Research Assistant in Agri-Environmental Data

Location: Life and Mind Building, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3EL

The HESTIA team is looking for a Research Assistant to support the development of a multi-species animal welfare metric for the HESTIA platform. This is a new area of work within HESTIA, focused on systematically quantifying the animal welfare implications of food products, diets, species and farming practices.

The role will be conceptual and analytical. You will help develop the basis for an animal welfare indicator, review and build on existing welfare frameworks, and translate these into a practical metric that can be applied within HESTIA. You will use Python to develop models, analyse data, test assumptions, and generate reproducible outputs. The role may involve some limited data upload or data formatting.

You will work with existing HESTIA datasets and relevant farm-survey data to test how the metric performs in practice. Where data allow, you will compare outputs from the indicator with more detailed single-species welfare metrics. You will also document methods and assumptions clearly, and contribute to research outputs, reports and internal guidance.

You will hold an undergraduate degree in a quantitative science, together with some relevant experience. You should have experience developing models and using Python for data analysis, modelling or scientific computing. You should also have strong analytical skills, excellent communication skills, and the ability to work independently and collaboratively.

The University of Oxford is committed to equal opportunity, and to being a place where everyone belongs and is supported to succeed. We recognise how the diversity of our community enriches our ability to deliver on our academic mission.

We welcome applications from individuals from all backgrounds, including those under-represented within higher education. No applicant or members of staff shall be unlawfully discriminated against on the basis of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

This post is full-time and fixed term for 12 months.

The closing date for applications is 12.00 noon on Wednesday 19 August 2026, interviews are likely to be scheduled for early September.