Worcester College, University of Oxford, proposes to appoint a two-year Junior Research Fellow (JRF), potentially renewable for one further year, in any area of the Mathematical Sciences, from any date after 1 January 2026, and for two years hence.

The Massada Junior Research Fellowship is intended to provide an early career scholar with an extended period of advanced research after the completion of their doctoral thesis, enabling them to develop a publication record and support progression to a permanent academic or research career, or a career drawing on this experience. The Massada JRF will be permitted to teach tutorials or classes in their field for a maximum of four hours per week.

The post will be sponsored by The Israel and Ione Massada Programme. In accordance with the terms of the Massada Fund and its programmes at Worcester College applicants must:

• be citizens of the State of Israel, irrespective and inclusive of all genders, ethnicities, and religious affiliations.
• have received or be about receive a doctoral degree in an academic field appropriate to their research proposal. This degree will need to have been awarded by the start of the fellowship and within 4 years prior to that. Allowance will be made for periods of parental, carer, or comparable leave.
• have English language proficiency at university graduate level.

I. THE COLLEGE

Worcester is one of the 39 constituent colleges of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1714, it occupies the 26-acre site on the western side of the city where the Benedictines first founded Gloucester College in 1283. Some of the buildings of the earlier college survive, and the resulting mixture of architectural styles, together with the beautiful gardens, lake, and playing field, attract students and visitors alike. The College has c. 400 undergraduates and c. 200 graduate students; of these 260 students live within the boundaries of the College itself, and a further 200 live in College accommodation located within 300 metres of the College Lodge.

Like all Oxford Colleges, Worcester is an independent self-governing institution regulated by the Charity Commission. The Governing Body comprises the Provost (Head of the College) and 54 further Fellows, who are together responsible for the admission and tuition of students, for the welfare of all students and staff, and for the College’s finances. There are also Research Fellows, Honorary and Emeritus Fellows, and further academic and administrative staff.

II. THE ROLE

Duties of the Fellowship:

• Propose, plan and execute a high quality and ambitious programme of original research in any area of academic innovation in the Mathematical Sciences;
• Publicise the outcomes of that research at a national and international level through presentation of papers and through publications;
• Liaise with research colleagues within Oxford and elsewhere, with a view to future research collaborations;
• Engage in the life and activities of the College.

III. ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

This post is intended to support a post-doctoral academic in the early stages of their career; the successful candidate will have a doctorate in an appropriate academic field, awarded by the start of the fellowship and within 4 years prior to that. Allowance will be made for periods of parental, carer, or comparable leave.

Previous experience:

• A strong educational record
• A record of publications and/or other outputs demonstrating outstanding research expertise in the candidate’s field of expertise, appropriate to the career stage of the applicant

Skills and competencies:

• A demonstrated ability to plan, undertake, and disseminate academic research at the highest level
• The ability to collaborate with other researchers in this and related fields, and to pursue collaborative projects within and beyond the academy
• The ability to communicate academic research fluently to a variety of audiences.
• A willingness to contribute to the intellectual and social life of the College.

IV. TERMS & CONDITIONS

The appointment will be fixed term for two years, with a probationary period of 9 months, and an option to apply to extend to a third year.

The salary scale matches the University’s Grade 7 (currently £37,174), and up to £1500 per annum research-expenses. This includes payment for any leave taken outside the academic term and for any bank holiday worked during term time.

On completion of the term of appointment all documents and other property of the colleges must be returned.

To comply with UK employment legislation, successful candidates will be required to provide documentary evidence of their eligibility for employment before starting work with the College. Appointments will thus be subject to the provision of proof of the right to work in the UK. Student-and-work visa arrangements must therefore be coordinated with Worcester College HR once a candidate is selected for the post. Further information is available at www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration.

Additional entitlements

The Massada Junior Research Fellow will have the following entitlements at Worcester College:

• Free lunches and dinners at the Common Table in term and vacation (when the college’s kitchens are open);
• membership of the Universities Superannuation Scheme
• access to all University of Oxford facilities and libraries, including the Bodleian
• membership of the Oxford Mathematical Institute and access to departmental facilities.

V. APPLICATION & APPOINTMENT PROCEDURE

Applicants are asked to submit the application materials set out below in the form of a single PDF file, with their surname in block capitals as the first word of the document title, to the Human Resources Office (academic.recruitment@worc.ox.ac.uk) by 9am on Monday 3rd November 2025.  Late applications will not be accepted:

• a completed application form, can be found below
• a curriculum vitae, including a list of publications in print and in production (with links to their work, when available);
• a research statement outlining past and current research and summarizing a proposal future research to be undertaken as part of this fellowship
• the names and addresses of two referees. Please note that references will only be sought for shortlisted candidates.

Informal enquiries may be made to the Senior Tutor, Professor Helen Parish, via email to senior.tutor@worc.ox.ac.uk.

Interviews for the post will be held in January 2026.

Please note that any personal data submitted to the College as part of the job application process will be used only for the purposes of determining suitability for the post and processed in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). For further information, please see the College’s Privacy Notice for Job Applicants.

Staff are requested to work in a way which reduces their environmental impact and uses resources effectively. This includes commitment to the College Environmental Sustainability Policy, and Procurement and Purchasing Policy.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

Worcester College is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from suitably qualified candidates from all backgrounds. We actively support and celebrate diversity amongst our staff and students. As a Disability Confident employer, we commit to making all reasonable adjustments to our recruitment process, working arrangements and environment to accommodate applicants with any form of disability. Please let us know if there are any reasonable adjustments we can make to assist you with your application or if you have a disability which you feel may affect your application.

Candidates are encouraged to complete a Diversity Declaration form which will assist the College with monitoring equal opportunities in recruitment. We can assure you that the information given is kept separately from the information used in recruitment decisions; that all information is strictly confidential, used purely for statistical purposes and to ensure that policies are being applied fairly.

Please complete the Equality Monitoring Questionnaire by following the link below.