Seabed Mapping Specialist – Higher Scientific Officer (HSO) Grade
Location: Belfast (with occasional fieldwork across Northern Ireland’s coastal and offshore waters)
Contract: Full-time, 6 months with possible extension
About the Role
This exciting position offers the opportunity to work in an applied, cross-disciplinary marine science environment focused on seabed characterisation and ecological assessment of Northern Ireland’s coastal and offshore areas. The successful candidate will coordinate and develop scientific techniques to support seabed mapping activities that inform marine management, conservation, and natural capital assessment.
Key Responsibilities
·Contribute to the implementation and scientific delivery of the MONI project.
·Plan and coordinate field surveys, sample analyses, and data processing to support predictive seabed mapping and habitat classification.
·Compile and manage biological and environmental datasets to enhance long-term benthic data archives supporting ecological assessments.
·Lead on the biological dimension of seabed mapping, applying quantitative methods using remote sensing, underwater video, and emerging marine survey technologies.
·Design sampling frameworks to ensure adequate coverage of surveyed areas and Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).
·Conduct spatial research into the distribution of marine habitats and species of conservation importance within Northern Ireland’s territorial waters.
·Contribute to the development of methodologies for assessing seabed habitat extent, condition monitoring, and natural capital evaluation.
·Attend and present at scientific conferences and workshops to promote knowledge exchange and strengthen professional networks.
·Develop and apply best-practice approaches to seabed characterisation mapping, ensuring outputs are scientifically robust, representative, and statistically sound.
·Manage and supervise a GIS Analyst to support data integration and map production.
Criteria/ Qualifications:
·PhD in Marine/Biological Science
OR
·Degree, equivalent or higher in Marine/Biological Science with 2 years' demonstrable experience in a research capacity post qualification in marine biology and evidence of being a named author in a scientific paper.