Research Assistant

Contract: 5 months, full time Location: John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Research Assistant to join the Balk Group at the John Innes Centre, working on cutting-edge science in the field of Biochemistry and Metabolism. About the John Innes Centre: The John Innes Centre is an independent, international centre of excellence in plant and microbial sciences. We nurture a creative, curiosity-led approach to answering fundamental questions in bioscience, and translate that knowledge into societal benefits. Our strategic vision, Healthy Plants, Healthy People, Healthy Planet, sets out our ambitious long-term goals for the game changing impact of our science globally.  Our employees enjoy access to state-of-the-art technology and a diverse range of specialist training opportunities, including support for leadership and management. Click here to find out more about working at the John Innes Centre. About the Balk Group: This role will be embedded in the JIC pea consortium, headed by Group Leaders Dr Sanu Arora and Dr Janneke Balk. The focus of the Arora lab is to explore the natural diversity of Pisum sativum (pea) species for disease resistance and environmental resilience, and the Balk lab explores nutritional traits in pea, including protein, iron and other minerals. The role: The Research Assistant will help with generating a valuable genetic resource in the form of an EMS mutant population for pea research and pre-breeding purposes. This includes phenotyping, large-scale DNA analysis and seed harvesting. They will be supervised by Dr Balk, and work in collaboration with Dr Arora and Prof Lars Ostergaard (JIC / University of Oxford). The ideal candidate: The successful candidate will have a MSc in Plant Sciences, Genetics or equivalent. A PhD in a similar discipline is desirable. They will have in-depth knowledge of handling software (such as Excel) for large data sets and a demonstrated ability to perform research in the form of project reports and/or publications. Previous experience with plant phenotyping and analysing genome sequences would be advantageous but is not essential. Good communication and organisation skills with the ability to work independently and in collaboration is essential. Additional information: The position is for 5 months in the first instance due to available funding; however an extension will be considered. For further information and details of how to apply, please visit our website http://jobs.jic.ac.uk or contact the Human Resources team on 01603 450814 or nbi.recruitment@nbi.ac.uk quoting reference 1004591. This role meets the criteria for a visa application, and we encourage all qualified candidates to apply.  Please contact the Human Resources Team if you have any questions regarding your application or visa options We are an equal opportunities employer, actively supporting inclusivity and diversity.  As a Disability Confident organisation, we guarantee to offer an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for this vacancy. We are proud to hold a prestigious Gold Athena SWAN award in recognition of our inclusive culture, commitment and good practices towards advancing of gender equality. We offer an exciting, stimulating, diverse research environment and actively promote a family friendly workplace. The Institute is also a member of Stonewall’s Diversity Champions programme. The John Innes Centre is a registered charity (No. 223852) grant-aided by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.