UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM
RECRUITMENT ROLE PROFILE FORM
Job Title:
School/Department:
Salary:
Chair in Enzyme Evolution/Design
Schools of Life Sciences and Chemistry
Salary will be within the Professorial range, minimum £57,031 per annum
Job Family and Level:
Contract Status:
Hours of Work:
Professorial
This post will be offered on a permanent contract
Full-time
Location:
Reporting to:
Synthetic Biology Research Centre / Centre for Biomolecular Sciences
Head of School
The Purpose of the New Role:
The University of Nottingham has a rapidly expanding presence within the arena of Industrial
Biotechnology and Bioenergy (IBB) including a new BBSRC/EPSRC Synthetic Biology Research
Centre (SBRC) focussed on the creation and exploitation of microbial chassis for the sustainable production of chemicals and fuels. SBRC Nottingham is one of three UK centres created by the
BBSRC/EPSRC in 2014 and has received £14.3M in funding for a 5 year period.
The purpose of this post is to strength critical mass in the Synthetic Biology space, particularly in terms of the engineering of the metabolic pathways required within the SBRC in terms of the catalytic components involved. The position, to be jointly across the Schools of Life Sciences and
Chemistry, represents an important opportunity to cement genuine cross-disciplinarity into the
SBRC and will be a conduit to facilitate interactions between the Schools at this fertile interface.
The post holder will spearhead the discovery, analysis and rational improvement of the enzyme components of the metabolic pathways to be implemented in the chosen microbial chassis of fuel and chemical production. Within this specialist area, he/she will take leadership of the interactions of Life Sciences and Chemistry with the SBRC, and other activities within IBB, throughout the various University Schools and Departments, as well as with external groups and organisations.
The post holder will advance the discipline internally and externally to the University, engage academe with the practice and provide academic leadership for the discipline in the Life Sciences and Chemistry and across the University. The role entails the design, delivery, supervision and assessment of undergraduate and postgraduate teaching; the soliciting, execution and dissemination of research, nationally and internationally; the provision of advice, support and encouragement to colleagues and students and a contribution to the strategic management of the
Schools and SBRC, and, as required, the University.

Main Responsibilities
1. Lead responsibility for developing the research strategy and capacity in enzyme evolution/design, as applied to chemical and fuel production from microbial chassis using
Synthetic Biology, and, with others, for supporting and encouraging all members of the SBRC,
Schools and University engaged in research activity in Synthetic Biology and IBB.
2 To work to develop and strengthen the research capacity and infrastructure of the University in the area of enzyme evolution/design to the benefit of the SBRC and IBB generally.
3. Undertake, solicit funding for, and disseminate original substantive and methodological research that contributes to the field and allied disciplines. This entails supervision of research staff, collaboration with Nottingham colleagues within the SBRC and elsewhere as well as externally, preparation of academic articles and books, presentations and attendance at conferences and seminars and, as appropriate their organisation.
4. Convenor/lecturer for undergraduate core and optional modules: Design, updating and review of module content and documentation; delivery of contact teaching; monitoring of student performance; intellectual and pastoral support to students; design and execution of assessment. This achieves high levels of student attainment (as assessed by validated marks) and satisfaction (as measured by student evaluation feedback).
5. The delivery of postgraduate taught courses and development of new courses in the Schools of
Life Sciences and/or Chemistry, and in collaboration with other Schools as appropriate, ie., within the SBRC.
6. Support, guide and challenging the research work and professional development of doctoral students, provide pastoral care and support and solicit funding, negotiate with research sponsors, support of advisory groups; provision of specialist training.
7. Foster relationships and to create and utilise opportunities to inform or influence the design, implementation and evaluation of the field through the provision of research-based evidence or discipline-informed critical analysis, and by undertaking related research, and participating in, and organising events and processes in the UK and internationally.
8. Member/chair of policy committees of academic/professional bodies as required, editorial boards, refereeing of publications, appointments, promotions, and degree structures.
9. Any other duties appropriate to the grade and role.
Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications & Experience:
Essential Desirable
Qualifications/
Education
Skills/Training
Experience
 PhD, or equivalent supported by extensive and high level research and teaching experience in relevant area.
 High level analytical capability to facilitate conceptual thinking, innovation and creativity.
 In depth knowledge of enzyme catalysis to enable the development of new knowledge, innovation and understanding in the field.
 Proven skills in coaching and developing others in best practice
 techniques.
Proven ability to lead, motivate, develop and manage the performance of a team.
 Established and widely recognised



