Research Assistant for ESRC IAA Project (
Job Number: 25000940)
Department of Management and Marketing
Grade 6: – £30,805 to £37,174 per annum
Fixed Term – Full Time
Contract Duration: 6 months
Contracted Hours per Week: 35
Working Arrangements: 9am and 5pm
Closing Date: 04-Aug-2025, 12:59:00 AM
Disclosure and Barring Service Requirement: Not Applicable.
The University
At Durham University we are proud of our people. A globally outstanding centre of educational excellence, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, a unique and historic setting – Durham is a university like no other. We believe that inspiring our people to do outstanding things at Durham enables Durham people to do outstanding things professionally and personally.
Across the University we have a huge variety of roles and career opportunities, which together make us a large and successful community, which is a key hub of activity within our region and nationally. We would be thrilled if you would consider joining our thriving University. Further information about the University can be found here.
The Department
Dynamic and vibrant, Durham University Business School is one of Durham University’s four Faculties and is comprised of three research-intensive departments: Accounting, Economics and Finance, and Management and Marketing. Known for its global reputation, its impact on policy and practice and its strong focus on ethics, responsibility and sustainability, the school aims to be a leading European business school with a strong global presence by 2027. The school currently has 180 academic and teaching staff, with plans and resource commitments to grow to 230 by 2027. In addition, 11 funded research centres (https://www.dur.ac.uk/business/research/research-centres/) blend leading theoretical perspectives with a strong emphasis on impact and engagement with practice, noted in www.durham.ac.uk/business. The school’s student population is around 4000, across undergraduate, postgraduate and research programmes.
Our vision is to lead business thought and practice to improve global wealth and well-being. Our associated mission is to create, share and use knowledge to deliver equitable and sustainable futures around the world. We pursue this mission by advancing world-changing knowledge and securing global impact through increasingly collaborative research across disciplines and around the world.
The Role
Applications are invited for a Research Assistant (RA) to support the ESRC Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) research project titled “Ochre-Based Phosphate Removal in Wastewater Treatment: A Feasibility Study on Supply Chain, Economic, and Environmental Impacts.”
This project will evaluate the economic and environmental feasibility of converting ochre waste into iron salts for phosphate removal in wastewater treatment. You will investigate supply chain ramifications and dynamics, logistics optimisation, economic viability, and environmental impacts to ensure commercial sustainability and regulatory compliance. Your tasks will include:
1. Evaluating supplier relationships, market effects, logistics dependencies, and long-term resource availability.
2. Developing an optimised supply chain model, including supplier roles, sourcing locations, and material flow strategies.
3. Optimising transportation, storage, and processing efficiency by integrating inventory management, material handling, and reverse logistics strategies.
4. Evaluating suitable contract mechanisms for commercial adoption.
5. Conducting a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the ochre recovery process and ensuring compliance with environmental regulations (e.g. heavy metal limits).
The successful applicant will work alongside the project PI, Dr Nail Tahirov, Prof. Atanu Chaudhuri, and Mr. Chris Jones from project partner Northumbrian Water Ltd, as well as Prof. H. Chris Greenwell, and Prof Gavin J. Bridge.
This RA role is funded by the ESRC Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) Fund. This post is fixed term for 6 months and may not be extendible for a further length of time.
Responsibilities
· To work collaboratively with the Principal Investigator, research team members, and Northumbrian Water Ltd to develop appropriate supply chain and economic models assessing the feasibility of ochre-based phosphate removal in wastewater treatment, including data identification, realistic parameter estimation, and analysis to evaluate commercial viability and environmental impacts.
· To conduct interviews and stakeholder engagement with industry experts, broader stakeholders, and academic colleagues (e.g. Earth Sciences, Geography, and Business School researchers) to obtain data for developing supply chain configurations, logistics optimisation strategies, and business models for commercialising ochre-derived ferric salts.
· To provide basic research assistance, including literature reviews, data collection, data analysis, and preparation of supporting materials for academic papers, reports, and presentations.
· To engage in academic dissemination by contributing to the preparation of papers for submission to peer-reviewed journals and conferences, under the guidance of the Principal Investigator and research team.
· To contribute to industry reports and presentations in collaboration with the Principal Investigator and research team.
· To contribute to fostering a collegial, inclusive, and respectful working environment, ensuring all colleagues and stakeholders are treated fairly with dignity and respect.
· To deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines by discussing with the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder and offering creative or innovative solutions.
· To contribute to the planning of research projects.
Working at Durham
A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University: you will also receive access to the following fantastic benefits:
· 30 Days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year – a total of 42 days per year.
