Role Profile Form
Job Title:Associate Professor in Ruminant Nutrition
School/Department:School of Biosciences - Division of Animal Sciences
Salary:£48,743 - £58,172 per annum, depending on skills and experience. Salary progression beyond this scale is subject to performance.
Job Family and Level:Research and Teaching Level 6 (Research & Teaching)
Contract Status:Permanent
Hours of Work:Full Time
Location:Sutton Bonington Campus
Reporting to:Head of the Animal Sciences Division
Purpose of the Role:
The role holder will be expected to make a significant leadership impact within their academic unit and in the research and teaching area of Ruminant Nutrition.
The role holder will participate in the Division of Animal Sciences organisation, management and strategic planning and will also contribute to the University’s strategic planning processes. They will act as principal investigator on major research projects in the field of Ruminant Nutrition and will identify opportunities for the development of new research projects.
The role holder will contribute to the quality of the design of Animal Science courses/programmes to maintain the high teaching standards and contribute generally to the development of teaching, teaching methods and assessments in the Division of Animal Sciences.
The role holder may have line management responsibilities including the responsibility for the professional development of the Animal Science team and contribute to the overall administration of the School.
Main Responsibilities1. / To provide academic and organisational leadership to those working within ruminant research area(s), by for example co-ordinating resources, the work of others to ensure the effective delivery of research projects and agree objectives and work plans with the team.
2. / To act as a line manager (including performance review) and personal mentor to peers and colleagues, where appropriate, and provide expert advice and coaching to colleagues and students internally and externally.
3. / To act as the principal investigator on major research projects within the area of Ruminant Nutrition. Investigate and devise new research methods, generate new research approaches and contribute generally to the development of thought and practice in the field of Ruminant Nutrition.
4. / To interpret findings, review and synthesise the outcomes of research projects in Ruminant Nutrition and apply to research and teaching practice, where appropriate.
5. / To develop and sustain an ongoing national reputation as a research leader in Ruminant Nutrition, through original research work. Disseminate and explain research findings through leading peer-reviewed national and international publications, and present or exhibit at national/ international conferences and other similar events.
6. / To develop proposals for research projects which will make a significant impact by leading to an increase in knowledge and understanding and the discovery or development of new explanations, insights, concepts or processes.
7. / To investigate and develop new approaches, methodologies and techniques appropriate to ruminant research area.
8. / To lead major funding bids which develop and sustain research support for the Ruminant Nutrition specialist area and develop research initiatives to foster collaboration and generate income.
9. / To apply research results in public policy or commerce where there is a demonstrable benefit to the University and Animal Sciences Division of the School of Biosciences.
10. / To contribute to the development of research strategies and the teaching and learning policy in the School of Biosciences.
11. / To lead and develop internal (e.g. by chairing/participating in University Committees) and external relationships (e.g. external examiners/assessors and/or active researchers) to foster future collaboration.
12. / To contribute to the curriculum leadership and the teaching and learning programmes in Animal Sciences e.g. through delivery of course modules.
13. / To resolve problems affecting the quality of course delivery and student progress within the area of Animal Sciences, referring more serious matters to others, as appropriate.
14. / Disseminate conceptual and complex ideas to a wide variety of audiences using appropriate media and methods to promote understanding.
15. / Be responsible for administrative duties in areas such as admissions, timetabling, examinations, student attendance, and represent the school on various committees and working groups in the wider University and outside of the University and managing or monitoring assets and budgets allocated as part of the role.
Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications & Experience
Essential / DesirableQualifications/ Education / PhD or equivalent in relevant subject area
Or equivalent extensive professional/research experience. / Membership of a professional body, where appropriate.
Higher education teaching qualification or equivalent.
Skills/Training / Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate with clarity on complex information.
Proven ability to provide effective leadership and management of groups and teaching activities.
Proven ability with demonstrated success in obtaining sources of funding, providing effective leadership, planning, and building, resourcing a team and delivering research results.
Extensive track record of published research, development and delivery of teaching units, successful consultancy activities and/or delivery of specialist services to external customers/clients.
High analytical ability to facilitate conceptual thinking, innovation and creativity.
Experience / Extensive research and teaching experience with an established national and growing international reputation in the field of Ruminant Nutrition.
Extensive experience in developing and devising new research programmes, models, techniques and methods.
Proven record of promoting and maintaining collaborative links with industry/business/community. / An understanding of University management systems and the wider higher education environment.
Previous experience of the supervision and pastoral care of students at all levels.
Statutory/Legal
Decision Making
i)Taken independently by the role holder;
- Decisions surrounding the management, administrative and professional development of a ruminant research team.
- Develop proposals for research projects
- To assist in preparing applications for new research funding.
