Work for us

Cofactor is not currently looking for employees or freelance editors.

Call for freelance trainers

If you are an experienced freelance trainer, particularly if you have experience of teaching in researcher development, higher education and/or advanced writing skills for adults, do get in touch. We are offering a great chance to work with engaged groups of postgraduate researchers and to help them change the world for the better with their research.

Requirements

  1. Experience and training in teaching/training
    • Preferably a teaching or training qualification
    • At least one year’s experience of teaching adults in an academic or professional setting
    • Presentation skills using PowerPoint
    • Group facilitation skills
  2. Excellent organisational skills
  3. Excellent communication skills (written, spoken and listening)
  4. Ability and willingness to present Cofactor material and not change it without consultation
  5. Ability to travel to London for initial training in Cofactor’s procedures

Please do not apply if you do not fit these requirements.

Experience that would be advantageous but not essential

  • Experience with researcher development training
  • A scientific background to degree level
  • Experience of being a scientist (PhD student, postdoc or beyond)
  • Experience of teaching English as a second or additional language
  • Knowledge of scientific publishing and journals
  • Experience of editing scientific research material

Note: knowledge of writing, publishing, researching or editing is not as important as training skills, as all content is provided.

A competitive fee per workshop and expenses will be provided after an initial training period. All workshop material will be provided, and you will be fully briefed and trained in how to present it.

Workshops are generally for between 5 and 25 adult participants. These are researchers (PhD students or postdoctoral researchers) in science, technology, engineering or medicine, and occasionally other academic subjects. Some will be non-native English speakers and have varying levels of spoken and written English; however, their English is always good enough for them to work or study in a UK university.

Workshop dates will generally be booked at least a month in advance, and the location, timing and fee will be agreed between you and Cofactor. There may also be short-notice bookings that may be paid at an accordingly higher rate. You will be able to decline any booking. Once you have committed to a booking you must present the workshop unless illness or other unavoidable circumstance prevents you from doing so.

Your training will be in London, and for this you will need to be able to travel to London 1-3 times at your own expense. Most workshop bookings are likely to be in southeast England, though other locations worldwide are possible. Once you are presenting Cofactor workshops independently, travel expenses will be paid from anywhere in the UK, and possibly from further afield depending on the client’s policies.

Cofactor believes in equality, respect, minimising our negative impact on the environment, and open science, and the terms of our agreement will require that you uphold and adhere to these values in the course of providing your services to Cofactor and its clients. See Our values for more.
To apply, please send your CV to cofactor@cofactorscience.com with the subject line ‘Freelance trainer application’. Please focus your CV on the requirements listed above; for example, a list of scientific publications is irrelevant.