternative informal contact details

Contact role: Project manager, Leverhulme Centre for Wildfires, Environment and Society
Contact name: Adriana Ford
Contact phone: N/A
Contact email: a.ford@imperial.ac.uk

Applications from job seekers who require sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. By reference to the applicable SOC code for this role, sponsorship may be possible under the Skilled Worker Route. Applicants should ensure that they are able to meet the points requirement under the PBS. There is further information about this on the UK Visas and Immigration Website.

The University is committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce, supports the gender equality Athena SWAN Charter and the Race Equality Charter, and is a Diversity Champion for Stonewall, the leading LGBT+ rights organisation. Applications for job-share, part-time and flexible working arrangements are welcomed and will be considered in line with business needs.

Advert information