Research Fellow in Soil Biogeochemistry

We welcome applications from passionate, analytical and motivated researchers to advance understanding of how carbon is stored, stabilised and preserved in soils and underlying parent materials.

We welcome applications from passionate, analytical and motivated researchers to advance understanding of how carbon is stored, stabilised and preserved in soils and underlying parent materials.

This is a Research Fellow role embedded within a major externally funded research programme in soil science. You will lead the delivery of a substantial component of a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship, delivering advanced biogeochemical research to determine the origin, age and stability of organic carbon within soil parent materials. The role will involve applying and interpreting analytical and isotopic approaches, including radiocarbon methods, to distinguish petrogenic organic carbon from biospheric carbon inputs and quantify their contribution to carbon storage.

You will contribute to field and laboratory research, coordinate specialist analytical workflows including work with external facilities such as the National Environmental Isotope Facility Radiocarbon Laboratory, analyse complex datasets, and publish high-quality scientific outputs. Working closely with the research lead and wider project team, you will help deliver novel interdisciplinary research across soil biogeochemistry, carbon stability and long‑term carbon storage.

You will be educated to doctoral level in soil biogeochemistry, geochemistry, soil science, environmental science, biogeoscience or a related discipline, with experience of conducting independent research in laboratory and field settings. You will have expertise in soil carbon analysis and interpretation, and ideally experience of isotopic or radiocarbon approaches relevant to environmental materials. You will be confident designing and delivering analytical workflows, interpreting complex datasets and preparing work for publication.

With strong organisational and problem‑solving skills, you will be able to manage multiple research activities to deadline and work effectively both independently and as part of a wider interdisciplinary team. You will have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and be able to engage confidently with collaborators, students and external partners. Willingness to travel within the UK and, where required, to external analytical facilities is essential.

As a specialist postgraduate university, Cranfield’s world‑class expertise, large‑scale facilities and unrivalled industry partnerships are creating leaders in technology and management globally. Learn more about Cranfield and our unique impact here.

The role sits within Cranfield’s Environmental Sustainability Theme, which brings together expertise across soil science and environmental systems to deliver research and education that supports a more resilient and sustainable future through close collaboration with industry, government and international partners.

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