Senior Marine Ornithologist

Scottish Government; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job description

Description

Do you want to use your scientific and research expertise to play an important role in decisions made on the sustainable delivery of marine renewables and the marine environment?

The Marine Renewables and Ecology Team (MRE) in the Marine Directorate provides specialist scientific advice to stakeholders, regulators, and policymakers. The team currently has around 25 staff who advise on the potential environmental impacts of marine renewable energy on key receptors such as birds, marine mammals, fish, fisheries, benthic habitats, and diadromous fish.

We are looking to strengthen our team by recruiting two senior marine ornithologists, focusing on seabirds, a key environmental receptor group related to marine renewable energy.

As Senior Marine Ornithologist, you will provide scientific advice on marine birds for Scottish Government, supporting regulatory, planning, and policy workstreams related to marine renewable energy development. You will contribute to both internal research programs like ScotMER and external initiatives such as ORJIP and OWEC. Your role involves experimental design, data collection, analysis, and communicating findings effectively to non-specialists, engaging with academia, statutory bodies, and NGOs.

While primarily focused on marine renewables, the role offers flexibility to work on other high-priority areas within the Marine Directorate.

Responsibilities

• Lead on preparing scientific advice and guidance on seabirds within Scottish Government, mainly related to marine renewables but also other marine activities and conservation areas.
• Identify knowledge gaps in ornithology that affect Scottish Government objectives and deliver research to address these gaps, ensuring advice is based on the best available evidence.
• Represent Scottish Government at external meetings on these issues.
• Create high-quality communication materials for internal and external audiences.
• Seek opportunities for external funding to support marine ornithology projects.
• This role may involve people and project management, with support for developing leadership skills.

Qualifications

Essential: PhD in a relevant subject or equivalent work experience. Please specify your qualifications in your CV or personal statement.

Success Profile

Skills, experience, and behaviors assessed include:

• Technical Skills: Communicating science and engineering for government (Leader), Broad thinking (Practitioner). More details available in the GSE Career Framework.
• Experience: Extensive knowledge of seabird ecology or population biology, familiarity with legislation, research, and assessment tools relevant to offshore wind impacts in Scottish and European waters. Proven research track record and ability to communicate complex science effectively.
• Behaviors: Making Effective Decisions – Level 3. More info in the candidate guide linked.

How to Apply

Apply online before midnight on 21 April 2025, including a CV and a supporting statement (up to 1000 words) demonstrating how you meet the skills, experience, and behaviors outlined.

Further assessments, if invited, will include an interview and presentation scheduled for May, subject to change.