Conservation Scientist - RSPB

Countryside Classroom; England; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 43,000; Full time

Job summary

Countryside Classroom is seeking a skilled ecologist to lead a new project on the ecological benefits of hydrological restoration in broadleaved woodland. You will design and run the study, coordinate field teams, and deliver robust analyses.

Based across England, the post is a fixed-term 30‑month contract (October 2026–March 2029), full-time at 37.5 hours per week, with a salary of £40,381–£43,112 per annum.

Qualifications

• PhD or equivalent professional research experience.
• Experience in ecological or conservation research project delivery.
• Strong communication with partners and funders.
• Proficiency in GIS and statistical analysis.
• Experience with field surveys and data collection.
• Ability to publish scientific results.

Responsibilities

• Set up and run the ecological study.
• Lead field staff and coordinate data collection.
• Analyse data and communicate results.
• Publish findings in scientific outlets.

Skills

Ecological research design

Data analysis

Field staff management

Scientific reporting

GIS (QGIS/ArcGIS)

R / statistics

Invertebrate sampling

Laboratory analysis

Communication with partners

Project planning

Education

PhD or equivalent research experience

Tools

GIS software (QGIS/ArcGIS)

R (statistics)

Microsoft Office

Job description

Reference: SEP20261538
Location: Flexible in England
Terms: Fixed Term 30-month contract (October 2026 to March 2029) Full-Time, 37.5 hours per week
Salary: £40,381.00 - £43,112.00 Per Annum

We are looking for someone with strong field, analytical and communication skills to lead the delivery of a new project on the ecological benefits of hydrological restoration of broadleaved woodland.

This project aims to understand whether hydrological restoration of lowland broadleaved woodland improves invertebrate abundance, decaying wood resources, or affects woodland phenology in relation to Lesser Spotted Woodpecker habitat requirements. The results are expected to feed into woodland conservation management and policy recommendations.

The successful candidate will be

• responsible for setting up and running the study
• expected to contribute to data collection, managing field staff, analysing data and communicating and publishing results.

Essential Experience:

• Designing and delivering ecological or conservation research projects, gained through a PhD or equivalent professional research experience.
• Communicating effectively with colleagues, partners and funders, and build collaborative working relationships to support research delivery.
• Microsoft Office, GIS software (such as QGIS or ArcGIS) and R (or equivalent statistical software) to manage, analyse and present research data, with the ability to learn new software where required.
• Invertebrate sampling (Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers diet) along with identifying and quantifying samples in the lab.
• Applying appropriate statistical methods to analyse ecological or environmental datasets and interpret results.
• Planning and managing research activities, prioritising competing work and meeting agreed project deadlines.
• Collecting, managing and analysing complex ecological datasets suitable for scientific publication or reporting.
• Using field survey techniques relevant to ecological research, such as invertebrate sampling, bird surveys, passive acoustic monitoring or environmental data collection.
• Coordinating or supervising field staff to deliver research activities safely and effectively.
• Writing scientific reports and publications, including contributing to or leading peer-reviewed papers where appropriate.
• Drivers License valid for use in the UK.

Additional Information:

• Experience of woodland ecology, tree identification or UK conservation policy would be beneficial.
• Study sites will be across the southern half of England
• Data collection is expected to run over six months of the years.
• The postholder must be able to undertake regular visits to field sites plus occasional travel to meet colleagues, attend team and scientific meetings and conferences, entailing some overnight stays.
• The role will be home based with access to an RSPB office/s

Closing: Wednesday 7th October