Marine Ornithologist

**Details**:
**Reference number**:

- 432570

**Salary**:

- £36,944 - £42,244
- A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

GBP

**Job grade**:

- Higher Executive Officer
- B2

**Contract type**:

- Permanent

**Type of role**:

- Science

**Working pattern**:

- Full-time

**Number of jobs available**:

- 1

**Contents**:

- Location
- About the job
- Benefits
- Things you need to know

**Location**:

- Aberdeen

**About the job**:
**Job summary**:
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 policy makers. The MRE team currently has around 25 staff who provide advice within government on the potential environmental impacts of marine renewable energy on key receptors including birds, marine mammals, fish and fisheries, benthic habitats, and diadromous fish.

A key environmental receptor group in relation to marine renewable energy are seabirds, and we are looking to build our team of scientists by recruiting an additional marine ornithologist.

As a Marine Ornithologist, you will provide scientific advice within Scottish Government on marine birds, including on regulatory, planning, and policy workstreams related to marine renewable energy development. You will contribute to both internal (the Scottish Marine Energy Research (ScotMER) Programme) and external (e.g. Offshore Renewables Joint Industry Partnership (ORJIP), Offshore Wind Evidence and Change (OWEC) Programme) renewables research initiatives.

**Job description**:

- Support the Senior Marine Ornithologists in the preparation of scientific advice and guidance on seabirds within Scottish Government. This will principally be in relation to marine renewables but may also relate to other marine construction activities, marine conservation, ecosystem resilience and other policy areas.
- Identify ornithology knowledge gaps that are key constraints to the delivery of Scottish Government objectives and support research (externally commissioned, in house or collaborative) that addresses these to ensure that advice within Government is based on the best available evidence and practice.
- Prepare high-quality and clear materials to ensure effective communications with a range of internal Scottish Government colleagues and teams, and external stakeholders.
- Help to identify and pursue opportunities to secure external income to support relevant marine ornithology work.

**Person specification**:
**Qualifications**

Minimum of a relevant BSc (Hons), or equivalent relevant work experience.

**Success profile**

**Technical / Professional Skills**:

- Communicating Science and Engineering for Government - **Practitioner level**:

- Broad Thinking - **Practitioner level**
- You can find out more about the skills required here

**Experience**- A good understanding of seabird ecology and/or population biology, and familiarity with legislation, research and assessment tools (e.g. collision risk modelling, displacement assessment, population viability analysis) relevant to marine bird impacts of Offshore Wind in Scottish and European waters.- Experience of ecological research including an ability to critique scientific methods and results.

**Behaviours**:

- Making effective decisions - **Level 3**

**Qualifications**:

- Minimum of a relevant BSc (Hons), or equivalent relevant work experience.

**Behaviours**:
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

- Making Effective Decisions

**Technical skills**:
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

- Communicating Science and Engineering for Government - Practitioner level
- Broad Thinking - Practitioner level

**Benefits**:

- Alongside your salary of £36,944, Scottish Government contributes £10,702 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

**Things you need to know**:
**Selection process details**:

- This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.
- If invited for further assessment, this will consist of an **interview** and **presentation**.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

**Security**:

- People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

**Nationality requirements**:
This job is broadly open to the following groups:

- UK nationals
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals of C