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Conservation Scientist Northern Ireland Seabirds Rathlin LIFE Raft project

Reference: DEC20213640
Expiry date: 2022-01-05 23:59:00.000
Location: Rathlin Island
Salary: £27,574.00 - £30,590.00 Per Annum
Benefits: Annual leave, pension, Life Assurance
Duration:5 Years
Attachments: CandidateGuidanceNotesNov21.pdf

Rathlin Island is NI’s only inhabited offshore island, with a permanent community of around 150 people. Rathlin is of great importance for wildlife at both national and EU levels, but this wildlife is under threat from invasive non-native ferrets and rats. The aim of the LIFE Raft project is to safeguard this wildlife by eradicating both the ferret and rat populations from the island, whilst embedding sound biosecurity measures to prevent their return. Delivered over five years, the project will require a multi-disciplinary approach covering technical operations, community engagement and collaborative working across the project partnership and with key external stakeholders.

This project will be made possible with funding from EU LIFE+, National Lottery Heritage Fund (development phase) and Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), with contributions from RSPB NI, Rathlin Development and Community Association (RDCA) and support from the Causeway Coast and Glens Heritage Trust (CCGHT)

About the role

This role is as a Scientist with experience of planning, organising, carrying out and writing up large bird monitoring projects, specifically seabirds, but including other species. Bird monitoring will be carried out throughout the whole life of the project to capture baseline data on bird populations before rat and ferret eradication and bird population responses during eradication phases. Rathlin island is a large, unique and internationally important seabird colony with a variety of breathtakingly beautiful habitats and landscapes. This is a unique opportunity for a scientist to take on a long-term internationally important fully funded project to document real-time responses of bird populations to active conservation operations. The work will require extensive field work and the use of a range of monitoring techniques and technologies. Field work will be carried out both from land on Rathlin and from boats off Rathlin’s shores. Management of field workers will be required. Management of scrupulous data collection and recording will be expected. The whole project is supported by a steering group consisting of RSPB, DAERA, RDCA and CCGHT. The Scientist is expected to be based in Northern Ireland and will work with the LIFE Raft project team to ensure the specific monitoring objectives are met and risks are managed effectively. Experience in delivering complex monitoring projects on the ground and knowledge of the species involved is essential. This is a sensitive project and this role will require experience of working with communities and stakeholders in a collaborative and considerate way. 

About you

You’ll be a passionate advocate for Rathlin Island and the recovery and conservation of breeding seabirds in this fragile island ecosystem. You will have substantial experience of managing a complex seabird monitoring project and working within a project team. You will need a good working knowledge of the most up-to-date methodologies for detecting and surveying seabird and other species in challenging habitats. You will understand how the survey methodologies used will fit with past and future surveys to maximise monitoring efficiency and usefulness. You will be able to inform and engage the local community of what you are doing and how you are doing it and be comfortable presenting your results and findings to a wide audience.

Key tasks:

Reviewing existing bird data.

Refining bird survey methodologies and finalising a monitoring plan for the LIFE Raft project

Establishing pre-eradication seabird population and productivity baseline trends

 Identifying priority sites on Island for attraction measures for both the Manx shearwater and European Storm petrel

Conduct surveys to identify wader population size and productivity

Assisting with collecting evidence of signs of predation of seabirds or landbirds to inform a greater understanding of the impact of invasive non-native species on island ecosystems.

Responsibility for fulfilling funder requirements.

Ensuring engagement with other project team members is maintained throughout the project’s lifetime and securing a good relationship with the local community.

Essential qualifications, skills and experience:

Please ensure to address the following criteria in your application form: 

  1. Educated to at least degree level and preferably with a relevant higher degree and/or with at least 3 years practical experience of managing large monitoring projects.
  2. Demonstrated ability to plan and carry out a seabird monitoring project
  3. Experience of working with and influencing a range of people, both internally and externally.
  4. Experience of managing deadlines and reporting schedules.
  5. Experience of non-standard passive monitoring techniques for example camera traps and bioacoustics.
  6. Ability to organise and analyse large datasets, and experience of standard statistical and GIS programs
  7. Demonstrated ability to write for a range of audiences and to prepare peer reviewed standard scientific papers and excellent verbal communication skills.
  8. Demonstrable experience of developing and working in partnerships to achieve shared outcomes.
  9. Excellent health and safety awareness.
  10. Knowledge of invasive non-native species impacts and their management.
  11. A full driving licence, preferably with some off-road driving experience or an ability to access remote locations.

This is a Fixed Term full time Contract for 5 years for 37.5 hours per week.  The RSPB reserves the right to extend or make this role permanent without further advertising dependent on business needs at the end of the contract term.

We are looking to conduct interviews for this position on 19th January 2022. Further information please email gillian.gilbert@rspb.org.uk

As part of this application process you will be asked to complete an application form including evidence on how you meet the skills, knowledge, and experience listed above.

This role will require completion of an Access NI check in addition to the standard pre-employment checks.

The RSPB is an equal opportunities employer. This role is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.