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Research Assistant for ESRC IAA Project

Job details
Posting date: 18 July 2025
Salary: £30,805 to £37,174 per year
Hours: Full time
Closing date: 17 August 2025
Location: Durham, County Durham, DH1 5LE
Company: Durham University
Job type: Contract
Job reference: 25000940_1752826219

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Summary

The Role


Applications are invited for a Research Assistant (RA) to support the ESRC Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) research project titled "Ochre-Based Phosphate Removal in Wastewater Treatment: A Feasibility Study on Supply Chain, Economic, and Environmental Impacts."


This project will evaluate the economic and environmental feasibility of converting ochre waste into iron salts for phosphate removal in wastewater treatment. You will investigate supply chain ramifications and dynamics, logistics optimisation, economic viability, and environmental impacts to ensure commercial sustainability and regulatory compliance. Your tasks will include:



  1. Evaluating supplier relationships, market effects, logistics dependencies, and long-term resource availability.

  2. Developing an optimised supply chain model, including supplier roles, sourcing locations, and material flow strategies.

  3. Optimising transportation, storage, and processing efficiency by integrating inventory management, material handling, and reverse logistics strategies.

  4. Evaluating suitable contract mechanisms for commercial adoption.

  5. Conducting a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the ochre recovery process and ensuring compliance with environmental regulations (e.g. heavy metal limits).


The successful applicant will work alongside the project PI, Dr Nail Tahirov, Prof. Atanu Chaudhuri, and Mr. Chris Jones from project partner Northumbrian Water Ltd, as well as Prof. H. Chris Greenwell, and Prof Gavin J. Bridge.


This RA role is funded by the ESRC Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) Fund. This post is fixed term for 6 months and may not be extendible for a further length of time.


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A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.

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