Salary
The starting salary will be from £34,610 on Grade E or £43,482 on Grade F, depending on qualifications and experience.
Contractual hours
36.5
Package
Generous holiday allowances, flexible working, pension scheme and relocation package (if applicable).
Job category/type
Research
Date posted
16/09/2025
Job reference
Q08433
Faculty of Health and Life Sciences
The post
The Faculty of Health and Life Sciences wishes to recruit a Postdoctoral Research Associate (Grade E) or Fellow (Grade F) to perform genetic analysis of factors influencing penetrance and expressivity of haemochromatosis. This UKRI Medical Research Council (MRC) funded post is available from 12th January 2026 to 30th September 2028.
Haemochromatosis is the most common genetic condition in the UK, with up to 1 in 150 people at high risk of this iron overload disease. Yet there is a major unmet clinical need to understand the substantial patient variability in symptoms and outcomes. Funded by a prestigious MRC award, the team aims to discover genetic and clinical features that could help identify which people will develop organ damage in haemochromatosis, to prioritise patients for further investigation.
You will work with a world leading team of genetic-epidemiologists, data scientists, and clinicians to discover genetic factors that explain differences in clinical outcomes. You will have access to large scale genetics and medical-record data from >1 million individuals from the 'UK Biobank' and 'All of Us' cohorts. As part of the larger programme of work, you will have the opportunity to interact with patients, with scientists from varied disciplines, and specialist clinicians and disease domain experts.
About you - Associate level
The successful applicant will be able to 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 nearing completion) 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 undertake genetic analysis of complex disease in humans.
About you - Fellow level
The successful applicant will be able to develop research objectives, projects and proposals; identify sources of research funding and contribute to the process of securing funds and make presentations at conferences and other events.
Applicants will possess a relevant PhD or equivalent qualification/experience in a related field of study. The successful applicant will be a nationally recognised authority in human genetics, computer science, or statistical analysis, and possess sufficient specialist knowledge in the discipline to develop research programmes and methodologies. The successful applicant will also be able to work collaboratively, supervise the work of others and act as team leader as required. Applicants will be able to undertake genetic analysis of complex disease in humans.
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 Devon
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 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).
We encourage proactive engagement with industry, business and community partners to enhance the impact of research and education and improve the employability of our students. Read about our world leading research – Green Futures and how we are transforming education for a changing world. We are located in a beautiful part of the country and Exeter (a fast growing tech hub) is one of only a few UK cities to have been designated as a UNESCO Creative City
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 Dr Luke Pilling, e-mail or telephone
The closing date for completed applications is 30th October 2025. Interviews are expected to take place on 12th November 2025.