Research Assistant / Associate Islands of Britain and Ireland Climate Dataset

Salary: £32,546.00 - £40,497.00  per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 03 June 2025

The Role

We are seeking a Researcher to work on the development of an hourly (or higher resolution) gridded rainfall dataset for the UK and Ireland and for its assessment against existing datasets. The Climate+ Co-Centre is a new initiative to address water challenges on the Islands of Ireland and Great Britain. Led by Trinity College, Dublin; Queens University Belfast, University of Reading; UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology and Newcastle University, it is funded by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), Northern Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). The Climate+ Co-Centre brings together over 60 leading researchers from 14 academic partner institutions in the UK over a six-year period. It will undertake research to provide evidence and urgently needed solutions for the interlinked crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and water quality degradation on the islands of Ireland and Great Britain, and globally. More information about the Climate+ Co-Centre can be found here.

The researcher will build upon recent work at Newcastle University to evaluate, develop and improve observational datasets of climate variations across the British & Irish Isles, including quantification of uncertainties. A specific task will be the development of an hourly (or 15-min) rainfall dataset for the UK and Ireland which blends quality-controlled radar, gauge and satellite datasets (based on methods developed in Yu et al. 2020 and Lewis et al. 2018, 2021). There will be a need to quality-control radar data, and assess the appropriateness of including satellite data within this dataset, as well as collecting and quality-controlling relevant gauge observations. A second task will be the assessment of the blended dataset against existing sub-daily and daily precipitation datasets, including UK and Ireland specific products and global reanalysis and satellite datasets such as IMERG or ERA5. The researcher will be responsible for developing this dataset and implementing it within a climate atlas to be developed in a larger team within the Climate+ project.

We are looking for candidates who can work well with other members of the team at Newcastle, which includes 3 other post-doctoral researchers and four academics, as well as our academic collaborators across the islands of the UK and Ireland.

To apply, please complete an online application and upload a CV and cover letter. Your cover letter is a supporting statement, and you should outline how you meet the essential criteria of the role and evidence this with examples.

For informal queries regarding the project or the role, please contact Professor Hayley Fowler (hayley.fowler@newcastle.ac.uk)

The position is fixed term for a period of 18 months with a view for the successful appointee to commence employment by September 2025. The position is offered on a full-time basis (37 hours per week), based on site in Newcastle. We would be happy to discuss arrangements for flexible and/or blended working.

External shortlisting will take place from week commencing 9 June

External interviews will be held from week commencing 7 July

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Key Accountabilities

The specific tasks will be:

• To develop an hourly (or 15-min) rainfall dataset for the UK and Ireland which blends quality-controlled radar, gauge and satellite datasets.
• To quality-control radar data, and assess the appropriateness of including satellite data within this dataset, as well as collecting and quality-controlling relevant gauge observations.
• To assess the blended dataset against existing sub-daily and daily precipitation datasets, including UK and Ireland specific products and global reanalysis and satellite datasets such as IMERG or ERA5
• To use the dataset to examine the spatial patterns and timescales of rainfall variability, including extremes, for Ireland & the UK and explore recent trends. 
• To explore the physical mechanisms for why this variability occurs, for example by relating rainfall statistics to weather patterns or other large-scale drivers.
• To create a set of actionable outputs (products and timeseries) that can be used by internal and external users and used within the climate atlas.

You will deliver the above by

• Contributing ideas, and determining appropriate methodologies for research, with advice and support where required.
• Assessing research findings for the need/scope for further investigations.
• Contributing to the writing up of your research and its dissemination, either through seminar and conference presentations or through publications.
• Presenting research findings, either at conferences or through publications in reputable outlets appropriate to the discipline.

As part of our commitment to career development for research colleagues, the University has developed 3 levels of research role profiles.  These profiles set out firstly the generic competences and responsibilities expected of role holders at each level and secondly the general qualifications and experiences needed for entry at a particular level.

The Person

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Essential

• Knowledge and research experience in analysing rainfall observations from gauges and radar products.
• Experience in computer coding and handling of large datasets.
• Experience in using or developing statistical methods for blending datasets.
• A developing research profile with a track record of research publications appropriate to career stage.

Desirable

• Experience in development of quality control procedures for rainfall observations.
• Experience in developing precipitation products.
• Ability to contribute to the development of funding proposals to generate external funding to support research (Associate level)

Attributes and Behaviour

Essential

• Capacity for original thought and initiating new research ideas.
• Ability to work independently, as well as to collaborate effectively with other researchers and project partners.
• An ability to communicate effectively via oral and written media.

Qualifications

• A PhD (or close to completion for Assistant level) in the field of environmental science, engineering or related discipline.

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.  As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society.  We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent.  We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a silver  Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality.  We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC.  We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe. 

Requisition ID: 28176