Membership of a professional body where appropriate
Skills in pastoral care and motivating students at all levels.
 An understanding of
University management systems and the wider higher education environment.
Significant record of

excellence and reputation in the metabolic engineering field amongst peers nationally and internationally.
 Extensive experience in leading the design of research techniques and
 methods.
Proven ability to plan and lead the delivery of research and teaching programmes, and to develop sources of funding.
 Extensive experience and capability
 to act as a role model in the areas of research, and teaching, as appropriate.
Previous experience and success in raising and managing grants and contracts.
 Experience of working with industry.
 Previous success in transferring research results to commercial professional or other practical use
Decision Making i) Taken independently by the role holder: supervision of postgraduate students on industrial or knowledge transfer projects.
 Previous leadership experience.
 Whether to accept an invitation to present a paper, give a keynote address, submit a research proposal, write a book or article or respond to a competitive tender in the context of personal profession priorities.
Decisions about the content of taught modules. 
 Decisions about individual research portfolio.
 Day-to-day responses to student needs and queries and those of colleagues.
 Content and form of draft policy statements. ii) Taken in collaboration with others:
 Decisions relating to Faculty/Division research strategy.
 Decisions with implications for colleagues in the Faculty/Division/Department or University.


Decisions relating to teaching modules involving other colleagues.
Pastoral problems of students or staff. iii) Referred to the appropriate line manager by the role holder:
 Decisions affecting the Faculty/Division/Department as a whole or in relation to the
University.
 Issues of staff and student discipline.
Additional Information
The role includes academic leadership (in teaching and research); complete knowledge of a research area and national and international reputation in that field; creative thinking and the challenge and further development of ideas, theories, policies and practice.
Informal, confidential enquiries may be addressed to Professor Jonathan Hirst, Head of School of
Chemistry, tel: 0115 9513478 or email jonathan.hirst@nottingham.ac.uk
. Please note that applications sent directly to this email address will not be accepted.

Industrial Biotechnology, Synthetic Biology, Sustainable Chemistry & Bioenergy
The University has an illustrious track record in developing biotechnology for industrial applications and in carrying out the associated underpinning basic research. Bacterial quorum sensing was first identified at Nottingham (Professor Paul Williams) and understanding this communication mechanism is leading to novel medical applications. Gene technologies pioneered and applied at Nottingham (Professor Don Grierson) led to the first commercial GM product on UK supermarket shelves. Our strong research track record continues. Recent dramatic advances in biomolecular sciences have made the application of synthetic biology research practical and we are delighted to have received £14m from the BBSRC / EPSRC to create a Synthetic Biology
Research Centre (SBRC) to carry out basic and applied research on gas fermentation to biofuels and sustainable chemicals using aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. This complements a further £13m of current public and industry research funding to the same research team. The SBRC is built on our world-leading Clostridia research led by Professor Nigel Minton. These research areas combined with many other facets of Industrial Biotechnology are together a key strategic theme for the University.
Our commitment to Industrial Biotechnology (IB) is demonstrated through our investment in excellent infrastructure and world-leading researchers. The Synthetic Biology Research Centre is housed in newly-upgraded, specialist (gas fermentation) laboratories in our flagship £30m
Biomolecular Sciences building . Further infrastructure investments for our industrial biotechnology activities are both planned and underway. Bridging the interface between biotechnology and chemistry, the University has recently formed a Centre for Sustainable Chemistry that will encompass a new Carbon Neutral Laboratory (CNL) building due to open in Spring 2016. As the first “carbon neutral” building of its type in the UK and probably the world, the CNL will aim for the highest standards to minimise environmental impact and ensure that all new chemistry and technologies developed are both energy and resource efficient, and above all sustainable. This
£24m investment will, along with other planned significant infrastructure, create the space we need to promote and grow our industrial biotechnology ambitions. Important established IB-linked facilities across our campuses include the microCT Houndsfield Facility , DeepSeq facility and the acclaimed Sir Peter Mansfield MRI Centre .
We are proud of our contributions to the field of biotechnology and we strive to deliver farreaching social, environmental and economic impacts through our work. Such impacts increasingly rely on interdisciplinary basic research and we have built teams from researchers drawn from engineering, chemistry, social sciences, pharmacy, mathematics, life sciences, medicine and computer sciences. Through this approach we continue to see exciting applications of our research developing including: antimicrobial medical devices, food shelf-life enhancers, novel medical diagnostics and therapeutics, new routes to chemicals and biofuels, biocontrol agents and sustainable fertilizers.
Investment in excellent researchers is central to our ambition to make Nottingham a beacon for
Industrial Biotechnology research. We already have a strong research base in Industrial
Biotechnology but are now actively and rapidly building on this foundation to expand the strength and scope of our IB research. Our interests in red, white, grey and green biotechnology are wideranging with many inter-disciplinary teams engaged. To complement our existing strengths, we have recently recruited a number of leading chemistry and biotechnology research scientists to new IB posts. Our ambitious plans require further investment in exceptional individuals to fill additional new Professor and aligned posts.