Postdoctoral Research Officer in Bangor

Job Number BU04087

School/Department School of Environmental & Natural Sciences

Grade 7

Salary: £38,784 - £46,049 p.a. (Grade 7)

Contract Duration 36 months (3 years)

Responsible to Professor of Soil and Environmental Science

Closing Date 14-08-2026

The Postdoctoral Research Officer in wastewater epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) bioinformatics is based in the School of Environmental and Natural Sciences at Bangor University. The post is embedded within an active wastewater research team led by Professor Davey Jones and Dr Luke Hillary.

The postholder will mine and integrate large-scale wastewater metagenomic and amplicon datasets to characterise the resistome and mobilome of freshwater, agricultural runoff, and municipal wastewater systems across Wales and beyond. A core objective is to generate actionable AMR intelligence to inform public health policy and environmental monitoring frameworks in collaboration with partner organisations including Verily Life Science and Public Health Wales.

Qualified candidates should possess a PhD (awarded or near completion) in bioinformatics, microbial genomics, computational biology, environmental microbiology, or a closely related discipline and have previous experience with workflow management tools such as Snakemake, Nextflow, or equivalent. Demonstrable experience in metagenomic data analysis is required, with proficiency in at least one scripting language (Python and/or R) for data processing, statistical analysis, and visualisation. Candidates should have experience of working with high-performance computing (HPC) environments and/or cloud computing platforms.

The successful candidate will be expected to commence on 1st October 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter and the post is available for a period of 36 months.

This role will be located on campus at Bangor. Through our Dynamic Working framework, there will also be the option to spend some time working remotely (although remaining in the UK) to support work life balance, which will be discussed further with candidates at interview.

Applications will also be considered to carry out this role on a part-time or job share basis.

Closing date for applications: 14 August 2026

Informal enquiries can be made by contacting: Prof Davey Jones, email: d.jones@bangor.ac.uk

Overview

Wastewater represents a critical convergence point for AMR genes, mobile genetic elements, and resistant pathogens shed from human, animal, and agricultural sources. Surveillance of wastewater has demonstrated utility in tracking community-level AMR dynamics and in providing early warning signals for emerging resistance threats, including through pathogen genomic surveillance programmes deployed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Bangor wastewater research team holds substantial longitudinal datasets comprising metagenomics, 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, and quantitative PCR data from a network of monitoring sites across Welsh river catchments and wastewater treatment works. This post will focus on computational analysis and integration of these datasets to identify resistome trends, transmission routes, and environmental reservoirs of AMR.

The postholder will report jointly to Professor Davey Jones (Professor of Environmental Microbiology) and Dr Luke Hillary (Research Fellow, Wastewater Epidemiology). Professor Jones leads a broad portfolio of soil and water microbiome research within the School of Natural Sciences, with extensive national and international collaborations. Dr Hillary specialises in wastewater-based epidemiology and has led genomic surveillance programmes relevant to AMR and pathogen detection. Together they provide complementary expertise in environmental microbiology and applied bioinformatics.

The post is based at the Environment Centre Wales (ECW), a joint facility of Bangor University and UKCEH, providing a vibrant interdisciplinary research environment with access to state-of-the-art molecular and computational facilities.

The post is primarily based in Bangor, North Wales, with the option for some remote working in line with the University's Dynamic Working framework, to be agreed with line managers.

Occasional travel within the UK for site visits, consortium meetings, and conferences is anticipated; reasonable travel costs will be reimbursed.

This post is offered on a fixed-term basis for three years, subject to funding confirmation.

Purpose of the Job

The successful candidate will join our comprehensive research and monitoring programme studying a wide range of respiratory, skin‑borne and gastrointestinal pathogens (e.g., Mpox, Influenza, Norovirus), antimicrobial resistance (AMR) markers and their host organisms (e.g. bacteria and fungi), illicit drugs and substances of abuse, and water quality indicators. The high throughput lab has state‑of‑the‑art equipment under gold‑level service contracts. For example, we use qPCR, dPCR, Illumina NextSeq and MiSeq platforms for short read sequencing and the MinION, and GridION platforms for long read sequencing with access to other genomic facilities for NovaSeq analysis and the Wales Supercomputer network and Verily Workbench for bioinformatic processing. We also hold the national bioarchive of preserved wastewater samples. The programme also runs an extensive infrastructure of refrigerated composite autosamplers deployed across 41 wastewater treatment plants throughout Wales and at strategic hospital sites, providing excellent access to longitudinal environmental data. Our multidisciplinary approach is supported by dedicated sample collection, laboratory processing, and data analysis teams, ensuring a collaborative environment for research and innovation that delivers impact.

The postholder will mine and integrate large-scale wastewater metagenomic and amplicon datasets to characterise the resistome and mobilome of freshwater, agricultural runoff, and municipal wastewater systems across Wales and beyond. A core objective is to generate actionable AMR intelligence to inform public health policy and environmental monitoring frameworks in collaboration with partner organisations including Verily Life Science and Public Health Wales.

The postholder will be responsible for analysing and publishing a series of experimental studies and laboratory-based studies, liaising with external and internal partners and project management.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Research

• Lead bioinformatic analyses of wastewater metagenomic datasets to characterise AMR gene profiles, mobile genetic elements (plasmids, integrons, transposons), and resistant pathogen lineages.
• Develop, implement, and benchmark reproducible computational pipelines for resistome profiling, strain‑level resolution, and longitudinal trend analysis.
• Integrate diverse data types (metagenomics, amplicon sequencing, qPCR, physicochemical metadata) to model spatial and temporal dynamics of AMR across catchment and treatment plant scales.
• Identify co‑occurrence patterns between ARGs, mobile genetic elements, and pathogenic taxa, and assess public health significance of detected resistance profiles.
• Conduct comparative analyses between wastewater surveillance data and clinical/veterinary AMR datasets where accessible, contributing to One Health AMR insight.
• Prepare and submit high‑quality manuscripts to peer‑reviewed journals; contribute to project deliverable reports and stakeholder briefings.
• Present research findings at national and international conferences and project consortium meetings.

