Researcher Fellow in Biomolecular Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy (109634-0924)

For informal enquiries, please contact Jozef Lewandowski (Professor) at j.r.lewandowski@warwick.ac.uk.

The appointee will be one of three PDRAs appointed on an EPSRC International Centre-to-Centre grant entitled: “Pushing the Limits of High-Field Solid-State NMR Technology: Enhancing Applications to Advanced Materials, the Life Sciences and Pharmaceuticals” that has been awarded to PIs at a consortium of Universities (Warwick, St Andrews, Southampton, Liverpool, Lancaster and Birmingham). This 30-month position is focused on applications of state-of-the-art high field solid-state NMR to biosolids, including antibiotic action, RNA and RNA-protein complexes, protein folding and characterisation, and plants. The lead supervisor is Professor Józef Lewandowski at Warwick, in collaboration with Professors Teresa Carlomagno at Birmingham and Phil Williamson at Southampton, as well as Professor Steven Brown and Dr Ying Chow at Warwick.

The research program is centred around the exchange of expertise between UK High-Field Solid-State NMR National Research Facility (NRF) that is hosted at the University of Warwick and several ≥ 1GHz NMR centres around the world.  The NRF provides access to a 850 MHz wide bore and a 1 GHz narrow bore Bruker Neo spectrometer, with a 1.2 GHz system to be installed in 2025. The facility has a large variety of MAS probes including a 0.5 mm probe spinning up to 160 kHz, a DOR probe, a 7 mm LASER probe, and 0.7 mm, 1 mm, 1.3 mm, 1.6 mm, 1.9 mm, 2.5 mm, 3.2 mm, 4 mm and 7 mm probes, with a large variety of triple resonance combination, and extended variable temperature capabilities. 

The UK High-Field Solid-State NMR Facility (warwick.ac.uk)

We will consider applications for employment on a part-time or other flexible working basis, even where a position is advertised as full-time, unless there are operational or other objective reasons why it is not possible to do so.  

You should hold, or be about to attain, a PhD in solid-state NMR as applied to biosolids. Be enthusiastic about the capabilities of solid-state NMR to answer questions relating to structure and dynamics at the atomic level in a wide range of a biological applications.

For further information regarding the skills required for this role please see the personal specification section of the attached job description.

If you are near submission or have recently submitted your PhD but have not yet had it conferred, any offers of employment will be made as Research Assistant at the top of level 5 of the University grade structure. Upon receipt of evidence of the successful award of your PhD, you will be promoted to Research Fellow on the first point of level 6 of the University grade structure. 

The Department of Chemistry at Warwick is a thriving community of students, academics, researchers, and support staff.

Our fundamental research pushes boundaries in all major fields of Chemistry. Through collaborations with the wider science community and industry, our applied work aims to tackle huge global issues from antimicrobial resistance to solar energy harvesting, and sustainable materials.

We provide an inclusive, vibrant and friendly environment where our students have dedicated support to explore their passion for chemistry.

Benefits

As a member of staff at Warwick you can enjoy a wide range of competitive benefits, along with excellent learning and development opportunities. Take a look at the benefits that are on offer and information about working within our department.

The University supports flexible working and requests for job-share will be considered where possible.

Athena SWAN Silver Award

We are committed to supporting staff to achieve their potential. Both the Department of Chemistry and the University of Warwick hold Athena SWAN silver awards, a national initiative that recognises the advancement of gender equality, representation, progression, and success for all in academia. We provide a welcoming and inclusive working and learning environment, recognising that everyone is different in a variety of visible and non-visible ways, and that those differences are to be recognised, respected, and valued. We welcome applications from individuals who identify with any of the protected characteristics defined by the Equality Act 2010. We are supportive of staff with caring responsibilities.

Childcare

Childcare can be provided for you at the University of Warwick Nursery (www.warwick.ac.uk/services/childrensservices/nursery) in order for you to attend the interview. Childcare is subject to availability of places at the Nursery.

Born in the 60s with a mindset of boldness, imagination and collaboration, the University of Warwick is a world-leading research-intensive university with the highest academic and research standards. We’re one of the world’s top universities, ranked 67th in the world and 10th in the UK*, with 92% of our research assessed to be ‘world leading or internationally excellent’**. 

You'll be joining a diverse, innovative and globally connected community committed to igniting real world progress. Here at Warwick, we offer you opportunities to follow your ambitions as long as you bring the energy and determination to succeed.

*QS World University Rankings 2024

** Research Excellence Framework 2021

To find out more about us visit our website.

CLOSING DATE: Tuesday 01 October 2024 at 11.55pm

To apply, please click ‘Apply’ below and submit an application form by the closing date. Please plan for any potential delays as you will not be able to submit an application past this deadline (even if you opened the form at, say, 11.30pm).

Please attach a CV and cover letter.

• Your CV should include your most recent employment experience, any other relevant experience, and education history.
• Your cover letter must detail how you meet each of the essential criteria found in the Job Description document below (desirable criteria too, where possible).

Please see here for guidance on writing a cover letter. We highly recommend using individual criteria as headers and giving examples below, though you are free to format the letter as you wish.

To streamline our hiring processes, we can only accept applications via our official website, warwick-careers.tal.net.

Interview Date: TBC

Start Date: TBC

We will provide you with a great range of benefits, which include an attractive pension scheme, 30 days holiday plus Christmas closure, excellent learning and development opportunities, and savings on a wide range of products and services. We offer a generous maternity/paternity/adoption/parental leave policy, and onsite childcare facilities. 

We recognise the importance of a healthy work/life balance and offer you access to flexible working, for more information click here. 

We are proud to say that we are a Living Wage employer.

If you are considering relocating to the UK, read our Relocation Guide to find out more about what Warwick has to offer and what might be involved in the process.

Warwick is committed to building an organisation of mutual respect and dignity, promoting a welcoming, diverse, and inclusive working and learning environment.  We recognise that everyone is different in a variety of visible and non-visible ways, and that those differences are to be recognised, respected, and valued.  Where possible, we go beyond legislation to provide a place where everyone can thrive, supporting all staff to achieve their full potential. We aspire to remove economic, social, and cultural barriers that may otherwise prevent people from succeeding. 

We therefore welcome and encourage applications from all communities regardless of culture, background, age, disability, sex/gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, religion/belief, or sexual or romantic orientation. To find out more about our social inclusion work at Warwick visit our webpages here. 

The University currently holds a Race Equality Charter Bronze Award, Athena Swan Sliver Award and a Disability Smart Bronze Award. The University of Warwick is also one of the six founder institutions of the EUTOPIA European University Alliance. 

Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS)

The University of Warwick complies with the DBS Code of Practice and undertakes not to discriminate unfairly against anyone who makes a Disclosure relating to a conviction or other information revealed.  More information is available on the University’s Vacancy pages and applicants may request a copy of the DBS Code of Practice.