Earth Fellow: Forest and Peatland Programme embedding support

University of Edinburgh; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 41,000 - 49,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive staff benefits

Generous annual leave

Pension scheme

Staff discounts

Family-friendly initiatives

Flexible work options

Job summary

The University of Edinburgh seeks a PhD student to support the Forest and Peatland programme engagement with students and staff. The 9‑month project focuses on developing an engagement strategy and initiating outreach activities.

Earth Fellows join a dynamic team and gain access to networking, co-working spaces and opportunities to contribute to climate change solutions on a global scale.

Qualifications

• Current University of Edinburgh PhD student in the 26/27 academic year.
• Strong written and verbal communication to engage diverse audiences.
• Experience in strategic communications and stakeholder engagement.
• Familiarity with CMS, design software and basic video editing.

Responsibilities

• Develop an engagement strategy for the Forest and Peatland programme.
• Begin outreach activities engaging students and staff.
• Collaborate with researchers and departments to maximise impact.

Skills

Communication skills

Strategic comms

Stakeholder engagement

Social media tools

CMS familiarity

Adobe Creative Suite

Video editing

Education

PhD student at University of Edinburgh

Tools

CMS

Adobe Creative Suite

Video editing tools

Job description

Grade UE07: £41,064.00 - £48,822.00 Per Annum Pro Rata (£22.50 per hour)

CSG / Edinburgh Earth Initiative / Department for Social Responsibility and Sustainability

Part Time: 9 hours per week

Fixed-Term: 9 months from November 2026

The Opportunity:

The Department for Social Responsibility is looking for a PhD student to support the engagement of the Forest and Peatland programme with students and staff at University of Edinburgh. This 9-month project focuses on developing an engagement strategy and beginning outreach activities.

Please refer to the project brief and the skills listed below when outlining your skills and experience in your application.

Earth Fellowships are only open to current postgraduate and PhD students at the University of Edinburgh based in the UK. Please do not apply if you will not be an on-campus University of Edinburgh student in the ‘26/’27 academic year.

This post will be appointed at Grade UE07, step 1 which is £41,064 per annum, pro rata (£22.50 per hour).

As an Earth Fellow, you will be joining a diverse, fun and dynamic team of researchers, students and staff all working together to address the global climate emergency. As part of the Earth Fellows programme, you will have access to co-working space, exciting networking and personal development opportunities and opportunities to contribute towards partnerships and solutions for climate change on a global scale.

Earth Fellows work on individual and team-based projects which contribute to the University of Edinburgh and Edinburgh Earth Initiative’s work on climate change research-led impact, innovation, engagement, and teaching.

Your skills and attributes for success:

• Current University of Edinburgh PhD student in the ‘26/’27 academic year. If you’re nearing completion of your PhD please check your eligibility with [e-mail] before applying.


• Strong written and verbal communication to engage with diverse audiences.


• Experience in strategic communications and stakeholder engagement.


• Understanding of various social media platforms and tools for creating content that resonates.


• Familiarity with digital tools and software for creating and managing content, such as content management systems (CMS), graphic design software (like Adobe Creative Suite), and basic video editing tools.


• Strong interpersonal skills to build and maintain professional relationships with colleagues, staff and student groups.


• Comfortable working both independently and collaboratively within a supportive team.


• Understanding and interest in environmental and sustainability issues. Familiarity with the Forest and Peatland Programme would be a plus.


• Experience with developing communication tools and developing engagement strategies (desirable).


• Experience in organising an event (desirable).

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, including generous annual leave entitlement, a defined benefits pension scheme, a wide range of staff discounts, family-friendly initiatives, and flexible work options. Check out the full list on our staff benefits page and use our reward calculator to discover the 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 our right 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 26 October 2026.

Unless stated otherwise, the closing time for applications is 11:59 pm (UK time). If you are applying from outside the UK, the closing time shown on our adverts will automatically adjust to your browser’s local time zone.

Interviews will be held during October.