Data Management and Infrastructure

• Design and maintain organised, documented data management systems in line with FAIR data principles and funder requirements.
• Manage secure transfer and storage of metagenomic sequence data in collaboration with sequencing and clinical partners.
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of shared bioinformatic workflows on institutional HPC infrastructure and/or cloud platforms.
• Ensure adherence to data governance, ethical, and confidentiality protocols relevant to environmental and public health datasets.

Collaboration and Engagement

• Liaise with consortium partners, including public health agencies, water utilities, and clinical laboratories, to coordinate data sharing and align analytical approaches.
• Support undergraduate, Masters, and doctoral students within the research group through informal supervision and training in bioinformatics methods.
• Contribute to grant writing activities and the development of future funding bids.
• Participate in team meetings, research seminars, and group activities within the School of Natural Sciences and the wider Environment Centre Wales community.

Other Duties And Responsibilities

• The post holder will be expected to participate in performance review and developmental activities.
• The post holder will be expected to comply with the University’s equality policies and statements, Dignity at Work and Study Policy and the University’s Welsh Language Scheme.
• The post holder has a general and legal duty of care in relation to health, safety and wellbeing and must take all reasonable steps to ensure a safe and healthy working environment for themselves and for other members of staff, students and visitors affected by their actions or inactions. The post holder is also required to comply with all applicable health and safety policies, procedures and risk assessments.
• The post holder must comply with relevant legal and financial policies and procedures and be aware of their responsibilities in terms of the legal requirements of their post.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• PhD (awarded or near completion) in bioinformatics, microbial genomics, computational biology, environmental microbiology, or a closely related discipline.

Experience and Knowledge

Essential

• Experience with workflow management tools such as Snakemake, Nextflow, or equivalent.
• Demonstrable experience in metagenomic data analysis, including proficiency with standard pipelines for quality control, assembly, read‑based classification, and functional annotation.
• Working knowledge of AMR gene databases (e.g. CARD, ResFinder, AMRFinderPlus) and tools for resistome and mobilome characterisation.
• Proficiency in at least one scripting language (Python and/or R) for data processing, statistical analysis, and visualisation.
• Experience working with high‑performance computing (HPC) environments and/or cloud computing platforms.
• Proven ability to produce high‑quality research outputs, as evidenced by first‑author or co‑author publications.
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a collaborative team
• Ability to manage multiple concurrent tasks, prioritise workload, and meet project deadlines.

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• Strong written and oral communication skills, including experience presenting at seminars or conferences.

Desirable

• Experience with long‑read sequencing data (Oxford Nanopore or PacBio) and hybrid assembly approaches for plasmid or strain reconstruction.
• Familiarity with wastewater epidemiology methods, including epidemiological curve modelling or sewage surveillance frameworks.
• Knowledge of mobile genetic element biology, plasmid classification (e.g. MOB‑suite), or phage‑host dynamics.
• Experience contributing to open-source software development or version‑controlled collaborative coding (e.g. GitHub).
• GIS or spatial analysis skills in R or Python for catchment‑scale data.
• Experience working in a multidisciplinary or inter‑institutional research consortium.
• Communicating research findings to varied audiences, e.g. members of the public, industry and policy makers.

Other

Desirable

• The ability to communicate in Welsh is desirable for this post. If applicants are not able to speak / write in Welsh at present, there are many opportunities to learn if the successful candidate wishes to do so.

General

The University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds. We strive to develop a workforce from all sections of the community regardless of sex, gender identity, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, trans identity, relationship status, religion or belief, caring responsibilities, or age. We promote and facilitate the use of the Welsh language through our progressive Welsh Language Policy. We comply with the Welsh Language Standards and are committed to equality of opportunity. You are welcome to apply for any job in English or Welsh and all applications submitted will be treated equally.

We are a member of Advance HE's Athena SWAN Gender Equality charter and hold a Silver award in recognition of our commitment to and progress towards gender equality within the University's policies, practices, and culture.

The University has recently achieved a Race Equality Charter Bronze award reflecting our commitment to building an inclusive and equitable society for black, Asian and minoritised ethnic staff.

We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer.

All members of staff have a duty to ensure their actions are in line with the overall environmental aims of the University and minimise their environmental impact.

All offers are made subject to proof of eligibility to work in the UK and receipt of satisfactory references.

We have a legal responsibility to ensure that you have the right to work in the UK before you can start working for us. When you apply for this post you will be required to explain the basis upon which you believe you will able to live and work in the UK legally on the commencement date of the role should your application be successful. If you do not have the right to work freely in any position in the UK already, any offer of employment we will make to you will be subject to you obtaining a right to work visa. The following link provides information on the various visa routes into employment and the eligibility requirements (including switching visa status where permissible) https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas. If you are successful in your application we will discuss visa options with you at the time of making the offer of employment.

Candidates should also note that they may be required to apply for an ATAS certificate (Academic Approval Technology Scheme) from the Counter‑Proliferation and Arms Control Centre of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office before being able to apply for a visa - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/academic-technology-approval-scheme

Please note that, in the event of applications being received from candidates on the University's Redeployment Register with a reasonable skills match to the post specification, these applicants will be given prior consideration.