To manage the long-term monitoring and targeted research projects on higher predators (seals, albatrosses, penguins and petrels) at Bird Island.
This includes management of Bird Island:
* including infrastructure, databases, purchasing, equipment, development of new technologies, public outreach, permits, risk assessment, liaison with Operations, Corporate Services, Science etc.
* recruiting, directing and supporting the 6 zoological field assistants; managing the bird ringing and tracking programmes.
* managing and developing the long-term monitoring and demography databases.
* personal scientific research as lead and in support of other members of Ecosystems and external collaborators.
* applying for external grants as PI or Co-I.
* publishing papers as lead or co-author in peer-reviewed journals.
The post holder will also be required to provide specialist support across the Ecosystems Team and other science teams in BAS.
Duties
Bird Island Science Management
* Manage the science infrastructure at Bird Island.
* BAS management committees and meetings relating to Bird Island.
* Permit applications and reports (PEA, South Georgia RAP, AWERB).
* Lead annual recruitment of new Bird Island Zoological Field Assistants.
* Manage training of the Bird Island Zoological Field Assistants.
* Manage the Bird Island Zoological Field Assistants in the field.
* Manage the bird ringing programmes.
* Manage and develop the predator demography databases and data-entry systems.
* Ecosystems representative on NPRAM.
* Public outreach (including web pages) for the long-term predator monitoring programmes.
Scientific Research
* Lead targeted research projects generating primary science outputs in seabird and marine mammal research.
* Deliver a key piece of software or key dataset or publish on average at least one first-author paper per year in a high-quality journal.
* Contribute on average to two or more papers as co-author per year.
* Develop grant applications (including NERC standard grants or equivalent as PI or Co-I) to undertake innovative predator research, with a strong focus on Bird Island.
* Generate proposals for development of innovative technical systems and capital equipment bids for predator research.
* Code bespoke extracts from the long-term demography and tracking databases for BAS and external collaborators.
* Manage the Predators Argos tracking programs.
* Provide specialist IT, data science, analysis and support to the Predators team, PhD students and Polar Data Centre.
* Maintain/build web pages and associated data feeds for tracking studies.
Skills, Qualifications and Experience
* Experience of research on ecology of birds or mammals.
* Experience of publishing in high quality academic journals.
* Knowledge of marine ecosystems.
* Good first degree or Masters in biological or environmental sciences.
* PhD in biology, ecology, marine science or related field.
* Proven experience of managing and querying relational databases.
* Demonstrable ability to report, analyse and interpret ecological data.
* Proficient in R, MS Office.
* Experience of managing staff, and of planning and management of research programmes and budgets.
* Proficient in written and spoken English.
* Ability to make effective decisions both independently and by consensus.
* Demonstrable ability to work cooperatively as part of a team.
* Good interpersonal skills required for engagement with scientists, collaborators, operations, public and other stakeholders.
* British Trust for Ornithology ringing permit (C or full A).
* Experience of predator research on remote Antarctic/sub-Antarctic islands.
* Expertise on higher predators or predator-prey interactions in marine ecosystems.
* Experience of securing funding for research or associated infrastructure.
* Experience of analysing tracking data.
* Knowledge of SQL or other programming languages; ARGOS data management; web page development; GIS.
* Experience of recruiting staff; remote management of staff.
* Experience of working with multiple stakeholders.
The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment.
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