Dear Applicant

Field Ecologist, Scotland (full-time)– Salary £18,000 per annum

Thank you for your enquiry regarding our advertised vacancy. An application form is enclosed, together with a job description, person specification and other background information about the RSPB. If you have seen this vacancy advertised on our website, please refer to ‘Working for the RSPB’ which contains information about our benefits, and terms and conditions. This document can be downloaded if required.

If you require any further information about this post please contact Dr Neil Cowie (neil.cowie@rspb.org.uk) or 07710 138581 or 0131 317 4140 or Jeff Waddell (jeff.waddell@rspb.org.uk) or 0131 317 4132.

Please can you complete the enclosed application form in blue or black ink. Please refer to the person specification when completing the form. Your completed application form should clearly describe how you meet each of the criteria that have been identified as being necessary for this post as this will form the basis of shortlisting candidates. If you enclose a CV, it may be referred to for supplementary information, however, please ensure that all the questions asked on the application form are fully answered.

We take all practicable steps to safeguard the safety and welfare of children or vulnerable adults while they are in contact with the RSPB and have a Child Safety and Welfare Policy that supports this. If the post you have applied for involves unsupervised access to children or vulnerable adults further checks will be carried out. We will also confirm your eligibility to work in the UK prior to appointment. Completed forms should be returned to Lynne Rodgers, RSPB Scotland HQ, 2 Lochside View, Edinburgh Park, Edinburgh, EH12 9DH. Please check the postage required on your application as incorrect postage may lead to your application being delayed and missing the closing date. If you require an acknowledgement of receipt of your application, please enclose a stamped, addressed envelope. Alternatively, you can email your application to lynne.rodgers@rspb.org.uk

The closing date for receipt of completed application forms is 9th July 2014. Interviews will be held at Edinburgh SHQ on 18th July 2014.

If you are an external candidate, may we take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in employment with the RSPB. As a charity, we try to keep our administrative costs to a minimum and therefore you will only be contacted if we wish to progress your application. If you have not heard from us within four weeks of the closing date, you should assume that your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion. However, if you are able to supply us with an e-mail address, we will endeavour to advise you if you have not been shortlisted.

We look forward to receiving your application in due course.

Neil CowieSenior Ecologist, RSPB Scotland

Vacancy pack

This pack contains all the information you need to apply, including:

Useful InformationDetails on our Diversity Policy statement, how we use CVs, shortlisting and employment checks and UK Identification requirements

Applicant letterDetails on how to apply plus closing date and interview date(s)

Job descriptionA breakdown of the vacancy, including the purpose of the job, requirements, duties and responsibilities

Person specificationA list of criteria that potential candidates should aim to meet

Department information*Details of the department advertising the post

Application FormPDF version

Please print out, complete and return to the address on the Applicant letterWord version

Applicants are encouraged to complete electronically and return by e-mail

* This information will only be provided if it is relevant to this post

Applications from candidates requiring a certificate of sponsorship under the UK points-based immigration system will not be considered if there are suitable candidates who do not require sponsorship. This is because employers need to demonstrate that they are unable to recruit a resident worker, before they can recruit a non-resident worker*.

The resident worker rule does not prevent applicants requiring sponsorship from applying for our vacancies, but such applications should be made on the understanding that they can only be considered subject to the restrictions above.

For further information, please visit the Home Office UK Border Agency website.

*This rule does not apply to those applying for roles that require a bachelor, postgraduate degree or postgraduate certificate in education qualification. It is necessary for the qualification to be an essential requirement for the role and the applicant to prove that they possess such a qualification (or have completed a minimum of 12 months study in the UK towards a UK PhD), which is recognised in the UK.

Useful InformationDiversity Policy StatementThe RSPB is part of a global network that incorporates a diversity of traditions and cultures, and which represents different inheritances, backgrounds, influences, perspectives and experiences. A better understanding of people’s differences will help us to appreciate and value everyone’s contribution, and recognise that we are all an integral and invaluable part of the Society.

Everyone has the right to be treated with consideration and respect. The Society is committed to achieving a truly inclusive environment for all, by developing better working relationships that release the full potential, creativity and productivity of each individual, and an atmosphere where everyone can learn, work and live free from prejudice, discrimination, harassment and violence.

The Society aims to ensure that all staff, volunteers, partners, clients, contractors, members and the general public are treated fairly. Unless it can be shown to be justified, this will be regardless of sex, sexual orientation, gender re-assignment, marital or civil partnership status, race (including colour, nationality, ethnicity, or national origin), disability, medical status, age, religion or belief, political opinion, social or economic status, or ex-offender status.

Use of Curriculum Vitae (CVs)Our policy is to recruit and employ our employees on the basis of their suitability for the work to be done. An application form allows us to compare individuals based on like for like information and as such we do not accept a CV unless accompanied by a fully completed application.

ShortlistingThe RSPB is an equal opportunities employer and we are committed to ensuring all applications are treated fairly. Applications are sought only from those eligible to work in the UK in the first instance.

