About the job

Job summary

Are you looking for a job which would allow you to play an important role in tackling the climate change emergency by helping to enable the sustainable development of offshore wind in Scotland? 

The Marine Directorate of the Scottish Government are looking for someone who is passionate about applying and communicating the best available science in policy and decision making, has expertise in acoustic telemetry and fieldwork and is enthusiastic about applying their analytical skills to improve the understanding of the effect of human activities on the marine environment.  If this is you, then we would like to hear from you. 

  

In January 2022, Crown Estate Scotland announced the successful applicants to the ScotWind offshore wind leasing round.  This phase of offshore wind leasing in Scottish waters will help Scotland meet its Net Zero targets, become carbon neutral by 2045 and tackle the climate emergency. The Scottish Government is responsible for identifying where the ScotWind projects will be located, administering the related offshore planning consents, and ensuring that projects are delivered in an environmentally sustainable manner. The Renewables and Ecology Team (R&E) in the Marine Directorate provide specialist scientific advice to regulators and policy makers throughout the process of reaching our renewable targets.  

The R&E team currently has approximately 25 staff who provide advice within government on the potential environmental impacts of marine energy on key receptors including birds, marine mammals, fish and fisheries, benthic habitats, and diadromous fish. Our specialist advisors also provide advice on other Scottish Government policy priorities, such as marine protected area management and the regulation of other non-renewable marine activities. 

You will be expected to be at sea on fieldwork for at least 45 days per annum, supporting research projects collecting data on tagged fish within the marine environment, preparing equipment, deploying and recovering equipment at sea and downloading data.  A key part of the role is to manage that data in a secure and objective way so that it is easily accessible and available for analysis.  

This is a 2 year Fixed Term Appointment with no possibility of extension.

Job description

• Contribute to the maintenance, setup, deployment and recovery of acoustic monitoring equipment used in fish telemetry and marine mammal underwater noise research.
• Participate in seagoing fieldwork from the Marine Directorate’s research vessels Scotia and Alba na Mara, and from chartered vessels with an expected minimum of 45 seagoing days per annum.
• Manage, collate and store data from research projects into databases to enable efficient data sharing and subsequent analysis.
• Work with colleagues to assist in the development of safe and robust protocols and procedures for data collection and field equipment management.

Person specification

1. Demonstrable experience of the setup, operation and maintenance of scientific equipment, working to established protocols.
2. Demonstrable experience of working on seagoing vessels.
3. Demonstrable experience of working within health and safety procedures in relation to field or laboratory work. 
4. An ability to work both independently and as part of a team to successfully deliver defined tasks effectively and on time.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £32,140, Scottish Government contributes £8,677 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

Sift and Interview dates TBC
Please apply using the link provided

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. 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 Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.