Senior Research Associate in Marine Physical Chemistry

Salary on appointment will be £38,784 per annum, with an annual increment up to £46,049 per annum.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Senior Research Associate to join a team of investigators working on the NERC/NSF funded project “Seawater pH: Bridging the Gap Between Free and Total pH Scales From Estuaries to the Deep Ocean, and Application to Current Sensors”. This project seeks to improve the calibration and interconversion of the two pH scales used for most seawater pH measurements, and to apply the new calibrations in test deployments of sensors. The successful candidate will be based at the University of East Anglia (UEA), working closely with the Principal Investigator and with other members of the team based at the UK National Oceanography Centre (NOC) where the main laboratory measurement programme is being conducted. The project also involves collaborators at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, with whom we will liaise closely.

At UEA we are developing a chemical speciation model of the buffers used for seawater pH scale calibration. The aim of this project is the extension of the model to high pressures (i.e., depth in the ocean), based on measurements being made at NOC and on literature data. The modelling of the buffer solutions is linked to efforts by national metrology institutes in Europe and elsewhere to improve the pH scales, and the successful candidate will also have the opportunity to interact with them. The work involves the gathering and assessment of data (principally densities and speeds of sound in seawater-related solutions), and the fitting of quantities derived from this data to obtain the parameters of the model.

The successful candidate will have a PhD in (preferably) physical chemistry or one of the other physical sciences, and have demonstrated mathematical and computer programming ability. You will also have some experience of independent research, with publications in respected journals or equivalent within the field. You will have good interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to analyse and interpret data and work effectively as part of a team. You will prepare findings for publication, and present research at conferences and workshops. The role will support professional growth, including through support to develop fellowship proposals and broader career development plans.

This full-time post is available from 1 April 2026 on a fixed term basis for up to 24 months.

Enquiries about the project and position are encouraged (contact: Prof. Simon Clegg, s.clegg@uea.ac.uk).

Further information on our great benefits package, including 44 days annual leave inclusive of Bank Holidays and additional University Customary days, can be found on our benefits page.

Closing date: 27 February 2026

The University holds an Athena Swan Silver Institutional Award in recognition of our advancement towards gender equality.

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