The School of Environmental and Natural Sciences at Bangor University is seeking to appoint a highly motivated Senior Research Technician to support a new Defra-funded project on the agronomic and environmental benefits of livestock slurry separation. This is a full-time, 18-month fixed-term position with the outcomes of the project contributing to sustainable agriculture practices.
The post will work closely with a wider research team, including Prof Dave Chadwick, Prof Davey Jones, and Dr Prysor Williams, to deliver impactful results. This role offers an excellent opportunity to develop your skills in sustainable agriculture research and contribute to a project with significant environmental and agronomic implications. Key responsibilities will include: collection of slurry samples from commercial farms, setting up and running field experiments, sampling of soil, slurry, vegetation and greenhouse gases, conducting laboratory analyses, collating data and reporting results, and collaborating with our project partner, ADAS.
Candidates should be educated to A level standard (or equivalent). Previous experience of working in a laboratory or field research setting is needed, as are excellent communication skills. A driving licence is required for travel to remote field sites and commercial farms, and a willingness to work irregular hours, on occasion, is required.
The successful candidate will be expected to commence during February 2026 and the post is available until 31st July 2027.
This role will be based at the Environment Centre Wales, with significant time spent at Henfaes Research Centre for field work. The job requires the successful applicant to be physically active for the greater part of the day and includes a certain amount of desk work.
Applications will also be considered to carry out this role on a part-time or job share basis.
Applications will only be accepted via our on-line recruitment website, jobs.bangor.ac.uk. However, in cases of access issues due to disability, paper application forms are available by telephoning 01248 383865.
Closing date for applications: 09 January 2026
Committed To Equal Opportunities
Overview
The College of Science and Engineering at Bangor University is one of the leading centres in the UK for teaching and research in a range of science subjects. With over 2,500 students and 350 academic, technical and administrative staff, the College consists of three academic schools: Environmental and Natural Sciences; Ocean Sciences; and Computer Science & Engineering.
The School of Environmental and Natural Sciences conducts world-leading research and teaching across a diverse range of topics including zoology, biology, forestry, geography, agriculture and conservation. The School benefits from close links with the School of Health Sciences within the College of Medicine and Health, offering an interdisciplinary environment for students and researchers interested in protecting human health and the wider environment.
Located in Bangor, North Wales, we have the forests and mountains of Eryri and the cliffs and sandy beaches of Anglesey and beyond on our doorstep.
The Project
Large quantities of livestock manure are generated in the UK on an annual basis, much of this is in the form of liquid slurry. Slurries are valuable sources of key nutrients, which are returned to the soil to meet crop demand, reducing the reliance on inorganic fertilisers. However, the application of livestock manures can result in significant environmental losses if they are not managed appropriately, e.g. losses of ammonia and greenhouse gases to air, and losses of nitrate and phosphorus to water.
Separation of livestock slurries and digestates into solid and liquid fractions is a practical method that reduces storage requirements and transportation costs. There is a need to understand the effect that separation has on ammonia and nitrous oxide losses following application of the materials to land as well as the supply of nutrients to crops. Reducing ammonia and nitrous oxide emissions from agriculture and improving the crop available nutrient supply form organic materials are important to meet targets for reducing agricultural pollution and to achieve Net Zero.
This 18-month project will provide a comprehensive assessment of the environmental and economic benefits and trade-offs of slurry and digestate separation techniques via:
i) characterisation of the nutrients in separated slurry fractions from a range of commercial farms
ii) plot-scale field experiments to measure the effect of separation on the risks of air and water pollution following spreading and on the crop available nitrogen and phosphorus supply from livestock manures and digestates.
The post would suit someone with an interest in land use, agriculture and the environment, and specifically on impacts of manure management practices on soil, crop, air and water quality. The successful candidate will support experiments that quantify the effect of slurry separation on nutrient supply and environmental losses, generating data to underpin future farmer guidance and policy.
Purpose of the Job
Working closely with an additional dedicated project technician and the Henfaes Research Centre technical team and research leaders, you will be responsible for setting up and day to day running of experiments in the field, taking soil, slurry, crop and gas samples.
You will maintain and use appropriate analytical equipment, and process samples for subsequent analyses that you will perform in our dedicated laboratory. In addition, you will collect separated slurry fractions from a commercial farm, and analyse these for their different forms of phosphorus.
