Job Description
Nutrient Sustainability Researcher and Network Manager The Circular Bioeconomy is a thematic area of research at Munster Technological University in Ireland, led by the Circular Bioeconomy Research Group (CircBio) based at the Shannon Applied Biotechnology Centre. This multi-disciplinary team leads and participates on a range of exciting, high impact, national and international research projects including Rural BioReFarmeries, Farm Zero C, Biorefinery Glas, INFORMBIO, BIOSWITCH, BBioNets, BIO4AFRICA, COOPID, MainstreramBIO ROBIN. BioAssess and many more. Research activities of CircBio focus upon improving the value and circularity of raw materials and waste, sustainable product development, analyzing, monitoring the impact of sustainable technologies and practices, and engaging with primary producers, industry, government and relevant stakeholders to ensure research impact is maximized with real-world impact. The group plays a leading role in the development of bio-based technologies for processing feedstocks from grasses to seaweeds, for the development of sustainable bio-based materials. The successful candidate will work on some of the groups exciting international projects in this domain. This position will suit candidates with previous experience of bioeconomy-related domains such as biorefining, bioenergy and nutrient recycling. Munster Technological University, through CircBio will partner in a new Horizon Europe-funded demonstration initiative called N-POWER: BALANCING NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS FLOWS BY BUDGETING AT REGIONAL SCALE. N-POWER will focus on NPower aims to a demonstrated set of solutions that reduce Nitrogen and Phosphorous emissions emissions and re-balance regional N/P flows within safe ecological boundaries. This will focus on a number of sectors including agriculture and other primary sectors, water management, energy and transport and industrial sector. The solutions developed will be relevant for different EU regions including Ireland, where work will be undertaken by MTU, UCD (BiOrbic) and Irish Bioeconomy Foundation (IBF) to assess the applicability of the results. Description of Work This position of Nutrient Sustainability Researcher and Network Manager will be the day-today lead contact for MTU in the N-POWER project, overseeing implementation of MTU tasks and activities. The role will be part based on research activities and part focused on project management and coordination of tasks, including the support of regional clusters. The researcher will work closely with the CircBio team, based at MTU, Kerry (Tralee). In the addition the researcher will collaborate closely with Irish partners UCD and IBF in co-leading an Irish cluster to assess applicability of the solutions in Western EU. The researcher will also collaborate more widely with the N-POWER consortium in the implementation of tasks, including with Work Package 1, which MTU leads. Tasks and Responsibilities include: Support the set up and establishment of multi-actor transition groups (MATs) with stakeholder covering the main N and P emitting sectors Engage MATs to define the main and N and P inputs and output to air, soil and water which will form points of focus for the regions Co-establish workshop methodologies to gain information from MATs which will feed into the overall project direction and the establishment of regional clusters across 4 regions of EU Synthetize workshop findings into an overall report of outcomes Support continuous engagement and management of MAP actors over the project duration and through different N-POWER activities, in collaboration with partners Support selection of best management practices (BMPs) to reduce N/P emissions Support transfer of N/P reduction good management practices from the demonstration regions of Spain to the replication region of Ireland, in collaboration with UCD and IBF Contribute to development of innovative governance measures to limit and re-balance N/P emissions as well as transition pathways, in collaboration with partners and MATs Support collection of data for analysis of pathway implementation to quantify benefits Coordinate MTU activities related to N-POWER and deliverable preparation Support interim technical and financial project reporting on EU projects Participate in, contribute to and co-organize project related events such as workshops, KT and promotional events, as well as internal project meetings Management and mitigation of project Mentoring of PhD students, where applicable Support in delivery of overall N-POWER project activities, especially as related to the Irish MAT Support/Involvement in N-POWER Dissemination activities Writing technical reports and peer-reviewed publications Contributing to the broader activities of CircBio Candidates must demonstrate the following: PhD or MSc in a related area (e.g., soil science, environmental science, LCA, biochemistry, nutrient management, sustainable agriculture, circular economy) Relevant technical background with experience in nutrient sustainability activities Relevant experience of engagement with external stakeholders (e.g., farmers, policy makers, companies etc) Experience of implementing methodologies which involve stakeholders for purposes of qualitative or quantitative research Experience in synthesizing feedback for reporting purposes Experience in working as part of a multi-disciplinary team Genuine enthusiasm about working on an innovative project towards sustainable nutrient management Strong leadership capability Excellent track record of delivering technical reports and/or publications Self-motivated and strong ability to work on own initiative will be essential to the role Ability to follow instruction of project PIs and collaborate with other team members is also a requirement Excellent interpersonal, communication, presentation and organizational skills A full drivers license is required in order to access national level workshops and relevant sites The following is desirable: Knowledge and experience of supporting or engaging multi-disciplinary stakeholders in a cluster or living lab like networks is desirable Experience of delivering collaborative or co-creation workshops is desirable Strong technical background, including track record of publishing related research is highly desirable Experience of project management, and demonstrable ability to plan and implement tasks in a timely manner Salary: This position is available full time, with an annual salary of €42,633. The post is of 24 months duration and may be extended. Application Procedure: All applications to be made /vacancies Location:This post is based within the Circular Bioeconomy Research Group (CircBio) at Munster Technological University in Tralee. Travel to national level workshops and meeting will be expected from time to time, while occasional national and international visits will be essential for training and to collaborate with project partners and funders. Funding:This project has received funding from the European Unions Horizon Europe Research and Innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. and Grant Agreement No. . Citizenship Requirement Candidates should note that eligibility to compete for posts is open to citizens of the European Economic Area (EEA) or to non-EEA nationals with a valid work permit. The EEA consists of the Member States of the European Union, United Kingdom along with Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. Swiss citizens under EU agreements may also apply. It is an offence under the Employment Permits Acts 2003 and 2006 for both an employer and an employee if a non-EEA National is in employment without an appropriate employment permit. Employment permit holders can only work for the employer named on the permit. Informal Enquiries Informal enquiries ONLY to James Gaffey Closing date for applications is 1.00pm Wednesday, 18th September 2024 Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted. MTU is an Equal Opportunities Employer Skills: strong technical background strong leadership capability PhD or MSc in related area