Job details
- Salary: The starting salary will be from ÂŁ34,610 on Grade E, 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: 09/02/2026
- Job reference: R81289
- Attachments: R81289 JD.pdf
Job description
Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy
The post
The Faculty wishes to recruit a Postdoctoral Research Associate to participate in an exciting project “MOTHERSHIP: Improving MOdelling approaches to assess climate change-related THresholds and Ecological Range SHIfts in the Earth’s Peatland ecosystems” (peatmothership.org). This post is immediately available on a fixed-term basis until 31st March 2027. The successful applicant will work with Prof. Gallego-Sala and Dr. Burke in the Metoffice and a team of experts to assess the risk that climate change will push peatlands past thresholds so that they become (more) unstable, rapidly losing carbon to the atmosphere. Some of the key questions that this work will answer are: What are the combinations of climate conditions and management that could lead to catastrophic future loss of European peatlands? Can spatially targeted peatland management, including rewetting efforts, allow loss of carbon to be avoided and secured through to 2100? In this post, you will extend the group’s initial work on modelling peatland ecosystems to develop a fully-functioning, spatially-resolved model that can simulate the impacts of drainage and rewetting on temperate peatland hydrology, carbon and vegetation dynamics. This will include using new datasets and high-resolution modelling developed in the MOTHERSHIP project.
About you
The successful applicant will be able to achieve project objectives, present information on research progress and outcomes, communicate complex information, orally, in writing and electronically and prepare proposals and applications to external bodies, and make presentations at conferences and other events.
Applicants will possess a relevant PhD or be near completion (in environmental physics, carbon cycle science, mathematics, etc.) or possess an equivalent qualification/experience in a related field of study. They will be able to demonstrate sufficient knowledge in the discipline to work within the project, including experience of computer programming (e.g. FORTRAN, C++), and wider computing skills (e.g. R, Python or similar).
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;
- The opportunity to participate in/contribute to high profile international model intercomparison projects such as ISIMIP and/or WIE-MIP.
- A collaboration opportunity with the Met Office’
- The opportunity to join a wider existing and supportive team currently developing and working with JULES-peat at the University of Exeter
- Support teams that understand the University wide research and teaching goals and partner with our academics accordingly
- 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 new Fertility Treatment Policy
- A beautiful campus set in the heart of stunning Devon.
Please ensure you read the Job Description and Person Specification for full details of this role.
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 2024). 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.
Benefits
We offer some fantastic benefits including:
- 41 days leave per year
- options for flexible working
- numerous discounts at leading retailers
- onsite gyms on all of our campus’ and a cycle to work scheme
- sector leading policies 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
- stunning campus environments in Exeter and Cornwall, in the beautiful South West of England
Further Information
For further information please contact Prof. Angela Gallego-Sala, email: A.Gallego-Sala@exeter.ac.uk.
The closing date for applications is Tuesday 10th March at 23:59.
