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Post title:	Marine Mapping Scientist
Salary: £ 26,533 per annum
Type of appointment:	Up to 2 years Fixed Term Appointment
Location:	Peterborough
Closing date:	09:00 on 21 July 2014
 
Post background:
JNCC are looking for a scientist to join our Marine Evidence Team, to work primarily on the Marine Habitat Mapping Project. The main functions of the Project are to obtain and archive seabed habitat data, develop and advise on the Marine Habitat Classification System for Britain and Ireland, compose geo-data layers showing the most up-to-date collection of habitat data according to various classification systems, publish habitat data through online interactive web portals and work to ensure that there is a common approach to marine habitat mapping across the UK. This work supports conservation advice for all types of UK MPA, facilitates monitoring and assessment surveys of MPAs, contributes to the JNCC Marine Biodiversity Monitoring Strategy by allowing prioritisation of monitoring resources based on risk, and forms the foundation for development of a number of Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) biodiversity indicators.
 
Post Duties:
The post holder will work with other members of the Marine Evidence Team to deliver robust evidence to support JNCC’s conservation advice. The Marine Evidence Programme is cross-cutting and the post holder will work collaboratively with all of the programmes within JNCC’s Marine Directorate and the Access to Information Programme. The post holder will also work extensively with colleagues in the statutory nature conservation bodies, with UK Government officials in relevant departments, and with colleagues from other EU Member States.

The Marine Mapping Scientist will undertake a range of duties such as (but not limited to):
- Taking a lead role in the collation, cataloguing, re-interpretation and management of existing UK seabed habitat data;
- Maintaining and further developing dissemination of marine benthic habitat data through online interactive mapping systems and other portals, including developing the online portal for the EMODnet Seabed Habitats (EUSeaMap) project;
- Building relationships and liaising with colleagues in the Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies, UK Government, Devolved Administrations and research organisations to promote and coordinate the preparation and acquisition of quality assured marine habitat maps and associated data;
- Collaborating on an international scale to improve habitat mapping across national borders, including coordinating the collation of OSPAR threatened and/or declining habitat data for the Northeast Atlantic;
- Providing advice on seabed habitat mapping to internal and external colleagues and the public;
- Participating in and/or manage contracts to support the work of the JNCC Marine Habitat Mapping project.

Although this is a Fixed Term Appointment for 2 years, in order to account for changes in priorities during this period the post holder may be required to fulfil duties within the Marine Directorate other than those listed above. These duties will require the same set of competencies listed below.

The majority of the work will be office-based; however, the post-holder will also be required to attend meetings and workshops in UK and possibly Europe, which is likely to involve staying away from home on occasion overnight or for up to a week’s duration. There may also be opportunities to participate in field surveys at sea (for up to several weeks at a time); however it would be possible to opt out.
 
Specialist and Technical skills:
- Degree or equivalent qualification and relevant recent practical work experience that provides the following essential knowledge and experience:
- Knowledge and understanding of the UK’s marine biodiversity, including a working knowledge of the national and/or EUNIS marine habitat classification system and the spatial and temporal variation in habitat character.
- Knowledge of the types of data available from marine biological surveys of the seabed in inshore or offshore environments, including remote-sensing, sampling and in-situ marine survey techniques, and the limitations associated with these data.
- Extensive experience in the use of standard office software, databases, and GIS packages (preferably ESRI™ ArcGIS) to manipulate, interrogate and interpret spatial datasets, including experience of integrating and analysing different types of marine data from multiple sources.
- Knowledge of, and practical experience in, at least one of the following:
  o    Computer programming concepts and language(s), e.g. Python, JavaScript
  o    Development of web-based mapping applications
  o    Creation of seabed habitat maps and/or models using seabed survey data and/or oceanographic data
- Ability to manage datasets, create audit trails, version control, establish processes/rules for changing or archiving them, and understand the principles of licensing.

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