Postdoctoral Research Associate
| Posting date: | 06 February 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £34,610 to £39,906 per year |
| Additional salary information: | The starting salary will be from £ 34,610 up to £ 39,906 on Grade E, depending on qualifications and experience. |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 16 February 2026 |
| Location: | Cornwall, South West England |
| Remote working: | On-site only |
| Company: | University of Exeter |
| Job type: | Contract |
| Job reference: | Q13432 |
Summary
Environment, Science and Economy
This full-time UKRI funded post is available from 1 May 2026 until 31st December 2027 in the faculty of Environment, Science and Economy.
The post
The Faculty wishes to recruit a Postdoctoral Research Associate to further the work of the Westra and van Houte research teams on the development of synthetic phage therapy. The successful applicant will be responsible for high-throughput engineering of phage genomesand high-throughput phenotyping assays. The successful applicant with work closely with Postdoctoral Research Fellows and they will be part of a larger network of PIs and postdocs and technicians based at the Universities of Manchester and Liverpool.
The post will include developing and optimizing molecular biology protocols for high-throughput phage genome engineering, maintaining a digital record of all experimental procedures, keeping a record of bacterial and phage clones and making sure they are stored appropriately, preparing materials needed for carrying out experiments, designing and running experiments, organising, analysing and interpreting data and sharing data with the wider team, writing manuscripts about key findings. They will also help to organise a stakeholder workshop focusing on regulation and policy for synthetic phage therapy targeting health stakeholders including doctors, patients, pharmacists, medical regulators and policy makers, such as MHRA, UKHSA.
About you
The successful applicant will be able to design and execute experiments, manage, analyse and interpret data and present information on research progress and outcomes, communicate complex information, orally, in writing and electronically and prepare proposals and applications to external bodies.
Applicants will possess a relevant PhD or possess an equivalent qualification/experience in a related field of study and be able to demonstrate sufficient knowledge in the discipline and of research methods and techniques to work within established research programmes. Applicants will be able to independently develop and execute cloning and genome engineering strategies and will have excellent organisational skills and communication skills.
Please ensure you read the Job Description and Person Specification for full details of this role.
What we can offer you
• Freedom (and the support) to pursue your intellectual interests and to work creatively across disciplines to produce internationally exciting research;
• Support teams that understand the University wide research and teaching goals and partner with our academics accordingly
• An Innovation, Impact and Business directorate that works closely with our academics providing specialist support for external engagement and development
• Our Exeter Academic initiative supporting high performing academics to achieve their potential and develop their career
• A multitude of staff benefits including sector leading benefits around maternity, adoption and shared parental leave (up to 26 weeks full pay), Paternity leave (up to 6 weeks full pay), and a Fertility Treatment Policy
• A beautiful campus set in the heart of stunning Cornwall.
The University of Exeter
We are a member of the prestigious Russell Group of research-intensive universities and in the top 200 universities in the world (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024 and QS World University Ranking 2024). We combine world-class teaching with world-class research, achieving a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework Award 2023, underpinned by Gold ratings for Student Experience and Student Outcomes.
Our world-leading research impact has grown more than any other Russell Group university in recent years, and we are home to some of the world’s most influential researchers, seeking to answer some of the most fundamental issues facing humankind today. More than 99 percent
of our research is of international quality and 47 percent is world-leading (2021 Research Excellence Framework).
Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Commitment
We are committed to ensuring reasonable adjustments are available for interviews and workplaces.
Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented within our working community.
With over 30,000 students and 7,000 staff from 150 different countries we offer a diverse and engaging environment where our diversity is celebrated and valued as a major strength. We are committed to creating an inclusive culture where all members of our community are supported to thrive; where diverse voices are heard through our engagement with evidence-based charter frameworks for gender (Athena SWAN and Project Juno for Physics), race equality (Race Equality Charter Mark), LGBTQ+ inclusion (Stonewall Diversity Champion) and as a Disability Confident employer.
We are proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant and welcome applications from service people.
Further information
For further information please contact Edze Westra, e-mail E.R.Westra@exeter.ac.uk.
This full-time UKRI funded post is available from 1 May 2026 until 31st December 2027 in the faculty of Environment, Science and Economy.
The post
The Faculty wishes to recruit a Postdoctoral Research Associate to further the work of the Westra and van Houte research teams on the development of synthetic phage therapy. The successful applicant will be responsible for high-throughput engineering of phage genomesand high-throughput phenotyping assays. The successful applicant with work closely with Postdoctoral Research Fellows and they will be part of a larger network of PIs and postdocs and technicians based at the Universities of Manchester and Liverpool.
The post will include developing and optimizing molecular biology protocols for high-throughput phage genome engineering, maintaining a digital record of all experimental procedures, keeping a record of bacterial and phage clones and making sure they are stored appropriately, preparing materials needed for carrying out experiments, designing and running experiments, organising, analysing and interpreting data and sharing data with the wider team, writing manuscripts about key findings. They will also help to organise a stakeholder workshop focusing on regulation and policy for synthetic phage therapy targeting health stakeholders including doctors, patients, pharmacists, medical regulators and policy makers, such as MHRA, UKHSA.
About you
The successful applicant will be able to design and execute experiments, manage, analyse and interpret data and present information on research progress and outcomes, communicate complex information, orally, in writing and electronically and prepare proposals and applications to external bodies.
Applicants will possess a relevant PhD or possess an equivalent qualification/experience in a related field of study and be able to demonstrate sufficient knowledge in the discipline and of research methods and techniques to work within established research programmes. Applicants will be able to independently develop and execute cloning and genome engineering strategies and will have excellent organisational skills and communication skills.
Please ensure you read the Job Description and Person Specification for full details of this role.
What we can offer you
• Freedom (and the support) to pursue your intellectual interests and to work creatively across disciplines to produce internationally exciting research;
• Support teams that understand the University wide research and teaching goals and partner with our academics accordingly
• An Innovation, Impact and Business directorate that works closely with our academics providing specialist support for external engagement and development
• Our Exeter Academic initiative supporting high performing academics to achieve their potential and develop their career
• A multitude of staff benefits including sector leading benefits around maternity, adoption and shared parental leave (up to 26 weeks full pay), Paternity leave (up to 6 weeks full pay), and a Fertility Treatment Policy
• A beautiful campus set in the heart of stunning Cornwall.
The University of Exeter
We are a member of the prestigious Russell Group of research-intensive universities and in the top 200 universities in the world (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024 and QS World University Ranking 2024). We combine world-class teaching with world-class research, achieving a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework Award 2023, underpinned by Gold ratings for Student Experience and Student Outcomes.
Our world-leading research impact has grown more than any other Russell Group university in recent years, and we are home to some of the world’s most influential researchers, seeking to answer some of the most fundamental issues facing humankind today. More than 99 percent
of our research is of international quality and 47 percent is world-leading (2021 Research Excellence Framework).
Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Commitment
We are committed to ensuring reasonable adjustments are available for interviews and workplaces.
Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented within our working community.
With over 30,000 students and 7,000 staff from 150 different countries we offer a diverse and engaging environment where our diversity is celebrated and valued as a major strength. We are committed to creating an inclusive culture where all members of our community are supported to thrive; where diverse voices are heard through our engagement with evidence-based charter frameworks for gender (Athena SWAN and Project Juno for Physics), race equality (Race Equality Charter Mark), LGBTQ+ inclusion (Stonewall Diversity Champion) and as a Disability Confident employer.
We are proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant and welcome applications from service people.
Further information
For further information please contact Edze Westra, e-mail E.R.Westra@exeter.ac.uk.
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
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.