Main Purpose of the Job

We are looking for a postdoctoral (or masters with appropriate experience) scientist to coordinate and align our activities around Food Policy as well as increase our engagement with relevant research and user communities. The post holder will be responsible for activities including:
(1) horizon scanning and keeping up-to-date knowledge of debates around national Food Policy from both academic and policy perspectives,
(2) critically evaluate UK and international trends in food policy and the food system and be the spokesperson of the group on related issues,
(3) establish strategic links with Food Policy groups and actively contribute,
(4) be responsible for increasing engagement with our stakeholder and user communities via the establishment of a new multi-actor platform, and
(5) establish systems to routinely capture the needs and views of our stakeholder and user communities to inform our continued development as an NBRI (National Bioscience Research Infrastructure).

Key Relationships

The post holder will work closely with the Head and Deputy Head of the Food Databanks National Capability (FDNC), the rest of the FDNC team, and other researchers across QIB. External interactions will include the Department of Health and Social Care, Food Standards Agency, National Food Strategy, DEFRA, and a wide range of users from academia, clinical professionals, industry and NGOs across the food, nutrition and health field.

Main Activities & Responsibilities

Percentage

Routinely undertake horizon scanning and maintain at all times a comprehensive understanding of debates around national Food Policy from both academic and policy perspectives

15

Regularly undertake critically evaluation of UK and international trends in food policy and the food system and be the spokesperson of the group on related issues

15

Proactively establish strategic links with Food Policy groups, academic researchers (within QIB and external) and actively contribute through appropriate fora

15

Be responsible for increasing engagement, activities, and two-way communication with our stakeholder and user communities

15

Establish systems to routinely capture the needs and views of our stakeholder and user communities via an multi-actor platform to inform our continued development as an NBRI and providing data, tools and services to the users

15

Coordinate publications (eg opinion papers, reviews, social media campaigns etc) on aspects of food policy (eg food labels, portion sizes, transforming food systems, alternative proteins etc)

15

As agreed with line manager, any other duties commensurate with the nature of the role

10

Education & Qualifications

Requirement

Importance

PhD or MSc with equivalent experience in Nutrition, Food Policy or a related discipline

Essential

Specialist Knowledge & Skills

Requirement

Importance

Knowledge of nutrition and health

Essential

Knowledge of the UK/EU Policy landscape around food and nutrition aspects

Essential

Knowledge of online engagement/feedback tools (e.g. SurveyMonkey, Microsoft Forms, Google Forms, etc)

Desirable

Relevant Experience

Requirement

Importance

Experience in qualitative and/or quantitative research and analysis related to food policy

Essential

Preparing publications (research, opinion papers, reviews, etc) around nutrition, and/or policy debates

Essential

Experience in communicating complex food/nutrition concepts to varied audiences

Essential

Experience working with food, nutrition and/or biological data for public health-related projects

Desirable

Experience in engaging with stakeholders across academia, industry, policy, healthcare

Desirable

Experience in organising stakeholder meetings/workshops

Desirable

Interpersonal & Communication Skills

Requirement

Importance

Good interpersonal skills, with the ability to work as part of a team

Essential

Ability to collaborate with internal and external stakeholders

Essential

Demonstrated ability to work independently to tight deadlines, using initiative and applying problem solving skills

Essential

Excellent communication skills, both written and oral, including the ability to present complex information with clarity

Essential

Additional Requirements

Requirement

Importance

Attention to detail

Essential

Promotes equality and values diversity

Essential

Willingness to embrace the expected values and behaviours of all staff at the Institute, ensuring it is a great place to work

Essential

Able to present a positive image of self and the Institute, promoting both the international reputation and public engagement aims of the Institute

Essential

Willingness to work outside standard working hours when required

Essential

Quadram Institute Bioscience

The Quadram Institute is at the forefront of a new interface between food science, gut biology and health, developing solutions to worldwide challenges in food-related disease and human health.

We are engaged in fundamental and translational food and health research, alongside clinical studies, endoscopy and industry, working together to become a leading international hub for food and health research, combining scientific excellence and clinical expertise, delivering impacts on patient care and accelerating innovation.

The Quadram Institute is a diverse and multicultural scientific community. We thrive on our international and European links, appointing staff from across the world. Any candidate who would like further information on current or anticipated immigration requirements can contact the HR Team on +44 (0)1603 450888 or nbi.recruitment@nbi.ac.uk.

For more information about working at Quadram Institute Bioscience, please click here.

