Job Description and Person Specification (HR5)
Post Number:
Job Description
Geography and Environment
School/Department:
Research Fellow
Post Title:
Please enter Level
under appropriate
Career Pathway
ERE
TAE
MSA
CAO
Clinical
4
Academic Posts
ERE Category
R.Nurse
Academi
c
(mixed)
Research
only
Non-Academic Posts
Teaching
only
Enterprise
Education Development
X
Posts Responsible to (and Level):
Prof S E Darby (ERE 7)
Posts Responsible for (and Level):
n/a
Job Purpose: To undertake research in accordance with the specified research project under the
supervision of the award holder.
Key Accountabilities/Primary Responsibilities (6-10 bullet points maximum)
% Time
To develop and carry out an area of research, focusing on the following activities:

Field data collection including some or all of the following: flow velocimetry
(using aDcp); High-resolution characterisation of bed and bank topography
(using SBES and MBES); Sampling river bed, river bank and floodplain materials
as necessary); Sub-bottom stratigraphy characterisation (using CHIRP);
Monitoring suspended sediment loads
20

Processing field and secondary data sets, for example using bespoke Matlab
scripts for analysis of flow velocimetry data, analysing and processing satellite
imagery in GIS, analysis of bathymetric data sets (e.g. using CARIS and ArcMAP)
30

Assist in undertaking downscaling of GCM model outputs for use in hydrological
and morphodynamic modelling of Mekong River
5

Numerical modelling: Setting up and processing Monte Carlo model simulations
of Mekong River flow, sediment transport and morphodynamics; analysing
hydrological model data sets used to force the reach modelling
10

Assisting in the analysis of all project data sets, including analysis of
climatological data (e.g., ENSO, IOD, etc) to contextualise project findings
10

Report writing: assistance with the preparation of final reports, with an emphasis
on the dissemination of results via journal publications and conferences.
20
1

Liaising with external (Exeter, Hull, plus project partners in Finland, Cambodia,
Vietnam and the United States) parties to progress research activity and to
provide regular updates/progress reports.
5
Internal & External Relationships: (nature & purpose of relationships)

With project collaborators at Exeter (morphodynamic modelling and analysis of floodplain
geochronology) and Hull (flow velocimetry and channel bathymetric data), as well as project
partners at Aalto University, Finland (hydrological modelling) and in Cambodia, Vietnam and
the United States (general liaison, collaboration, including exchanges of data sets)
Special Requirements: Ability to travel to Cambodia to engage in project fieldwork
Person Specification
Criteria
Essential
Desirable
How to be
assessed
Qualifications, Knowledge and Experience:
Degree in Environmental, Earth, Geological,
Geographical Sciences, or in Fluid Mechanics,
Hydraulic Engineering or cognate subject
PhD in Cognate discipline (fluvial
geomorphology, process sedimentology, process
oceanography, etc)
Y
CV
Y
CV
Knowledge of river morphodynamics, ideally on
large river systems
Y
CV/Interview
Experience in use of, and data processing for,
bathymetric surveys or three-dimesional point
cloud data (e.g, LiDar, TLS)
Y
CV/interview
Y
CV/interview
Experience in the application of models
Ability to write code to assist in data analysis
using a suitable language (e.g. C++, Matlab, R,
Python, etc)
Y
CV/interview
Experience in analysis of air
photography/satelling imagery in GIS systems
(e.g. for identification of river planform shift)
Y
CV/interview
Experience in use of aDCP for flow
velocimetry/suspended sediment flux analysis
Planning and Organising:
Y
CV/interview
CV/interview
Able to plan and work on their own
Y
2
Problem Solving and Initiative:
CV/interview
Good problem solving skills and must be able to
take the initiative when required
Y
Management and Teamwork:
CV/interview
Must be able to work as part of a team and
interact with other teams and communicate with
colleagues. It is essential that the post holder has
experience of fieldwork, ideally on large river
systems in challenging environments
Y
Special Requirements:
Must be able to travel to Cambodia
y
Job Hazard Analysis Form - Appendix to Job and Person Specification
Please tick one of the following statements:
This post is an office-based job with routine office hazards e.g. use of VDU (if ticked, no
further information needs to be supplied)
√
This post has some hazards other than routine office e.g. more than use of VDU
Please tick all those that apply, and put N/A if not applicable
Environmental Exposures
O*
Outside work
√
Extremes of temperature (eg fridge/ furnace)
Potential for exposure to body fluids
#
Noise (greater than 80 dba - 8 hrs twa)
##
Exposure to hazardous substances (eg solvents, liquids, dust, fumes,
biohazards). Specify ………………………………………………………….
##
Frequent hand washing
Ionising radiation.
Equipment/Tools/Machines used
Food Handling
##
Driving university vehicles(e.g. car/van/LGV/PCV)
##
Use of latex gloves (note: prohibited unless specific clinical necessity)
##
Vibrating tools ( e.g. strimmers, hammer drill, lawnmowers)
##
√
Physical Abilities
Load manual handling.
√
Repetitive Crouching/Kneeling/Stooping
3
F
C
Repetitive Pulling/Pushing
Repetitive Lifting
Standing for prolonged periods
√
Repetitive Climbing i.e. steps, stools, ladders
Fine motor grips (e.g. pipetting)
Gross motor grips
Repetitive reaching below shoulder height
Repetitive reaching at shoulder height
Repetitive reaching above shoulder height
Psychosocial Issues
Face to face contact with public
Lone working
Shift work/night work/on call duties
##
O – Occasionally (up to 1/3 of time); F – Frequently (up to 2/3 of time); C – Constantly (more than
2/3 of time) ## denotes to HR the need for a full PEHQ to be sent to all applicants for this position.
FOR SCHOOL/SERVICE USE ONLY
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