Marine Survey Ecologist

Post Title: Marine Survey Ecologist
Team: Marine Monitoring Team
Ref No: 202531
Grade: H (HEO)
Type of appointment: 2 year Fixed-term

This post will have a base in Peterborough.

JNCC has adopted a hybrid working approach, allowing colleagues to benefit from time in the office, with the flexibility also to work from home. Employees are expected to work from one of our office bases for a few days a month as a minimum with attendance expected at regular face to face team meetings. This post has responsibilities for managing JNCC survey equipment storage in Peterborough. Arrangements will vary by team and the exact balance will depend on the nature of your role. We can provide more details at the interview and offer stages.

Who are JNCC?

Established in 1991, we’re the UK’s statutory advisor on issues affecting the natural environment across the UK and internationally. Our primary role is advising all four Governments of the UK. We also work with private sector organisations to support decision making on the sustainable use of marine waters and natural resources around the UK. JNCC is led by the Joint Committee, which brings together members from the nature conservation bodies for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and independent members appointed by the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs under an independent Chair. Support is provided to the Committee by approx. 300 people who bring together scientific and technical expertise, extensive knowledge of policy at global, European and national levels, and skills in working with other organisations. Staff are based in two main offices in Peterborough and Aberdeen.

Why JNCC?

We’re small enough (c.300 staff) that your voice is heard by everyone including the CEO, but big enough that we have all the skills, resources and people you’ll need to get the job done. All our staff are passionate about conservation and making a difference to the world we live in. We have a very flexible, inclusive and welcoming organisational culture. Our Executive Management provides employees with the freedom and tools you will need, and our friendly team will assist you in your role.

JNCC is committed to maintaining employee health and wellbeing, whether it is physically, emotionally, financially or socially, and offers a range of benefits to support employees in this. Such benefits include the option to join the Civil Service Pension Scheme, professional and personal development opportunities as well as an exciting job in a unique environment.

Hours of work: Full-time

Normal minimum hours of attendance for the post are 36 hours per week over a 5-day period, Monday to Friday.

Flexi time is available. This post may also be suitable for job share.

Annual Leave:

The annual leave allowance is 25 days per year, rising to 30 days per year after 5 years’ service. There are also 12 days public and privilege leave. Part-time staff will receive this on a pro rata basis.

Post background

JNCC are looking for a Marine Survey Ecologist to join the Marine Monitoring Team and support the planning and delivery of our offshore UK marine surveys and associated projects. Using your knowledge of marine biodiversity and offshore benthic surveys, you will help develop, plan and implement surveys and manage delivery of survey data analyses and reports for marine monitoring of offshore UK waters. You will also lead the development of standards, guidelines and methods at a UK and international level for matters such as data management and marine survey techniques.

You will work under the guidance of JNCC’s Marine Monitoring Manager and Marine Monitoring Team Leaders. Working with a range of other specialists, both within JNCC and in other organisations, including with colleagues in the country nature conservation bodies (NatureScot, Natural England, Natural Resources Wales, Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Northern Ireland) and other public bodies (e.g. CEFAS, The Scottish Government’s Marine Directorate, MMO, Environment Agency).

Post Duties

• Prepare objectives and specifications for offshore MPA and wider environment surveys and lead in the development of survey designs, including consideration of experimental design, statistical power, appropriate sampling techniques and value for money;
• Liaise with partner organisations to manage survey delivery, including participating in offshore seabed surveys with partner organisations;
• Contribute to quality assurance of survey deliverables including proper use of taxonomic nomenclature, appropriate statistical analyses, and validity of any conclusions drawn;
• Management of JNCCs pool of personal protective equipment and survey equipment
• Manage contracts including procurement (specification, tendering and letting contracts, with support from our procurement specialists).
• Define the methods, standards, quality control procedures and sampling strategies needed to deliver monitoring for benthic habitats; and ensure that all collated information and data are archived/stored appropriately.
• Produce monitoring reports arising from our MPA monitoring programme by undertaking multivariate statistical analysis of trends and reporting the findings;
• Contributing to the improvement of the Marine Habitat Classification for Britain and Ireland and the marine part of the European habitat classification system, EUNIS.
• Disseminate information on JNCC’s marine work, including preparation of peer reviewed papers and reports, updates to the relevant pages of JNCC’s website, and presentations at conferences and meetings.
• Provide specialist scientific and policy advice to internal and external customers.
• Provide a secretariat role for internal and external working groups.
• Organise events such as meetings, workshops and webinars for internal or external participants; includes planning, logistics, facilitation, notes and reporting.
• Support to the team and organisation as needed, including planning, administration, project and task management, reporting, development of funding proposals and activities to further team cohesion.

Technical

To be a successful candidate you will be/have:

• Knowledge and understanding of the marine biodiversity in UK waters, including knowledge of the UK and European marine habitat classifications.
• Knowledge of planning and undertaking seabed monitoring surveys with experience working at sea on research vessels. This includes using a variety of techniques, such as seabed imagery, grab and core sampling, and acoustic survey.
• Knowledge of seabed data interpretation techniques across a variety of data types, such as seabed images, grab and core samples, and acoustic data.
• Understanding of data management principles and practice, including quality assurance and quality control procedures for marine biodiversity data.
• Verifiable experience in the use of standard office software, databases, GIS and statistical packages, to manipulate, interrogate and interpret spatial datasets, including experience of integrating and analysing different types of data from multiple sources.

Experience (Responsibilities)

To be a successful candidate you will have:

• Educated to degree level or equivalent qualification in a relevant subject and/or relevant recent practical work experience that provides the following knowledge, experience and behaviours.

Behaviours

• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

In the event that we receive a large volume of applications we reserve the right to conduct the sift based on the Lead Behaviour of Making Effective Decisions

Please see the CS Behaviours framework for more details at this grade.

Nationality requirements 

This job is broadly open to the following groups: 

• UK nationals
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
• certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals

JNCC do not provide sponsorship.

Closing date and interview date

The closing date for this post is 23:55 on Sunday, 20 July 2025

The anticipated interview date is week commencing Monday 4 August or Monday, 11 August 2025