Department

Food Databanks

Group Details

The Food Databanks National Capability (FDNC), soon to become a BBSRC National Bioscience Research Infrastructure, is the leading national provider of new and continuously updated data, knowledge and tools relating to food composition, intake and food systems for use by different end-users including academia, industry, healthcare, government, consumers. FDNC enables delivery of nutritional policy and high-quality science in support of current and emerging national needs in nutrition (food composition and intake), health (e.g., obesity, healthy ageing) and sustainability (environment, food security). We are working closely with QIB and external scientists to support higher-resolution nutrition data, new dietary tools, and integration of food & microbiome data to underpin high-quality research in plant-based diets, personalised nutrition & health, and in food safety of transforming UK food systems.

Living in Norfolk

• Visit Norfolk
• Schools in Norfolk
• Childcare in Norfolk

Research Scientist (Food Policy)

Applications are invited for a Research Scientist (Food Policy) to join the Food Databanks National Capability (FDNC, https://fdnc.quadram.ac.uk/) at Quadram Institute Bioscience (QIB), based in Norwich, UK.

Background:

The Food Databanks National Capability (FDNC), soon to become a BBSRC National Bioscience Research Infrastructure, is the leading national provider of new and continuously updated data, knowledge and tools relating to food composition, intake and food systems for use by different end-users including academia, industry, healthcare, government, consumers. We compile and publish data on the composition of foods eaten in the UK, which is used to provide the nutritional information for food labelling across the UK and the National Diet and Nutrition Survey for the Department of Health and Social Care (previously Public Health England). FDNC enables delivery of nutritional policy and high-quality science in support of current and emerging national needs in nutrition (food composition and intake), health (e.g. obesity, healthy ageing) and sustainability (environment, food security). We are working closely with QIB and external scientists to support higher-resolution nutrition data, new dietary tools, and integration of food & microbiome data to underpin high-quality research in plant-based diets, personalised nutrition & health, and in food safety of transforming UK food systems.

The role:

We are looking for a post-doctoral (or masters with appropriate experience) scientist to coordinate and align our activities around Food Policy as well as increase our engagement with relevant research and user communities.

The post holder will be responsible for activities including:
1) horizon scanning and keeping up-to-date knowledge of debates around national Food Policy from both academic and policy perspectives,
2) critically evaluate UK and international trends in food policy and the food system and be the spokesperson of the group on related issues,
3) establish strategic links with Food Policy groups and actively contribute,
4) be responsible for increasing engagement with our stakeholder and user communities via the establishment of a new multi-actor platform, and
5) establish systems to routinely capture the needs and views of our stakeholder and user communities to inform our continued development as an NBRI.  
 
The ideal candidate:

This post will be well-suited to a graduate in nutrition, dietetics, food policy with a PhD (or masters with appropriate research experience) and a strong interest in food and nutrition policy. You will have prior experience in undertaking qualitative and/or quantitative research and data analysis related to food policy, and you will be experienced in coordinating feedback from multi-actor platforms and translating into actionable recommendations, quantifiable targets, and milestones for FDNC. You will craft policy position documents, talking points, and other materials for internal and external communication, and have strong written and verbal communication skills to communicate complex nutrition science issues both verbally and in written form. Finally, you will have strong interpersonal skills to facilitate interactions on a day-to-day basis with the team and external collaborators, and be highly motivated and organised to work independently, using initiative and applying problem solving skills.  You should be able to interact and collaborate with policy makers and researchers from different disciplines.

Additional information:

Salary on appointment will be within the range £32,578 to £39,938 per annum depending on qualifications and experience. This is a full-time post for a contract of 5 years.

We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sectors of society.  The Institute supports equality of opportunity within the workplace and expects all employees to share and display these values.  To support our commitment, we have a range of family, faith and diversity friendly working arrangements to help all staff achieve excellence in their area of work.

As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee to offer an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for this vacancy.

About the Quadram Institute:

The Quadram Institute is a new interdisciplinary research institute dedicated to understanding how food and microbes interact to promote health and prevent disease. Its mission is to deliver healthier lives through innovation in gut health, microbiology and food. A partnership between Quadram Institute Bioscience, the University of East Anglia, the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and BBSRC, it brings together scientists and clinicians in a state-of-the-art building on the Norwich Research Park. This is one of Europe’s largest centres of life sciences and home of the John Innes Centre and The Earlham Institute. (https://quadram.ac.uk/).

The closing date for applications will be 5th July 2022.

The Quadram Institute Bioscience is a registered charity (No. 1058499) and is an Equal Opportunities Employer.