Main Purpose of the Job

Driven by our vision to deliver healthier lives through multidisciplinary expertise and specialised core infrastructure, we are seeking an innovative Group Leader.

You with have a collaborative approach to advance transformative research on how the microbiome shapes and is shaped by micronutrient status and bio-availability (from dietary intake to host-derived sources) and their implication for preventing obesity and metabolic disease and for supporting early-life growth and/or healthy ageing.

In partnership with colleagues and stakeholders, the post holder will drive innovative research initiatives to establish mechanistic insight into microbiome-micronutrient interactions in the onset of obesity across the lifespan, leveraging Quadram's unique translational infrastructure to preventing obesity and metabolic disease and support healthy living through optimisation of nutritional status.

Key Relationships

Internal: All employees working at the Quadram Institute, including QIB, UEA and NHS colleagues. NBI Partnership.
External: UKRI, BBSRC, Norwich Research Park, other scientific institutions and educational bodies, industry, governmental organisations, general public.

Main Activities & Responsibilities

Percentage

Lead and manage high-profile and innovative projects aimed at advancing our understanding of diet-microbiome-host interactions focused on micronutrient status and bio-availability; and developing strategies to improve host health and resilience to obesity and metabolic disease and promote health across the life course through optimisation of nutritional status.

40

Secure significant funding in accordance with the expectations of the discipline and level of the role.

10

Build and sustain strong collaborations and partnerships with researchers, institutions, industry, and other key stakeholders.

10

Lead and manage research teams, taking responsibility for the delivery of the research. This will include supervising Postdoctoral Research Assistants, supporting effective career development and maintaining high levels of performance representative of a world class institute.

10

Write and publish high quality and significant research papers together with providing expert commentary in a variety of media.

5

Promote a culture of world class science excellence, collaboration, and scientific integrity across the Institute.

5

Develop pertinent research strategies for the Institute to deliver high social and economic impact.

5

Promote our research and develop business opportunities for the Institute by liaising with and influencing government, industry and other external partners.

5

Disseminate research findings and consolidate the Institute’s international reputation through participation in international conference and exhibitions.

5

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

5

Education & Qualifications

Requirement

Importance

PhD in a relevant discipline such as microbiology, nutritional sciences, biochemistry, molecular physiology, or microbiome/systems biology, with a research focus relevant to microbial micronutrient metabolism and availability, host-microbiome interactions, or micronutrient biology.

Essential

Specialist Knowledge & Skills

Requirement

Importance

Extensive knowledge of areas related to micronutrients, gut microbiome, and host-microbiome, metabolic and immune responses, and the development of nutrition- and microbiome-based interventions to tackle obesity and promote life-long health.

Essential

Substantial knowledge of and skills in a relevant area, such as microbial- and host-micronutrient metabolism and their influence in host-microbe interactions.

Essential

Experience with relevant model systems for studying host-microbiome interactions relevant to micronutrient availability and metabolism, including in vitro colon-model and fermentation systems (including INFOGEST and SHIME) and anaerobic culturing platforms for mechanistic work; Mass spectrometry.

Essential

Experience or strong interest in clinical translational research, including collaboration with clinical research facilities.

Essential

A strong record of independent or co-independent grant funding, with clear potential to compete for major national or international funding calls in micronutrients and microbiome.

Essential

A track record of independent micronutrient related research, demonstrated through peer-reviewed publications addressing (microbial/host) micronutrient metabolism, community structure, function, or metabolism in the context of host health or disease.

Essential

Relevant Experience

Requirement

Importance

Experience in microbial/host micronutrient metabolism and host interactions during life-long health and/or obesity.

Essential

Evidence of experience of, or potential for, attracting funding, commensurate with stage of career.

Essential

Success in leading research and initiating interdisciplinary collaborations.

Essential

An excellent publication record in peer reviewed journals, commensurate with stage of career.

Essential

Ability to lead and participate in interdisciplinary research.

