"Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) Associate"

Organisation: Cranfield University

Faculty or Department: Faculty of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Based at: Off Campus

Hours of work: 40 hours per week, normally worked Monday to Friday.

Contract type: Fixed term contract

Fixed Term Period: Fixed term contract

Salary: £35,000 to £42,000 per annum, dependent upon qualifications and experience (40 hours per week), plus £2,000 personal development budget

Apply by: 12/04/2026

Role Description

We welcome applications from passionate, skilled, committed, prospective experts in Data Science in Food Systems to join our team passionate in onion supply chain, to contribute in reducing losses due to fungal disease throughout the supply chain.

An exciting opportunity to work as a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) Associate has arisen as part of a collaboration project between Moulton Bulb Company Ltd and Cranfield University. The project will focus to transform industry understanding of fungal contamination caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cepae.

About the Role

Your role will be to lead on a project whose objective is to reduce waste in the supply chain. This will be done by working with and implementing data collection, data-driven trials and analysis strategies. You will embed new knowledge and expertise that will transform industry understanding of fungal contamination caused by Fusarium, reducing onion losses from field to market.

About You

This role requires skills of data acquisition, management and statistical analysis within the food supply chain. Knowledge of food microbiology and postharvest would also be desirable in this role. This role would suit an individual with an excellent ability to implement new solutions in a dynamic evolving food system environment. Previous experience of analysing complex datasets for the food supply chain industry would be ideal for this role.

You will hold a MSc level degree in a food technology, data science, bioinformatics or microbiology-related field, with previous training in a statistics-related subject, or preferably a PhD in food microbiology or postharvest.

About Us

As a specialist postgraduate university, Cranfield’s world-class expertise, large-scale facilities and unrivalled industry partnerships are creating leaders in technology and management globally. Learn more about Cranfield and our unique impact here.

The Centre for Soil, Agrifood and Biosciences is one of three Centres within the Environmental Sustainability theme at Cranfield University offering world-class and niche postgraduate-level research, education, training and consultancy. We are unique in our multidisciplinary approach by bringing together experts supporting the food chain system, such as soil science, postharvest technology, and applied mycology. Find out more about our work here.

You will be based at Moulton Bulb Company Ltd in Spalding and work closely with Andrew Fuller (Moulton Bulb supervisor), and with a team of academics at the Cranfield University Centre for Soil, Agrifood and Biosciences.

How to apply

For an informal discussion about this opportunity, please contact Dr Carol Verheecke-Vaessen, Senior Lecturer in Applied Molecular Mycology, on (E): c.verheecke@cranfield.ac.uk

Please do not hesitate to contact us for further details on E: peoplerecruitment@cranfield.ac.uk. Please quote reference number 5258.

Closing date for receipt of applications: 12 April 2026