· We offer a generous pension scheme, As a new member of staff you will be automatically enrolled into the University Superannuation Scheme (USS).
· No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered. We have parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies.
· There is a genuine commitment to developing our colleagues professionally and personally. There is a comprehensive range of development courses, apprenticeships and access to qualifications and routes to develop your career in the University. All staff have dedicated annual time to concentrate on their personal development opportunities.
· Lots of support for health and wellbeing including discounted membership for our state of the art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme.
· On site nursery is available plus access to holiday camps for children aged 5-16.
· Family friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, which are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers).
· The opportunity to take part in staff volunteering activities to make a difference in the local community
· Discounts are available via our benefits portal including; money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, the cinema and days out at various attractions.
· A salary sacrifice scheme is also available to help you take advantage of tax savings on benefits.
· If you are moving to Durham, you may be eligible for help with removal costs and we have a dedicated team who can help you with the practicalities such as house hunting and schools. If you need a visa, we cover most visa costs and offer an interest free loan scheme to pay for dependant visas.
Discover more about our total rewards and benefits package here.
Durham University is committed to equality diversity, inclusion and values
Our collective aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential, and we believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work. As a university equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key part of the University’s Strategy and a central part of everything we do. We also live by our values and our Staff Code of Conduct. At Durham we actively work towards providing an environment where our staff and students can study, work and live in a community which is supportive and inclusive. It’s important to us that all of our colleagues are aligned to both our values and commitment to EDI.
We welcome and encourage applications from members of groups who are under-represented in our work force including people with disabilities, women and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. If you have taken time out of your career, and you feel it relevant, let us know about it in your application. If you are a candidate with a disability, we are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to support the interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, reasonable adjustments will be made to support people within their role.
Contact Information
Department contact for academic-related enquiries :
For informal enquiries, please contact Dr Nail Tahirov at nail.tahirov@durham.ac.uk. All enquiries will be treated in the strictest confidence.
Contact information for technical difficulties when submitting your application
If you encounter technical difficulties when using the online application form, we prefer you send enquiries by email. Please send your name along with a brief description of the problem you’re experiencing to e.recruitment@durham.ac.uk
Alternatively, you may call 0191 334 6801 from the UK, or +44 191 334 6801 from outside the UK. This number operates during the hours of 09.00 and 17.00 Monday to Friday, UK time. We will normally respond within one working day (Monday to Friday, excluding UK public holidays).
How to Apply
To progress to the assessment stage, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification below. It will be at the discretion of the recruiting panel as to whether they will also consider any desirable criteria, but we would urge candidates to provide evidence for all criteria.
While some criteria will be considered at the shortlisting stage, other criteria may be considered later in the assessment process, such as questions at interview.
Submitting your application
We prefer to receive applications online. We will update you about your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to make sure you have not missed any of our updates.
What to Submit
All applicants are asked to submit:
· A CV
· A one-page cover letter (maximum) which details your relevant training, experience, strengths, and potential to meet the essential criteria (within the job description) and, if appropriate, desirable criteria.
We will notify you on the status of your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to ensure you receive all emails.
Next Steps
Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interview on a date to be confirmed.
In the event that you are unable to attend in person on the date offered, it may not be possible to offer you an interview on an alternative date.
Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement Job Applicants/Potential Job Applicants – Durham University which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.
When appointing to this role the University must ensure that it meets any applicable immigration requirements, including salary thresholds which are applicable to some visas.
Person Specification
Essential Criteria:
· A good first degree in a relevant subject such as Industrial Engineering, Operations Research, Management Science, or Operations and Supply Chain Management.
· A master degree in Operations Research, Operations Management, Supply Chain Management, Industrial Engineering, with a genuine interest in sustainable supply chain network design.
· Experience in conducting high-quality academic research and working collaboratively with industry or business on business model development.
· Knowledge of mathematical programming, simulation, contract mechanism design, reverse logistics, and the circular economy.
· Experience with mathematical optimisation solvers or software tools (e.g. Gurobi, CPLEX, SAS, GAMS) and programming skills (e.g. Python).
· Demonstrable ability to work cooperatively as part of a team, including active participation in research meetings.
· Ability to work independently, using own initiative, and to meet strict deadlines.
· Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
Desirable Criteria:
· A PhD (or be close to submission) in Operations Research, Supply chain Management or a related subject.
· Knowledge of stochastic optimisation techniques and game theory models.
· Experience of conducting high quality academic research.
· Experience of preparing academic papers.
· Ability to assist in the provision of support to student projects.
· Experience in supply chain network design and logistic optimization.
· Ability to contribute to the planning and management of independent research.
