School of Applied Science - Senior Research Scientist (Aquaculture Genetics)

[What the role is]

[What you will be working on]

The successful candidate will contribute to research activities related to aquaculture genomics, genetic resource development, and genetic traceability systems, including:
• Design and conduct research in aquaculture genetics, genomics, selective breeding and molecular biology.
• Support the development of genomic resources such as reference genomes, SNP marker panels, and genomic datasets for aquaculture species.
• Perform population genomic analyses, genetic diversity assessments, and pedigree reconstruction to support breeding programmes.
• Contribute to studies integrating host genetics, microbiome data and phenotypic traits to identify markers associated with growth, robustness and environmental adaptation.
• Participate in the development of genetic traceability tools and marker panels to support authentication and provenance tracking of aquaculture strains.
• Coordinate sampling campaigns and phenotyping trials with research partners, hatcheries and aquaculture farms.
• Analyse large-scale genomic and phenotypic datasets and contribute to genomic selection models and trait association studies.
• Contribute to the development and management of genetic databases and bioinformatic pipelines for aquaculture breeding and traceability research.
• Work closely with project leaders, collaborators and industry partners to achieve the research objectives of the programme.
• Prepare technical reports, manuscripts and presentations to disseminate research findings.
• Mentor research assistants, students and interns involved in the project.
• Assist with project coordination including procurement, documentation, experimental planning and reporting.
• Support grant reporting and contribute to achieving project deliverables and KPIs.
• Perform any other related duties assigned by the project leader and co-project leaders.

[What we are looking for]

• Relevant qualification in Aquaculture, Genetics, Genomics, Molecular Biology, Bioinformatics, or related Life Sciences discipline.
• Demonstrated research experience in aquaculture genetics, genomics, molecular biology or population genetics, supported by scientific publications.
• Experience with genomic data analysis, sequencing technologies, SNP marker development or bioinformatics tools would be an advantage.
• Experience working with aquaculture species, breeding programmes or field sampling would be beneficial.
• Strong analytical, documentation and scientific writing skills.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to collaborate across multidisciplinary teams.
• Good organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple research tasks and timelines.
• Proficiency in common data analysis and bioinformatics tools would be advantageous.
• Successful candidates will be employed on a contract basis and may be based either fully or on a rotational basis at collaborating research institutions or aquaculture facilities.