Academic Manager at Kontak Recruitment

• Own a high-impact research programme in soil microbial ecology, turning real-world soil data into publishable, peer-reviewed work.
• Join a hands-on scientific team in a fast-moving, informal environment where ideas become experiments quickly.

Minimum Requirements:

• Natural sciences PhD or Masters with numerous publications related to soil chemistry and/or soil microbiology
• Proven publication track record in peer-reviewed journals
• Experience translating scientific data into hypotheses, trials, and publishable outcomes
• Strong scientific writing and academic communication skills
• Commercial acumen and comfort working at the interface of applied and fundamental science
• Output-driven work ethic suited to a small, fast-paced team culture

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Build and drive a focused research programme in soil microbial ecology, including bacterial metabolic group dynamics
• Analyse and interpret soil datasets to identify hypotheses and research directions
• Design targeted trials and experiments based on findings and emerging insights
• Produce peer-reviewed publications and maintain consistent research output
• Facilitate collaboration with postgraduate researchers to execute studies and co-publish
• Develop a coherent long-term research narrative to support academic credibility and recognition
• Work closely with R&D and production teams to connect research with practical outcomes
• Communicate findings clearly to scientific and commercial stakeholders
• Contribute to experimental decision-making and prioritisation in a rapid iteration environment