You will be responsible for liaising with our project partner, ADAS, to keep up to date with joint experimental protocols and the sharing of specialist ammonia emission measurement equipment. You will record data and generate regular written reports and provide updates at project meetings. There may be occasions when you will need to represent the project team at national meetings.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
Providing support to the project team by leading the setting up of plot-scale field experiments, soil, water, air and crop sampling; sample processing and analysis.
Following joint experimental and sample processing protocols.
Liaising with scientists in the research team to ensure timely set up and running of experiments, processing, analysis and data curation of samples.
Servicing, testing, maintenance and operation of basic field equipment including cleaning and replacing components.
Maintaining research ‘spaces’, experimental plot areas, glasshouse space, laboratories.
Recording and tabulating experimental data; preparation of graphs and presentation of summary data at regular meetings with the Bangor project team.
Completion of risk assessments and COSHH assessments for specific processes and pieces of equipment and laboratory analyses where necessary.
Take responsibility for completing designated tasks.
Attend project team and School meetings as required.
Other Duties and Responsibilities
The post holder will be expected to participate in performance review and developmental activities.
The post holder will be expected to comply with the University equal opportunities policies, Dignity at Work and Study Policy and the University’s Welsh Language Policy and the Welsh Language Standards.
The post holder has a general and legal duty of care in relation to health, safety and wellbeing and must take all reasonable steps to ensure a safe and healthy working environment for themselves and for other members of staff, students and visitors affected by their actions or inactions. The post holder is also required to comply with all applicable health and safety policies, procedures and risk assessments.
The post holder must comply with relevant legal and financial policies and procedures and be aware of their responsibilities in terms of the legal requirements of their post.
Person Specification
Qualifications/Training
Essential
2 AS Levels or 1 A level or NVQ level 4 or equivalent (e.g. level 5 IVQ Advanced Technician Diploma; Full Technical Certificate, BTEC, HND / HNC; Vocational Qualification Level 5; Foundation Degree) in a relevant subject area (including biology, chemistry, physics, agriculture, environmental sciences).
Desirable
Undergraduate degree in a relevant subject, e.g. environmental sciences, biology, chemistry, agriculture.
Experience/Knowledge
Essential
Experience of working in a related field-based research setting.
Previous experience in following experimental or laboratory protocols.
Evidence of using Microsoft or other packages to enter data and generate accurate datasets.
Knowledge of H&S issues in a relevant field or laboratory situation.
Desirable
Previous experience in designing and setting up field and laboratory experimentation.
Skills/Abilities
Essential
The ability to contribute to team work and to be motivated when working alone.
Ability to prioritise own work and meet deadlines set by manager.
Driving Licence (for travel to remote field sites).
Competency in the use of spreadsheets and Word.
Desirable
Flexibility to work out of hours occasionally.
Ability to travel to other field sites occasionally (run by ADAS).
Other
Essential
The job requires the successful applicant to be physically active for the greater part of the day and includes a certain amount of computer work.
Desirable
The ability to communicate through the medium of Welsh is desirable for this role. If applicants are not able to speak/write in Welsh at present there are many opportunities to learn if the successful candidate wishes to do so.
General
The University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds. We strive to develop a workforce from all sections of the community regardless of sex, gender identity, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, trans identity, relationship status, religion or belief, caring responsibilities, or age. We promote and facilitate the use of the Welsh language through our progressive Welsh Language Policy. We comply with the Welsh Language Standards and are committed to equality of opportunity. You are welcome to apply for any job in English or Welsh and all applications submitted will be treated equally.
We are a member of Advance HE's Athena SWAN Gender Equality charter and hold a Silver award in recognition of our commitment to and progress towards gender equality within the University's policies, practices, and culture. We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer.
All members of staff have a duty to ensure their actions are in line with the overall environmental aims of the University and minimise their environmental impact.
All offers are made subject to proof of eligibility to work in the UK and receipt of satisfactory references.
We have a legal responsibility to ensure that you have the right to work in the UK before you can start working for us. When you apply for this post you will be required to explain the basis upon which you believe you will able to live and work in the UK legally on the commencement date of the role should your application be successful. If you do not have the right to work freely in any position in the UK already, any offer of employment we will make to you will be subject to you obtaining a right to work visa. The following link provides information on the various visa routes into employment and the eligibility requirements (including switching visa status where permissible) https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas. If you are successful in your application we will discuss visa options with you at the time of making the offer of employment.
Please note that, in the event of applications being received from candidates on the University's Redeployment Register with a reasonable skills match to the post specification, these applicants will be given prior consideration.