Research Assistant - Environmental impacts of food consumption and policy

About Us:

The role is based in the Conservation Science Group in the Department of Zoology at the University of Cambridge. There, led by Professor Andrew Balmford, research is underway centred around the impact of food on the natural environment: how can we feed a growing human population at the least cost to people and nature? This is a broad question and so the research covers a wide range of topics, including species population modelling, the biodiversity and greenhouse gas impacts of meals served in a hospital, through to the effect of package size on purchasing habits and food waste. We are looking for a motivated individual to work on a number of these topics. If you have experience in coding, strong critical thinking skills, and a passion for preserving the planet, we would love to hear from you.

The role:

As a Research Assistant, you will join the Conservation Science Group and the Mandala project (www.mandala-consortium.org) to work primarily on methods for assessing the sustainability of food and applying them to real-world data. Working closely with the team behind 'LIFE' - a state-of-the-art biodiversity assessment method, and with access to an exciting novel dataset on the food purchasing habits of 2000 households in the UK, this work has the potential for substantial impact in policy and the scientific literature. Work will include helping to develop a pipeline to estimate the impacts of individual food products and applying them to food purchasing data to explore the demographic drivers of consumption impacts. Work may also include contributing to a global standard of food impact assessments. Potential aspects of this role are broad, but might include a review of existing approaches to assessing the impacts of agricultural products, data manipulation - bringing together several data sources, developing code to automate procedures, carrying out statistical analyses and presenting results in various formats. 

Required Skills and Qualifications:

• Relevant degree (Bachelors or Masters) in a quantitative / analytical subject.
• Experience in computer programming, particularly in the context of data manipulation and analysis using a language such as Python.
• Experience in working with large datasets programmatically.
• Statistical analysis and scientific writing skills.
• Organisational and time management skills.
• Ability to communicate research findings clearly in oral and written formats to collaborators and other members of the group

Desirable skills and knowledge

• Experience working in a professional environment.
• An understanding of the principles of reproducible scientific methods (e.g. version control, open access data and code).

For informal enquires, please contact Dr Thomas Ball at tsb42@cam.ac.uk.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available up until 21 March 2026 2026 with a possibility of extension.

Flexible working requests will be considered.

We particularly welcome applications from women and candidates from a BME background for this vacancy as they are currently under-represented at this level in our University.

To apply online for this vacancy and to view further information about the role, please click the 'Apply' button above. 

If you have any queries regarding the application process please contact Anastasia Nezhentseva.

Email: an286@cam.ac.uk

Telephone: (0)1223 330117

Please quote reference PF46284 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

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