Essential

Experience of leading, managing and mentoring teams, including promoting excellence and developing and maintaining high levels of performance.

Essential

Established record of postdoctoral research.

Essential

Interpersonal & Communication Skills

Requirement

Importance

Strong collaboration skills.

Essential

Ability to create, build, strengthen and sustain highly effective relationships with key stakeholders.

Essential

Ability to communicate effectively and appropriately with all people at all levels both inside and outside the Institute.

Essential

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

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, Microbiome and Health

Living in Norfolk

• Visit Norfolk
• Schools in Norfolk
• Childcare in Norfolk

We are looking for an exceptional scientist with a research focus on (micro) nutrition- and microbiome-based interventions for the prevention and management of obesity.

You will join other world class Principal Investigators and research scientists within the ‘Food, Microbiome, and Health’ research programme at the Quadram Institute. The priorities for this programme are to improve our understanding of how novel foods influence (micro & macro) nutrient bioavailability and the gut microbiome to promote lifelong health and prevent disease. We conduct trials of novel foods as well as mechanistic studies to understand how diet-microbiome interactions shape the host’s metabolic, physical, and mental health, with the goal of developing innovative food- and microbiome-based approaches that reduce the burden of obesity and related metabolic conditions as well as helping to prevent micronutrient deficiency. Our team has established knowledge and expertise that brings together excellence in food science and structure, gut microbiome and host function. Our science is underpinned by expertise and capability in (bio)imaging, multi-omics and bioinformatics, microbiology, integrated digestion and fermentation models of the human gut, in vitro systems including organ-on-chip, in vivo preclinical models as well as human interventions.

At the Quadram Institute, a state-of-the-art facility based in Norwich, we are pursuing a forward-looking strategy to advance healthy living through evidence-based precision nutrition and microbiome-targeted interventions aimed at preventing metabolic diseases, including malnutrition and obesity.

We are seeking outstanding scientists who combine scientific excellence with a clear vision for advancing innovative research at the Quadram Institute, leveraging our substantial capabilities and expertise to help consolidate the Institute as a global leader in food-microbiome research for life-long health.

Applicants should have an excellent track record in an area of research that can address the strategic aims of the programme, particularly diet-microbiome-host interactions and their contribution to metabolic health and disease that will underpin new microbiome-based strategies to prevent obesity and contribute to healthy growth and healthy ageing. Successful candidates will have an excellent publication record and evidence of establishing and supporting a productive research group supported by national research council (e.g., UKRI or equivalent) grants at a level commensurate for their career stage. Candidates should also have a clear vision for collaborative research.

In addition to delivering on Institute core research objectives, the successful applicant is expected to develop a broad research grant portfolio that includes collaborative projects with other scientists in the institute and beyond, and with stakeholders in industry and government.

The post will be based at the Quadram Institute, an interdisciplinary research institute at the forefront of a new era in food and health research. The institute provides outstanding and custom-built facilities which bring together medical and molecular microbiologists, epidemiologists, bioinformaticians and clinicians to deliver pioneering interdisciplinary research.

The Quadram Institute supports flexible, innovative working that brings together our scientists with partners co-located on the renowned Norwich Research Park including the University of East Anglia, the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, John Innes Centre, The Sainsbury Laboratory and the Earlham Institute. Our team are also members of the recently established Centre for Microbial Interactions, a virtual centre bringing together the more than 100 microbiology research groups working across the Norwich Research Park.

We offer an exciting, innovative and supportive research environment, competitive salaries (depending on qualifications and experience) and a great place to live - a relocation package is available.

Micronutrient FMH QIB Group Leader Recruitment Pack.docx

The successful applicant will be offered an indefinite contract, or for applicants with less experience, a Career Track Group Leader position (5-year contract) with tenure subject to review. Positions come with a significant support package with an equivalent value up to £500,000, including a Postdoctoral Research Assistant, start-up package, budget for consumables and other research expenses, and access to core services including next generation sequencing and bioinformatics, advanced bioimaging, and Human Studies.