Drosophila Auxiliary Technician

We?re looking for a meticulous and motivated Research Assistant to spearhead a collaborative project between King?s Sustainable Research Team (SRT) and Prof. Corinne Houart?s lab, focused on reducing wastewater in the zebrafish facility. 

Zebrafish facilities, while essential to groundbreaking research, generate significant wastewater due to the need for constant water replacement, which prevents harmful nitrile build-up. This project aims to find innovative, eco-friendly solutions to reduce that waste and rethink water management in aquatic research systems. 

As researchers, we have a responsibility to protect our planet while pushing the boundaries of science. Join us in making meaningful change?both in the lab and for the environment. 

This role involves developing and designing a pilot project with the fish facility (Hodgkin building), E&F, H&S and SRT to redirect wastewater from the zebrafish tanks to an aquaponics system where nitrogen-fixing plants remove the nitrate contamination and allow the water to be recycled. 

Responsibilities: 

Research relevant literature.

Collect baseline data for wastewater in zebrafish facility. 

Liaise with stakeholders in using the facility, estates & facilities, the Hodgkin fly facility and the SRT. 

Research small aquaponic systems appropriate for a pilot project. 

Research plants or other systems which may be appropriate for removing nitrites from the water. 

Identify appropriate space in the zebrafish facility where the aquaponic system can be trialled.  

Collect data during and after the project to understand waste savings.

Present data and costings associated with the pilot and a large scale project in the future. 

An undergraduate degree in a wet laboratory-based science.

Skills & Qualifications: 

Knowledge   

Essential: wet laboratory skills including understanding of zebrafish facilities. 

Desirable: Knowledge of aquaponics, hydroponics and nitrogen-fixing plants.  

Desirable: Knowledge of waste water systems.   

Experience   

Essential: experience of working in a zebrafish facility. 

Essential: experience of collecting and analysing data. 

Desirable: experience using aquaponics/hydroponics. 

Skills   

Essential: able to use their initiative and work independently.  

Other Attributes 

Strong organizational skills and attention to detail. 

Good communication skills 

CyberASAP (Cyber Security Academic Startup Accelerator Programme) is a UK government-funded initiative that bridges academia and industry by translating cutting-edge cybersecurity research into market-ready solutions. This position is about serving as Lead Market Researcher for CyberASAP Commercialisation project entitled EXIRAI: Evidence Extraction for Incident Response through Generative and Agentic AI.

The Position holder will lead market research and validation efforts for cybersecurity innovations within CyberASAP Year 9. Drive commercialisation by assessing market viability, engaging stakeholders, and developing strategic plans to transition academic research into real-world solutions.

Main duties and responsibilities:
1.  Market Research & Analysis
-Conducted independent research activities and analysed cybersecurity markets, including trends, competitors, and customer needs.
-Advise on and operate specific research techniques, for example, qualitative, quantitative, or literature based approaches.
-Assist in identifying target markets using primary (surveys, interviews) and secondary (industry reports) research.
-Contribute to the preparation of funding proposals (CyberASAP Phase 2)literature-based.
2. Market Validation
-Support the design and execution of validation strategies (e.g., customer interviews, pilot studies) to test product-market fit.
-Help refine value propositions based on stakeholder feedback.
-Contribute to the presentation of findings to sponsors, potential sponsors, members of University staff and to wider academic fora.
3. Commercialisation Strategy
-Contribute to developing go-to-market plans, business models, and pricing strategies.
-Collaborate with tech transfer offices on intellectual property (IP) considerations under supervision.
4. Stakeholder Engagement
-Assist in building relationships with industry partners, investors, and government bodies.
-Represent CyberASAP at select events, workshops, or meetings as required.
5 . Project Management and Profile
-Support project timelines, deliverables, and reporting. Work closely with cross-functional teams.
-Engage in networking and promoting the profile of the school, both internally and externally.

Essential Qualifications:

• Master's degree in Cybersecurity or related field (PhD candidates preferred).
• Demonstrated interest or experience in market research, commercialisation, or cybersecurity/tech.

Desirable Qualifications:

• Certification in cyber security and forensics.

Exposure to academic tech transfer processes or industry partnerships.

Strong analytical skills (qualitative/quantitative) and familiarity with cyber forensics field and tools.

Excellent communication skills for engaging diverse audiences.

Ability to manage tasks efficiently and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

the Knowledge of cybersecurity trends and market challenges.

Industry experience in cybersecurity or related fields.

To work as part of the Recruitment and HR Operations Teams to provide a quality, timely, customer focused HR recruitment/contractual administration/transactional service to key stakeholders, job applicants and customers throughout the Queen Mary community. 

To assist with a range of administrative support appropriate to the grade and as required within the HR team, by managers and employees, abiding by all HR policies and procedures and making sure key associated tasks are delivered.

This role will pre-dominantly be administering the end-to-end processing of the lifecycle for QMUL?s Teaching Assistants/Fellows and other bulk engagement seasonal staff. Working alongside one other HR assistant, you will be supporting the HR Recruitment and HR Operations teams to provide high quality HR administrative support for this cohort of staff.

.

• Administrative experience with the demonstrable ability to work on own initiative and take ownership of allocated activities

Desirable:

• Previous experience of working within a Human Resources environment 
• Previous experience of working with HR systems
• ResourceLink experience would be a distinct advantage 
• Experience of working in a large and complex organisation 
• Experience of working in a high-volume fast-paced environment would be a distinct advantage

Skills

• Comfortable with repetitive administrative tasks.
• Excellent IT skills and knowledge of Microsoft Office Packages specifically Word, Excel, and Teams
• Good written and oral communication skills and numeracy skills
• Strong customer service skills
• The ability to manage conflicting priorities and work well under pressure
• Demonstrable team working ethic and skills
• A keen interest in Human Resources and an awareness of and/or willingness to learn about relevant employment legislation
• Able to draft written correspondence, including contractual correspondence and emails, to a good standard
• Ability to present information clearly and concisely using Microsoft Office packages
• Able to deal sensitively with confidential information
• Good interpersonal skills
• Organised, methodical and accurate with excellent attention to detail
• Demonstrable focus on continuous improvement

Other

*The ability to meet UK ?right to work? requirements.