Job details: Job referenceP86834 Date posted23/02/2023 Application closing date19/03/2023 LocationExeter SalaryThe starting salary will be from £31,411 up to £36,386 on Grade E, depending on qualifications and experience. PackageGenerous holiday allowances, flexible working, pension scheme and relocation package (if applicable). Contractual hours36.5 BasisFull-time Job category/typeResearch .
Job description; Faculty of Health and Life Sciences:
This new full-time post is available from 1 May 2023 on a fixed term basis until November 2024. We welcome applications from candidates interested in working part-time hours or job-sharing arrangements.
The post
The Faculty wishes to recruit a Postdoctoral Research Associate to support the work of Dr Joah Madden. This post, funded by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC), is available from 1 May 2023 until 1 November 2024. The successful applicant will investigate and model the movement and dispersal behaviour of released gamebirds in the UK.
The post will produce a tool (a predictive model) for game and conservation managers. This model will accommodate GIS data across the UK and will serve 2 purposes. 1) It allows game and conservation managers to explore the likelihood of locally released birds venturing into sensitive areas. Optimal release site selection reduces damage to sensitive sites and hence conflicts between shooting and conservation interests.
2) It allows game managers to retain more released birds by selecting release sites from where birds disperse in a predictable, local manner, and so maximise harvest, bringing economic benefits but also meaning that fewer birds need be released to achieve this, reducing ethical and environmental costs of release.
Critically, this work will feed into consultations run by DEFRA regarding advice and legislation on the release of gamebirds around protected and sensitive areas. The work will involve high-level skills in spatial statistical analyses analysis and modelling, GIS and animal tracking field techniques.
About you
The successful applicant will be able to present information on research progress and outcomes, communicate complex information, orally, in writing and electronically and prepare proposals and applications to external bodies.
Applicants will possess a relevant PhD (or be nearing completion) or possess an equivalent qualification/experience in a related field of study and be able to demonstrate sufficient knowledge in the discipline and of research methods and techniques to work within established research programmes. Applicants will have some experience of movement and/or spatial analysis and some knowledge of agent-based models.
They should be meticulous in their data management and methodical in data manipulation and analysis as the work will involve multiple, large datasets. Ideally, applicants are able to collaborate and communicate effectively with a diversity of stakeholders (game managers, protected area managers, governmental departments etc).
Please ensure you read the Job Description and Person Specification for full details of this role by clicking on the attachment.
What we can offer you
- Freedom (and the support) to pursue your intellectual interests and to work creatively across disciplines to produce internationally exciting research;
- Support teams that understand the University wide research and teaching goals and partner with our academics accordingly;
- An Innovation, Impact and Business directorate that works closely with our academics providing specialist support for external engagement and development;
- Our Exeter Academic initiative supporting high performing academics to achieve their potential and develop their career;
- A multitude of staff benefits including sector leading benefits around maternity, adoption and shared parental leave (up to 26 weeks full pay), Paternity leave (up to 6 weeks full pay), and a new Fertility Treatment Policy;
- A beautiful campus set in the heart of stunning Devon.
The University of Exeter
We are a member of the prestigious Russell Group of research-intensive universities and in the top 150 universities in the world (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2022 and QS World University Ranking 2022). We combine world-class teaching with world-class research, achieving a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework Award 2017.
Our research income in recent years means we’re the fastest growing UK Research University with some of the world’s most influential scientists, and we seek to answer some of the most fundamental issues facing humankind today through this. 98% of our research is of international quality (2014 Research Excellence Framework). We encourage proactive engagement with industry, business and community partners to enhance the impact of research and education and improve the employability of our students.
Read about our world leading research – Green Futures and how we are transforming education for a changing world. We are located in a beautiful part of the country and Exeter (a fast growing tech hub) is one of only a few UK cities to have been designated as a UNESCO Creative City
Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Commitment
With over 27,000 students and 6,400 staff from 180 different countries we offer a diverse and engaging environment where our diversity is celebrated and valued as a major strength. We are committed to creating an inclusive culture where all members of our community are supported to thrive; where diverse voices are heard through our engagement with evidence-based charter frameworks for gender (Athena SWAN), race equality (Race Equality Charter Mark), LGBTQ+ inclusion (Stonewall Diversity Champion) and as a Disability Confident employer.
Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented within our working community. Reasonable adjustments are available for interviews and workplaces. For further information please contact Joah Madden, Associate Professor, e-mail j.r.madden@ex.ac.uk or telephone (01392) 01326. The closing date for completed applications is Sunday 19 March. Interviews are expected to take place between 27 and 31 March 2023.
Attachments: Job_Description_P86834.pdf