Oferta compartida por Cristina
Conservation Scientist - Successional Habitats Reference: JUL20238844 Expiry date: 00:59, Fri, 25th Aug 2023 Location: RSPB UKHQ - The Lodge Salary: £36,577.00 - £39,269.00 Per Annum Benefits: Pension Scheme, Life Assurance Scheme, 26 days' Annual Leave Duration: 9 months Attachments: CandidateGuidanceNotes2021.pdf We have an excellent opportunity for a scientist to join the England & Wales team within the RSPB Centre for Conservation Science. We are looking for someone with a strong background in ecology, applied statistics, remote sensing and GIS to explore how bird-rich successional scrub habitats can be created and maintained for use as landscape-scale interventions. What's the role about? Several declining priority bird species breed at high densities in successional scrub habitats, prompting interest in how successional scrub might be used in large-scale conservation interventions in lowland UK. It can take many years for such sites to reach optimal levels of structural heterogeneity, but the value to birds can decline quickly as they become less complex and are succeeded by woodland. Creating and maintaining such habitats requires significant time and investment, so this project seeks to learn how exemplar sites have become prime bird-rich habitats. This project consists of two stages. Initially, the project will explore existing bird & habitat datasets to identify the structural habitat features associated with high densities of priority bird species. The initial analysis will use data from the rewilded Knepp Estate, which holds significant breeding populations of priority birds, including cuckoo, turtle dove and nightingale. The project will combine breeding bird surveys with data-rich, classified drone imagery and LIDAR data collected by the Knepp Estate and Queen Mary University. Breeding bird distribution will be modelled using the availability of nesting and foraging habitat features derived from remote sensing data. The second stage will be to develop a proposal for a multisite observational study that will test how effective different management regimes have been at creating and/or maintaining optimal habitat conditions for birds and their invertebrate prey. This will include identifying a suite of study sites that have developed significant bird populations through various means, potentially including habitat restoration, rewilding with a suite of free-roaming large herbivores and rotational management. The role's location is flexible within the UK, although an England base would be preferred. There is the option to be partially or fully based at an RSPB office. Periodic travel to meet team members and collaborators (including potential future study sites) will be required and may entail overnight stays. Occasional additional travel will be necessary for scientific meetings and conferences. Essentials:Proven scientific research experience (e.g. from completing a PhD or conducting a similar project). Knowledge of the breeding and feeding ecology of a range of farmland and woodland bird species so that appropriate analytical approaches and research questions can be devised to extract novel insights from landscape-scale habitat data. Up-to-date knowledge of multivariate statistical methods particularly mixed modelling methods, spatial statistics, plus a willingness to learn new methods. Familiar with remote sensing methods, ideally with previous experience of acquiring, processing and analysing this form of data. Familiar with Microsoft Office, GIS applications (e.g. QGIS, ARC GIS), and fluent in R or equivalent statistical software plus a willingness to learn new programmes. Self-motivated and able to work efficiently under pressure within a defined work plan to meet agreed deadlines (sometimes for external meetings). This necessitates the ability to plan and organise own work and to manage the work of other staff. Collecting, curating and analysing large and complex data sets that can pass international peer-reviewed standards of scrutiny and audit. Strong writing skills, for example through overseeing the production of peer-reviewed papers and reports. Able to communicate your work to a wide range of internal and external partners, helping to build and maintain close collaborations. Capable of being a positive ambassador for the RSPB. You must meet the standards that are comparable to level 3 qualifications in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, or higher levels in Scotland. Desirables:Knowledge of UK conservation issues and practice and conservation science. Track record of leading scientific publication in internationally recognised journals. Experience of sampling and identifying invertebrates. Additional Information This is a Fixed Term 9-month contract. This would ideally be a full-time role (37.5 hours per week); however, we also welcome applications from qualified candidates who may be seeking a part-time position. We reserve the right to make this role permenant at any time. Interviews are currently scheduled to be held in early September. For further information, please get in touch with Dave Buckingham (david.buckingham@rspb.org.uk). You will be asked to provide your CV and complete an application form as part of this application process. Please describe in the application form how you meet each of the essential and desirable criteria listed above. We are committed to developing an inclusive and diverse RSPB, in which everyone feels supported, valued, and able to be their full selves. To achieve our vision of creating a world richer in nature, we need more people on nature's side and more diverse people. People of colour and disabled people are underrepresented across the environment, climate, sustainability, and conservation sectors. If you identify as a person of colour and/or disabled, we are particularly interested in receiving your application. Contact us to discuss any additional support you may need to complete your application and we can make reasonable adjustments to the interview process. The RSPB is a licenced sponsor. This role is eligible for UK Visa Sponsorship. Before applying for this role, we recommend reading through the candidate guidance notes attached to the top of this advert. |
