Salary: £35,116.00 - £45,413.00  per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 19 August 2025

The Role

We are looking for a Research Associate in microbial metabolomics specialising in small molecule mass spectrometry. You will be part of the Microbes in Health and Disease research theme in Newcastle University Faculty of Medical Sciences. This project will focus on antibacterial drug discovery from actinomycete bacteria and will also involve establishing small molecule mass spectrometry workflows in the Metabolomics Facility here at Newcastle University.

The project involves comparative metabolomics analysis across our actinomycete culture collection, from environments such as Polar regions and the deep-sea. As part of the recent move of the Duncan lab to Newcastle University, a key part of your role will be to establish workflows to optimise small molecule analysis using mass spectrometry in the Metabolomics Facility to identify and characterise microbial metabolites. 

Candidates with a strong background in microbial metabolomics (HRLC-MS/MS) and specialised metabolites are particularly encouraged to apply.

This post is fixed term for a period of 2 years.

For informal enquiries contact: [email protected]

Find out more about the Faculty of Medical Sciences here: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/

Find out more about our Research Institutes here: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/research/institutes/

As part of our commitment to career development for research colleagues, the University has developed 3 levels of research role profiles.  These profiles set out firstly the generic competences and responsibilities expected of role holders at each level and secondly the general qualifications and experiences needed for entry at a particular level.

Key Accountabilities

•  Although working under the general guidance of an academic or Principal Investigator, you will contribute ideas, including enhancements to the technical or methodological aspects of their studies, thus providing substantial 'added value'
• Develop and carry out the specified project using appropriate techniques and equipment as outlined in the personal requirements
• Determine appropriate methodologies for research, with advice and support where required
• Contribute to grant applications submitted by others and in time develop own research objectives and proposals for funding
• Begin to write, with appropriate support, proposals for individual research funding or, where funders do not permit this, contribute to the writing of collective bids
• Assess research findings for the need/scope for further investigations
• Contribute to the writing up of their research for publication and dissemination, either through seminar and conference presentations or through publications
• Present research findings, either at conferences or through publications in reputable outlets appropriate to the discipline
• May be involved in the supervision, with guidance, of final year undergraduate research projects and in providing support to postgraduate research students or Research Assistants
• Will need to work with the support staff and, on occasions, with undergraduate and postgraduate students, and interact intellectually with other academic members of the Institute.
• May contribute to events celebrating the public engagement of science/social sciences/humanities
• Develop an awareness of University structures, policies and procedures and relevant issues in the higher education, research, social and political environment
• Work collaboratively as part of a multi-disciplinary team

The Person (Essential)

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Ability to work well as part of a team and rapidly acquire new skills
• Detailed subject knowledge in high-resolution liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, microbial metabolomics and specialized metabolites.
• Likelihood of advanced skills directly related to the research projects
• High level of analytical and problem-solving capability
• Ability to communicate complex information with clarity and to encourage the commitment of others
• Experience of research with clear transferable skills and some experience or awareness of the research environment
• Presentations at conferences and/or high-quality publications
• Experience in microbial metabolomics, both data generation (analytical techniques) and data analysis.
• Knowledge of and experience in bacterial culture, specialized metabolite extraction techniques and mass spectrometry analysis.
• Data management skills for information sharing between team members
• Experience in working with actinomycetes (Desirable)

Attributes and Behaviour

• Advanced skills directly related to the research project
• High level of analytical and problem-solving capability
• Ability to communicate complex information with clarity
• Good time management and ability to prioritise to meet deadlines

Qualifications

• A PhD in microbiology, biomedical sciences or chemistry

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.  As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society.  We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent.  We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a silver Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality.  We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC.  We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe. 

Requisition ID: 28407