Research Associate: Ecosystem Change in Savannas

The University of Edinburgh; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 34,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is looking for a motivated individual to join their research team for a 22-month fixed term position. This role involves collecting and analyzing ecological data in African savannas, contributing to vital restoration projects. The successful candidate will engage in fieldwork, collaborating with experts and gaining hands-on experience in ecological research. If you're passionate about environmental science and eager to make a difference in global conservation efforts, this opportunity offers a dynamic and supportive environment to thrive in your career.

Benefits

Generöse Urlaubsregelung

Wettbewerbsfähige Rentenpläne

Mitarbeiterrabatte

Familienfreundliche Initiativen

Qualifications

• Abschluss in Umweltwissenschaften, Geografie oder Ökologie.
• Erfahrung in der Durchführung und Organisation von Feldarbeiten.

Responsibilities

• Daten zu Vegetationsveränderungen in afrikanischen Savannen sammeln und analysieren.
• Zusammenarbeit mit einem Postdoktoranden zur Datenerhebung.

Skills

Datenanalyse

Feldarbeit

Kritisches Denken

Kommunikationsfähigkeiten

Teamarbeit

Education

Bachelor in Umweltwissenschaften

Master in Geografie

Job description

Grade UE06: £34,132 to £39,355 per annum

CSE/School of Geosciences

Full-time: 35 hours per week

Fixed term: 22 months

The Opportunity:

The University of Edinburgh and the University of Cambridgehave been awarded anew grant to study the effectiveness of restoration in African savannas. This new project will contribute tothe SEOSAW network, a partnership dedicated to understanding how African savannas are responding to global change and how these ecosystems can best be managed and restored.

We are seeking a highly talented, independent and motivated candidate for a 22-month fixed term position. You will work as part of a team to collect, clean and analyse data on savanna vegetation change across Africa. You will work at research sites that are part of the SEOSAW network, collecting data to continue long term observations of vegetation change, and in some cases, establishing new plots to compare restored and unrestored savannas. Your work will focus on the vegetation and soils data and you will work alongside a post doctoral researcher who will lead on bird diversity data. You will undertake data analysis to reveal patterns of vegetation change and to compare restored and unrestored savannas, feeding back information to restoration practitioners about the effectiveness of different land management approaches.

This post is full-time (35 hours per week) based alongside the SEOSAW office and Casey Ryan at the University of Edinburgh, King’s Buildings and will require extensive travel for fieldwork.

The post is fixed term for 22 months.

This post will be appointed at Grade UE06.1 which is £34,132 per annum, which iswithin a range of £34,132 - £39,355 per annum.

Your skills and attributes for success:

• An undergraduate or Master’s degree, or a degree close to completion, in environmental science, geography, or ecology, with a focus on ecological field data collection and analysis.
• Experience of undertaking and organising fieldwork, and the associated teamwork and partnership building that is required.
• Critical thinking skills and attention to detail to ensure high quality data collection and analysis
• Knowledge of carbon cycling, biodiversity and restoration, ideally in the context of tropical savannas.
• Self-starter with proven ability to work independently and efficiently to set deadlines.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Proven ability to work as a member of a team.

Click to view a copy of the full job description (opens new browser tab)

Application Information:

Please ensure you include the following documents in your application:

• CV
• Cover letter

As a valued member of our team you can expect:

• A competitive salary
• An exciting, positive, creative, challenging and rewarding place to work.
• To be part of a diverse and vibrant international community
• Comprehensive Staff Benefits, such as a generous holiday entitlement, competitive pension schemes, staff discounts, and family-friendly initiatives. Check out the full list on ourstaff benefits page (opens in a new tab) and use our reward calculator to discover the total value of your pay and benefits

Championing equality, diversity and inclusion:

The University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher education. We are members of the Race Equality Charter and we are also Stonewall Scotland Diversity Champions, actively promoting LGBT equality.

Prior to any employment commencing with the University you will be required to evidence your right to work in the UK. Further information is available on ourright to work webpages (opens new browser tab).

The University is unable to sponsor the employment of international workers in this role. International applicants will therefore be unable to apply for and secure a Skilled Worker visa. They will only be able to take up this role if they can demonstrate an alternative right to work in the UK.

Key dates to note:

The closing date for applications is 29 May 2025.

Unless stated otherwise the closing time for applications is 11:59pm GMT. If you are applying outside the UK the closing time on our adverts automatically adjusts to your browsers local time zone.

Interviews will be held as soon as possible after the advert closing date, likely early June.