Please reply to the address given below.

Scientific Liaison Officer 

Scientific Liaison and Publications Officer for the Environmental
Change Network (ECN)  & Scientific Secretary to the Countryside Survey
Advisory Group

Environmental Change Network (ECN)

The ECN, founded in 1992, is the UK's national long-term monitoring
and research initiative, co-ordinated by the National Environment
Research Council on behalf of a consortium of sponsors. The ECN
programme involves the monitoring, storage and analysis of a broad
range of chemical, physical and biological measurements from a network
of sites (currently 12 terrestrial and 42 freshwater) throughout the
UK, according to standard protocols. Each site has a Site Manager or
person responsible for overseeing ECN activities from data capture
through to sending data to the ECN Central Co-ordinating Unit (CCU),
based at the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology's Merlewood Research
Station at Grange-over-Sands in Cumbria. The CCU is a small team
(Co-ordinator, Data Manager, two Assistant Data Managers,
Statistician, International Co-ordinator) which is responsible for
co-ordinating the Programme, managing the central database and
analysing the data. The advertised post will join this team which,
together with Site managers for two NERC sites, forms the
Environmental Change Section at CEH Merlewood. For more information
about ECN see http://www.nmw.ac.uk/ecn/.

The post holder will be responsible for a range of scientific liaison
and publicity activities for the ECN. These activities will include:
1) Producing ECN News (newsletter), including authoring articles; 2)
Preparing ECN promotional materials (general and audience specific);
3) Developing and exploiting electronic publications for scientific,
policy and educational users; 4) Co-ordinating the publication of ECN
books; 5) Publicising events organised by ECN; 6) assisting other ECN
staff with the production of visual aids and ad-hoc PR materials; and
7) Assisting with the scientific administration of national and
international networking activities. The post holder will need to be
able to present and interpret scientific data to a range of audiences
in scientific, policy, educational and public arenas. To accomplish
these activities it will be necessary for the post holder to develop
and maintain strong links with ECN site managers and to ascertain the
requirements of potential ECN users through extensive liaison. The
post holder will develop the skills necessary to exploit and promote
ECN information in national and international policy arenas. This will
include the development, interpretation and promotion of ECN
indicators of environmental change.

Countryside Survey 2000

The government is undertaking a major national audit of the habitats,
plants, landscape features and land types of the British countryside
to mark the end of the Millennium. Countryside Survey 2000 (CS2000)
will repeat and extend previous surveys undertaken at intervals over
the last 20 years. It will provide measures of the current state of
the countryside and indicators describing the changes that have taken
place. The survey is a partnership between several Government
Departments, Agencies and the Natural Environment Research Council
(NERC) in the form of a jointly funded research programme. It will not
only repeat previous measurements but it will establish new techniques
and break new ground in the integration of field-based and satellite
observation of the earth's surface. CS2000 will provide information
necessary for reporting on biodiversity in the wider countryside,
measuring progress towards sustainable development and detecting the
impacts of human activities and global environmental change. The
results will be published in the year 2000. For more information about
CS2000 see http://www.cs2000.org.uk/

The post holder will be the Scientific Secretary to the Countryside
Survey Advisory Group, Reporting Subgroup and Joint Management Team,
and will be responsible for liaison with DETR and group members from
customer departments and agencies on matters related to the group's
and their activities. The post holder will also be responsible for
production of the twice-yearly CS2000 newsletter and for maintaining
the CS2000 web site. To carry out these duties, the post holder will
have to be well organised, familiar with word processing and
spreadsheet packages and have good communication skills. 

CEH Merlewood Research Station

CEH Merlewood is situated at Grange-over-Sands in pleasant country
surroundings on the edge of the Lake District. A staff of about 70,
rising to over 80 with students and overseas visitors, carry out
basic, strategic and commissioned environmental research in a number
of important areas of science. There is a strong academic environment,
combined with a friendly working atmosphere. This post offers an
opportunity to be involved with a small enthusiastic team working in a
topical and rewarding field. 

Candidates should have a minimum of a first degree in an
environmental science, excellent writing skills and preferably
experience in at least one of the following: environmental policy,
environmental publications and servicing scientific committees. 

The post is a 3 year fixed graded appointment at Band 6 (HSO).

For further details and an application form, please write to Ruth
Cooper, quoting reference number ITE 156.

Ruth Cooper, 
Admin HQ, 
ITE Monks Wood, 
Abbots Ripton, 
Huntingdon, 
Cambs PE17 2LS 

Email: [log in to unmask]

Closing date for receipt of applications is 18 November 1999.





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