Senior Research Officer

Pallavi Singh Lab at University of Essex is seeking a motivated and ambitious Postdoctoral Research Associate (PDRA) to join the Future Leaders Fellowship (FLF) project ‘REVOLUTION: Unravelling the regulation and evolutionary innovations in grass species to engineer high water-use efficiency in rice,’.

The PDRA will employ molecular biology, bioinformatics, and single-cell omics approaches to identify master regulators and target gene networks that drive efficient photosynthesis and water-use traits. Using diverse Asian and African rice cultivars, this research will generate insights with direct translational potential for sustainable crop improvement.

Duties of the role

Embedded within the dynamic, interdisciplinary Singh Lab, the PDRA will collaborate with leading experts in plant synthetic biology, vascular signalling, and crop engineering. The successful candidate will lead the preparation and submission of at least two manuscripts and gain experience in project management, mentoring, grant writing, and independent fellowship applications, all while engaging with a vibrant network of collaborators.

Skills and Qualifications required

• PhD in Plant Biology, Bioinformatics, Plant Molecular Biology, Genetics, or another discipline relevant to the project, or be close to completion of PhD.
• Experience performing data analysis, data visualization and statistics.
• Experience of contributing to small research programmes or defined areas of larger projects, and of developing research objectives and proposals, this could include your PhD laboratory work.
• Knowledge of Plant Molecular Biology, Plant Physiology and Bioinformatics.
• The ability and willingness to contribute to day-to-day management and maintenance of project datasets and methodological pipelines, including providing relevant support and training to other members of the Singh Lab.

Please complete the short on-line application form and attach the following 2 documents:

1. A covering letter setting out how you meet the requirements of the role as set out in the person specification.
2. A full curriculum vitae (CV) including any publications and contact details for 2 referees.

Note: If selected for interview your referees will be contacted and asked for a reference.

Please see the attached job pack, which contains a full job description and person specification which outlines the full duties, skills, qualifications and experience needed for this role plus more information relating to the post. We recommend you read this information carefully before making an application. Applications should be made on-line, but if you would like advice or help in making an application, or need information in a different format, please email resourcing@essex.ac.uk

*More information: Working at the University