Postdoctoral Researcher
Salary: £39,000 - £42,150 per annum depending on qualifications and experience. A starting salary of £40,100 is guaranteed for candidates who can evidence their PhD certificate at appointment.
Contract: 36 months, full-time
Location: John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK
Closing date: 1 December 2026
Reference: 1006243
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Postdoctoral Researcher to join the Whitewoods Group at the John Innes Centre, working on cutting-edge science in the field of Cell & Development Biology.
About the John Innes Centre:
The John Innes Centre is an independent, international centre of excellence in plant and microbial sciences. We nurture a creative, curiosity-led approach to answering fundamental questions in bioscience, and translate that knowledge into societal benefits. Our strategic vision, Healthy Plants, Healthy People, Healthy Planet, sets out our ambitious long-term goals for the game changing impact of our science globally.
Our employees enjoy access to state-of-the-art technology and a diverse range of specialist training opportunities, including support for leadership and management. Click here to find out more about working at the John Innes Centre.
About the Whitewoods Group:
The Whitewoods Group investigates how plants pattern their internal leaf structure, primarily using Arabidopsis thaliana as a model system. They investigate how leaves form air spaces between cells, how photosynthetic cells acquire their identities, and how changes in light level modify these developmental processes to tune leaf structure to the environment.
The role:
The successful candidate will investigate molecular mechanisms that control palisade and spongy mesophyll cell identity and how these link to leaf function. The Whitewoods lab has recently identified two classes of mutants lacking either palisade or spongy mesophyll cells. In this role you will identify the causative mutations and use a range of molecular and developmental approaches to identify the molecular mechanisms that control photosynthetic cell identity. You will also perform physiological analysis to understand how mesophyll cell identity underlies leaf function. Candidates should have a background in plant science with a PhD degree in plant biology or related fields. Expertise in plant genetics is necessary, and experience with molecular biology, confocal microscopy or leaf physiology are also preferred, alongside a willingness and ability to learn and work with new methodologies and different species.
The ideal candidate:
The successful applicant will be a strong team player, highly solution orientated and self-motivated. Excellent interpersonal skills are essential, alongside the ability to work independently and with others, with a high degree of accuracy including outstanding record keeping. Experience supervising students is also strongly preferred. There are many exciting avenues this project could take and it can be tailored to the interests of the successful candidate. The Whitewoods group is looking for someone with a strong sense of scientific curiosity and fun who is enthusiastic to contribute to a young lab as it grows. Strong communication skills are required to interact with group members and other researchers at JIC with different scientific backgrounds. The Whitewoods lab would like to encourage applications from individuals who wish to work flexibly or on a part time basis.
Additional information:
A starting salary of £40,100 is guaranteed for candidates who can evidence their PhD certificate at appointment. Candidates awaiting confirmation of their PhD award will be appointed at £39,000 until evidence is provided.
The Whitewoods lab would like to encourage applications from individuals who wish to work flexibly or on a part time basis.
This role meets the criteria for a visa application, and we encourage all qualified candidates to apply. Where the successful applicant requires a visa, we will fund the costs for their visa and the Immigration Health Surcharge. Please contact the Human Resources Team if you have any questions regarding your application or visa options.
We are an equal opportunities employer, actively supporting inclusivity and diversity. As a Disability Confident organisation, we guarantee to offer an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for this vacancy. We are proud to hold a prestigious Gold Athena SWAN award in recognition of our inclusive culture, commitment and good practices towards advancing of gender equality. We offer an exciting, stimulating, diverse research environment and actively promote a family friendly workplace. The Institute is also a member of Stonewall’s Diversity Champions programme.
The John Innes Centre is a registered charity (No. 223852) grant-aided by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.
