Statistician And/or Senior Statistician

Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland (BioSS) seeks two quantitative scientists interested in developing a personal research profile and delivering statistical consultancy across the environmental, food and agricultural sciences. Our society is facing multiple challenges, where we need to simultaneously increase food security, reduce our impact on climate change, and increase biodiversity; the quantitative sciences are pivotal in responding to these issues. With rapidly evolving technologies generating large complex data sets, these positions offer exciting opportunities for innovative scientists to build stimulating careers in a dynamic and collegial working environment. One post is focused on work to improve livestock health and welfare, working primarily with the Moredun Research Institute and SRUC (Scotland’s Rural College). The other offers opportunities to work across a broad area of scientific areas, primarily with SRUC.
Potential applicants may contact Dr Sarah Brocklehurst () to discuss these positions.
**Statistician/Senior Statistician Specialising in Animal Health and Welfare Applications**
**Main Purpose of Job**
- Development of a portfolio of personal research in applied statistics, mathematical modelling or bioinformatics motivated by quantitative problems encountered in collaborative AHW projects.

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Main Duties of Postholder*
- Contribute quantitative expertise to collaborative research projects, focussed on (but not limited to) animal health and welfare activities.
- Deliver research, developing statistical, modelling or bioinformatics methods, with clear relevance to the Scottish Government funded Strategic Research Programme.
- Contribute to the development and delivery of BioSS training courses for research scientists.
- Develop strong collaborative links with specific groups of scientists.
- Contribute to meetings with stakeholders from scientific and non-scientific backgrounds.
- Support building new collaborative links with government agencies, NGOs, universities, research institutes and commercial organisations.
- Contribute to raising BioSS’ external profile by presenting work at relevant national and international conferences.

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Person Specification*
**Qualifications/Experience/Skills**
**Essential**
- A PhD in statistics, biomathematics or another very closely related quantitative discipline, or an MSc with commensurate post-qualification development and work experience.
- Experience of development and use of modern quantitative methods applied to real-world examples. No specific area of experience is ‘essential’, but examples of desirable fields are listed below.
- A track record of research and/or collaboration evidenced by scientific journal and conference papers in a methodological field relevant to animal health and welfare.
- Strong general statistical skills, including an understanding of relevant areas such as: experimental design, regression, mixed models, generalised linear models, generalised additive models, multivariate analysis.
- Good statistical programming ability in R or another high-level statistical programming platform.
- The ability to work independently.
- Evidence of good written communication skills.
- Strong verbal communication skills, including the ability to give effective spoken presentations, to both quantitative and wider scientific audiences.
- _For appointment at Band E, applicants should demonstrate a stronger past track record across most of these attributes. In addition, evidence of ability to initiate and manage collaborations, lead projects and to manage people are essential for the more senior role._

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Desirable*
- Different skills sets would fit the remit of the post, any of which would be desirable. For example, experience in any of:

- Experimental design;
- Advanced multivariate methods;
- Pathogen phylogenetics and phylodynamics;
- Diagnostic test evaluation;
- Mathematical modelling of livestock disease and husbandry systems;
- Individual (agent)-based modelling;
- Bayesian Hierarchical Modelling.

This list is explicitly not exhaustive; all applicants who believe that they have expertise relevant to the post will be welcome.
- Experience of communicating with government and commercial clients.
- Experience communicating scientific activity to the public, including use of social media.

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Statistician/Senior Statistician Specialising in Environment, Food and Agriculture*
**Main Purpose of Job**
- Development of a portfolio of personal research in applied statistics, mathematical modelling or bioinformatics motivated by quantitative problems encountered in collaborative environmental, food and agricultural projects.

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Main Duties of Postholder*
- Contribute quantitative expertise to collaborative research projects, focussing on some of these areas: soils and crops, animal behaviour and welfare, crop and livestock disease control, agricultural emissions, biodiversity, agri-food systems, and agri-economics and social science