The postholder will lead BTO’s seabird work within the ACCLIMATISE project, which will involve development and management of field programmes and the delivery of field- and desk-based research projects. The postholder will be employed on a 36‑month contract from January 2026 to December 2028. The role will be line‑managed by Andrew Upton, BTO’s Senior Research Ecologist in Northern Ireland; for technical advice it will report to Dr Liz Humphreys, Head of Marine Research within BTO’s Wetland and Marine Research Team. BTO is a project partner in ACCLIMATISE, supported by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body. ACCLIMATISE is led by the Agri‑Food and Biosciences Institute. Within this project BTO is the lead on Work Package 2 ‘Transboundary Conservation Strategies and Sustainable Management of Marine Predators’, working with RSPB on seabird tracking and diet analysis, at‑sea surveys, passive acoustic monitoring and the development of a trans‑boundary seabird conservation strategy.
Responsibilities
* Lead the development, management and delivery of field programmes and research projects within the ACCLIMATISE project and provide expertise in seabird tracking, diet analysis, sea surveys and passive acoustic monitoring.
* Plan, design, execute and report on research projects, ensuring timely production of refereed publications and outputs for stakeholders.
* Liaise with partners, funders and NGOs, communicating results to scientific and public audiences.
Skills and Qualifications
* PhD in ecology (or equivalent) with at least 3 years post‑doctoral experience in seabird ecology and field‑based research.
* Strong knowledge of ecological principles, bird ecology, population biology, survey techniques and applied conservation science.
* BTO ringing permit and proven ability in handling seabirds, fitting tags and using a range of bird‑catching methods.
* Expertise in designing and managing field‑based projects, with a track record of publishing in peer‑reviewed journals.
* Proficient in R, GIS and spatial analysis; able to learn new statistical and programming tools as required.
* Excellent written and oral communication skills for scientific presentations, popular publications and media engagement.
* Strong organisational and time‑management skills, with the ability to lead teams and deliver projects on schedule.
* Willingness to travel, to work out of hours and to hold a valid UK driving licence with access to a private vehicle.
Further Information
This is a 36‑month contract, commencing January 2026. You can read the full role description by clicking on the role description under ‘supporting documents’ in the job details on our careers page. Please contact us if you are not sure if you meet all the criteria for the role and would like to discuss the role in more detail.
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