Research and Intern Assistant

Research and Intern Assistant

The Sea Watch Foundation is seeking a Research and Intern Assistant for the 2025 season at its new field office in Anglesey, North Wales, to engage in an exciting new citizen science initiative to engage local communities and visitors in observing and recording marine mammals and birds around Caernarfon Bay. This work will entail marine mammal and seabird surveys from land and boats, public engagement and research work. 

This position will suit a volunteer who has a strong interest in marine conservation and recognises the importance of raising awareness of the marine environment by involving the public from all age groups. This position can be very varied, so applicants will need to demonstrate their ability to deal with varied tasks from overseeing research interns, public outreach to boat based survey and scientific data collection. They will be encouraged to take initiatives and support the Project Lead and Outreach Officer I all aspect of the work, as well as with education & outreach activities in the region which due to its natural beauty receives large numbers of visitors during the summer.

The assistant will be responsible for the following duties: 

• Overseeing the activities of the team of up to six interns resident at any one time, with support from the Project Manager 
• Overseeing upkeep of the accommodation and office spaces 
• Supporting the Project Manager and Outreach Officer in their roles 
• Supporting the research interns in their work and reporting progress to the Project Manager 
• Delivering training to research interns once confident enough to do so 
• Raising Sea Watch Foundation’s profile locally (organising events, talking to the public, liaising with local stakeholders to develop further internship activities) 
• Undertaking marine mammal and seabird surveys from land and participating in boat-based surveys 
• Engaging with local communities, encouraging and training citizen scientists to collect data on marine mammals and seabirds 
• Promoting and organising the National Whale and Dolphin Watch education and outreach activities
• Preparing data outputs and summaries 
• Participating in presentations and creating activities to take to local schools/groups, as well as using our specialised talks at local events
• Creating educational/promotional materials (posters, displays, flyers) 
• Social networking (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, blogs, website) on a routine basis 
• Participating in training courses in Anglesey and Gwynedd 
• Representing Sea Watch at public events around Anglesey and Gwynedd 
• Training and supervision will be provided by the Project Manager for the duration of their stay. 

The field season will run from March to October and for Research Interns it has been split into periods of 6 weeks. Typical office hours are from 10:00am to 17:00 pm, 5 days a week, working days will be a mixture of weekdays and weekends. Ideally our RIA will stay for the whole season, however if not possible, the role can be split into 2 sessions.

RIA sessions for summer 2025:

1st Session: 31st March – 20th July

2nd Session: 20th July – 5th November

The assistant will be based on the Bodorgan Estate, Anglesey. Accommodation will be provided rent free in a house shared with the Research Interns. The assistant will have their own room with a double bed and is responsible for their own travel and living costs. Utility bills for this post will be covered by the project.

International applications are welcome, but it is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure visa requirements are met and we ask applicants to highlight their chosen visa option in their application. Please note that Sea Watch Foundation is unable to sponsor visa applications for Research Interns.

Important skills/qualifications 

Essential: 

• A strong interest in marine conservation and education 
• A background in marine biology/environmental science or similar 
• The ability to delegate, get on well with others in a small team and within shared accommodation 
• Outgoing personality, confidence and experience in public awareness 
• Some experience of working with children/young people 
• Excellent verbal and writing skills and some experience of public speaking 
• Must have initiative, motivation, the ability to bring their own ideas and personality to the position and be able to think on your feet 
• Strong commitment to volunteering work 
• One’s own transport (travel costs within the project will be covered) 
• Ability to work independently, in an organised and reliable manner and to manage a variable workload. 
• Should always represent SWF professionally 
• Ability to work and live cooperatively with other volunteers in an isolated location 
• Good IT skills (Office package) 

Desirable: 

• A strong interest and some knowledge of British marine mammals and birds 
• Experience with R Studio & QGIS 
• Experience with creating social media content 
• Willingness to work long hours, sometimes outdoors in very changeable Welsh weather 
• Ability to speak Welsh
• Experience with DSLR cameras 
• Experience with boat handling and boat survey work 

The Sea Watch Foundation 

The Sea Watch Foundation is a national marine environmental research charity that aims to achieve better conservation of whales and dolphins in the seas around Britain and Ireland, by involving the public in scientific monitoring of populations and the threats they face. It is the longest-running research charity in the UK focusing upon cetaceans around the British Isles, and maintains a national sightings database, the largest in Europe. It works closely with all the UK statutory conservation agencies, and has provided advice to the UK government, the UNEP Regional inter-governmental Conservation Agreement - ASCOBANS, and the European Commission, as well as the major conservation charities and marine industries operating in the UK. 

For the past 21 years, Sea Watch Foundation (http://www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk/) has been monitoring the dolphins, porpoises and whales that inhabit Cardigan Bay in West Wales, documenting abundance trends, identifying conservation threats, and advising on the best ways to protect the populations both within and outside the Special Areas of Conservation. Alongside its own scientific surveys and research, Sea Watch has for more than thirty years pioneered citizen science as well as run a range of education and outreach programmes.

Public Awareness 

We aim to raise awareness and understanding of the importance of the marine wildlife and the habitats supporting them, to encourage respect and conservation of the marine environment for future generations. We also run training courses for the public in cetacean and seabird identification and survey methods.