- Planning the content and deliver of teaching.
- Developing new research collaborations.
- Applying for research funding – writing research proposals.
- Controlling the spending of some research budgets.
- Planning research programmes and publications.
ii)Taken in collaboration with others;
- Divisional organisation, management and strategic planning.
- Contribute to the University’s strategic planning processes.
iii)Referred to the appropriate line manager by the role holder;
Any items that involve major changes in research, teaching or administration policies. Any submission of funding documents will require the approval of the Head of School.
Additional Information
Informal enquiries may be addressed to Professor Phil Garnsworthy, Professor of Dairy Science and Head of Division, tel: 0115 951 6100, email:
Please note that applications sent directly to this email address will not be accepted.
Applicants will be considered on an equal basis, subject to the relevant permission to work in the UK as defined by the requirements set out by the UK Border and Immigration Agency. Please visit for more information.
NOTTINGHAM UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF BIOSCIENCES
Assistant / Associate Professor in Ruminant Nutrition
Further Particulars
The University of Nottinghamis committed to providing a truly international education, inspiring our students, producing world-leading research and benefitting the communities around our campuses in the UK, China and Malaysia. Our purpose is to improve life for individuals and societies worldwide. By bold innovation and excellence in all that we do, we make both knowledge and discoveries matter.
Our vision is to be widely recognised as the first choice of:
- students who want a top quality, international education
- researchers who want the best opportunity to make a significant global impact
- businesses that want innovative partners who give them an edge on their competition
By attracting ambitious and talented students, staff, and business partners, we will firmly establish ourselves among the top 10 UK universities by 2015, and both of our campuses in Asia will be recognised as leading higher education providers within their regions. Our vision is to be recognised around the world for our signature contributions, especially in global food security, energy and sustainability, and health.
The School of Biosciences is one of the largest Schools in the University and is part of the Faculty of Science. It is one of two Schools based on the Sutton Bonington Campus which has its own farm and animal research facilities. The School was awarded the Queen’s Anniversary prize on 24 February 2012 for Global Food Security and leads the Bioenergy agenda for the University. There is a collegiate approach to collaboration within the School and with other Schools and Faculties. Joint programmes of research are actively encouraged. The School attracts funding from BBSRC, EPSRC, EU, Defra, AHDB, Agri-Tech, Charities and Industry and was ranked 1st in its Unit of Assessment for the last Research Assessment Exercise (2008).
Further information concerning the School of Biosciences can be found using the following link:
The Division of Animal Sciences has an international reputation for research in animal nutrition, reproduction, embryology, epigenetics, neurophysiology, and bioethics. Research ranges from the molecular scale to whole animals and livestock systems. We also offer a taught-masters degree in ‘Animal Nutrition’ and an extremely popular undergraduate degree in ‘Animal Sciences’, which was ranked top UK Animal Science degree by the Sunday Times in 2014.
Example research topics within the Division of Animal Sciences
- Methane emissions by individual dairy cows – nutrition, genetic and management influences; on-farm measurement in large populations.
- Interactions among production level, nutrition, feed efficiency, methane emissions and nitrogen excretion in dairy cows.
- Nutritive value of bioethanol co-products for dairy and beef cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry.
- Rumen function and its influence on health, feed efficiency and environmental impact; relations between the cow genome and rumen microbiome.
- Fatty acid metabolism in relation to milk and meat composition, rumen health, and lipidomics.
- The physiology of reproduction in mammals, particularly in relation to improving or regulating fertility through nutritional manipulation of metabolic hormones.
- Environmental epigenetic programming of early mammalian development - effects of assisted reproduction, exposure to environmental chemicals and parental nutrition around the time of conception.
Facilities for research relevant to the position include: dairy research centre with 240 high-yielding (11,000 L/yr) cows, robotic milking and individual feeding of 60 cows; facilities for individual beef, sheep and dairy animals during growth and metabolism studies; open-circuit respiration chambers for lactating cows and other animals; on-site abattoir with carcass dissection hall; facilities for in vivo, in situ and in vitro studies of rumen function; laboratories for feed analysis, biochemistry (including HPLC, GC-MS, amino acids), cell culture (including mammary MAC-T) and molecular biology (including sequencing), a proteomics suite, cell and tissue imaging (including dual photon confocal microscopy), and endocrinology. Additional facilities within the School of Biosciences and adjacent School of Veterinary Medicine and Science include food science and microbiology labs, array and sequencing facilities, the Advanced Centre for Data Analyses, the Centre for Integrative Biology, state-of-the-art small animal facilities, including surgical and imaging suites (e.g. CT, DEXA, nuclear scintigraphy).
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