Research Assistant

NURSE - Nutrient Utilisation and Recovery through Supercritical Extraction Project

Hours: 17.5 hours per week (0.5 fte)
Contract: Fixed-term until 31 December 2027

About the role

The Royal Agricultural University is looking for an enthusiastic and motivated Research Assistant to join our Agricultural Science and Practice team and contribute to the NURSE project, funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Innovate UK.

The NURSE project is developing innovative technology to recover valuable nutrients from livestock waste and produce low-emission, non-leaching fertilisers, while also helping to permanently capture carbon. The project aims to help farmers make better use of nutrients while reducing waste, costs and environmental impacts.

As Research Assistant, you will play an important role in supporting greenhouse and field trials. You will support the management of the trials, collect and analyse samples, organise research data and contribute to statistical analysis. You will work closely with academic colleagues, laboratory staff and external research and commercial partners.

This is an exciting opportunity to gain experience in applied agricultural research and contribute to a project with real-world benefits for the future of sustainable agriculture.

About you

You will have a degree or equivalent qualification in agricultural sciences, biology, plant science, soil science or a related subject, together with knowledge of basic nutrient, crop and soil biology.

You will ideally have experience of laboratory analysis and field or greenhouse trials, as well as good digital and data management skills. Good communication skills are essential, as you will be working with a range of colleagues and project partners.

You will be organised, practical and able to work safely and independently when required. Experience of working on farms and using statistical analysis software would be an advantage, as would a willingness to occasionally travel to project partner sites to collect samples.

Working at the Royal Agricultural University

You will be joining a friendly and collaborative research team within the Agricultural Science and Practice department. Our research is focused on high-impact, applied projects that are relevant to global agriculture and support the transition towards more resilient and regenerative practices.

We offer a range of flexible working arrangements, which can be discussed at interview. Due to the part-time nature of this role, most hours will need to be worked Monday to Friday during normal working hours.

How to apply

For a full job description and details on how to apply, please click 'Apply’ to be redirected to our website.

Informal enquiries can be made to Dr Karen Rial Lovera, Associate Professor and Dean of Agricultural Sciences, at Karen.RialLovera@rau.ac.uk.

Closing Date: 6 September 2026

Interviews: 18 September 2026

The RAU is an equal opportunities employer. We particularly welcome applications from Black and minority ethnic candidates, who are currently underrepresented at this level within the University

We look forward to hearing from you.

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