Research Associate

**Job Description**:
**Job Title**:Research Associate (Developmental Biology)

**Posting Start Date**:22/09/2025

**Job Id**:1553

**School/Department**:Biosciences

**Work Arrangement**:Full Time (On site)

**Contract Type**:Fixed-term

**Salary per annum (£)**:£38,784 - £41,064 per annum

**Closing Date**:20/10/2025

The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world-class university.

We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more.

**Overview**

We seek a highly motivated developmental biologist to join the group of Dr Nicola Nadeau on a Leverhulme Research Project grant researching the genetics and biomechanics of butterfly scale structure formation. You will work as part of an international, interdisciplinary team in a vibrant research environment, within the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology research cluster.

Applicants must have a PhD (or equivalent experience) in evolutionary developmental biology along with experience of developmental and molecular biology techniques, including imaging and gene expression analysis. A proven ability to perform cutting-edge science, as evidenced through publications in high quality journals or on pre-print servers is also essential.

**Main duties and responsibilities**
- Conduct research of international standing into the structural formation of butterfly wing scales during development.
- Perform developmental manipulations (e.g. using CRISPR/Cas9) to determine the role of specific cellular components in scale morphogenesis.
- Determine novel research objectives as experiments progress, initiate and implement relevant programme of research.
- Efficiently manage time, materials, finance and equipment.
- Assist with setting up equipment, ordering and organisation of resources in the lab.
- Disseminate research findings through the production of papers for high quality journals and presentations either in-house or at national/international conferences or seminars.
- Supervise or co-supervise undergraduate/postgraduate students.
- Maintain effective communication within the team and with collaborating research groups
- Read academic papers, journals and textbooks and attend conferences to keep abreast of developments.
- Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the post.

**Person Specification**

**Criteria**

**Essential or desirable**

**Stage(s) assessed at**

A PhD (or equivalent experience) in evolutionary developmental biology

Essential

Application

Experience of developmental and molecular biology techniques, including imaging and gene expression analysis

Essential

Application/interview

Desirable

Application/interview

Experience of using Crispr/Cas9 on non-model organisms

Desirable

Application/interview

Proven ability to perform cutting-edge science, as evidenced through publications in high quality journals or on pre-print servers

Essential

Application

Effective communication skills, both written and verbal, report writing skills and experience of delivering presentations

Essential

Application/interview

Experience communicating with a team of staff, including undergraduate and postgraduate students

Essential

Application/interview

Ability to direct your own research and assume leadership on a project

Essential

Application/interview

Ability to develop creative approaches to problem solving

Essential

Application/interview

Willingness to tackle unfamiliar tasks and develop new skills

Essential

Application/interview

**Further Information**

**Grade**

7

**Salary**

£38,784 - £41,064 per annum

**Work arrangement**

100% FTE

**Duration**

Fixed-term from 13 October 2025 (or as soon as possible thereafter) for a period of 4 years

**Line manager**

Senior Lecturer / Project Lead

**Direct reports**

None

**Our website**

School of Biosciences

**Next steps in the recruitment process**

**Our vision and strategic plan**

We are the University of Sheffield. This is our vision: sheffield.ac.uk/vision ().

**What we offer**
- A minimum of 41**days annual leave including bank holiday and closure days (pro rata) with the ability to purchase more.
- Flexible working opportunities, including hybrid working for some roles.
- Generous pension scheme.
- A wide range of discounts and rewards on shopping, eating out and travel.
- A variety of staff networks, providing opportunities for social interaction, peer support and personal development (for example, Race Equality, LGBT+, Women’s and Parent’s networks).
- Recognition Awards to reward staff who go above and beyond in their role.
- A commitment to your development access to learning and mentoring schemes
- A r