All applications are subject to our shortlisting process where we only assess information provided against the Person Specification. If you are shortlisted we will contact you and invite you to attend an interview. You will also be advised at this point if there will be any skills test, presentations etc.

As a charity, we lack the resources to advise all candidates if their application is unsuccessful. If you do not hear from us within four weeks of the closing date, we will have decided not to take your application any further. However, if you are able to supply us with an e-mail address, we will endeavour to advise you if you have not been shortlisted. If this is the case, please do not be discouraged from re-applying as your skills and experience may be just what we need for our next vacancy. We also have a number of volunteering opportunities across the organisation.

Employment ChecksAll offers of employment are made subject to the following criteria:

Proof of eligibility to work in the UK, Proof of Residency, Satisfactory Employment Health Check, Two references satisfactory to the Society and where required a Satisfactory Criminal Records Bureau Check.

The Flow To The Future Project

Flow to the Future is a project being developed by the Peatlands Partnership in the Flow Country. The aim is to restore a large area of peatland and to increase awareness and understanding of the Flow Country. The project will run for 5 years from late summer 2014.

What will the project do?

Peatland restoration work to restore 7 square miles of forested and previously forested deep peat blanket bog on Forsinard Flows RSPB Reserve. Monitor and evaluate this work. Increase experience and understanding of peatland restoration.

An all ages learning programme, including schools work both at Forsinard and elsewhere in Caithness and Sutherland.

Provision of viewpoints and information at five roadside sites around the Flows in Caithness and Sutherland, new displays at Caithness Horizons and Strathnaver Museum.

Activities to raise awareness in communities in and around the Flows. Activities to raise awareness of wider audiences, encouraging some to visit and allowing those who

will never visit to learn about the Flow Country’s international importance for carbon storage and biodiversity. This will include a media campaign, website, multimedia presentation, touring exhibition, creative activities.

A new field centre at Forsinard Flows RSPB Reserve with education room, small laboratory, offices and accommodation for volunteers, students and visiting staff.

Increased volunteering opportunities both at Forsinard and elsewhere in Caithness and Sutherland. A viewing tower/observatory on the existing Dubh Lochans Trail at Forsinard Flows RSPB Reserve,

so that visitors can enjoy a comfortable raised view out over a peatland pool system and new access path. Full planning permission given Jan 2013.

Improvements to the displays in the Visitor Centre at Forsinard Flows RSPB Reserve. An Advisory Officer to provide peatland management related advice to land managers across

Caithness and Sutherland.

Who is involved?

The Peatlands Partnership is independently chaired and includes Scottish Natural Heritage, the Environmental Research Institute (Thurso), Forestry Commission Scotland, RSPB Scotland, Highland Council, Plantlife International, and other stakeholder organisations. The Partnership works to implement the "Management Strategy for the Peatlands of Caithness and Sutherland". The main funder of the Flow to the Future Project is the Heritage Lottery Fund. Other funders include member organisations of the Peatlands Partnership, the Tubney Trust, Scottish Government, SRDP, Green Stimulus/ Peatland Action, ERDF, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and WREN.

RSPB ScotlandRSPB Scotland is part of the RSPB, the UK based Charity that promotes the conservation of birds, and other wildlife and the natural environment.

The RSPB has operated in Scotland since at least 1904, and has a large presence in terms of the nature reserves it manages (over 80 in total from Shetland to Galloway), and with staff based across the country. RSPB Scotland is one of the largest land managers in Scotland, with responsibility for some 75,000ha of nature reserves – the majority owned.

Much of Scotland is of outstanding wildlife importance. Scotland holds two thirds of the UK’s most important sites for birds. Our seabirds, wading birds, wildfowl and birds of prey are significant not just in a European context, but also on a global scale. RSPB Scotland is active across the country working with local people, protecting and enhancing wildlife and habitats and welcoming visitors. Priority habitats include Caledonian pinewoods, upland peatlands, coasts and estuaries. Important species include capercaillie, black grouse, corncrakes, chough, red kites and white-tailed eagles. We also work on a range of other wildlife species, protecting rare bumblebees, moths, butterflies and wild flowers. Co-operative work is undertaken with Scottish Natural Heritage and other environmental NGOs often through the auspices of Environment LINK. RSPB Scotland works closely with the Scottish Government and advocates ideas to it, its agencies and the Scottish Parliament on a range of policies, including site protection, species protection, agriculture and forestry in the wider countryside and marine management issues, as well as for environmental education. We campaign to raise awareness of the threats to wildlife and special sites.

RSPB Scotland has a headquarters in Edinburgh where the director and specialist staff work on agriculture, forestry, marine and wetland conservation, planning matters, science and research, land agency, education, youth and volunteers, species protection, media and advocacy, public affairs and marketing. There are three regional offices located in Inverness, Aberdeen and Glasgow each has a regional director supported by a team with day-to-day responsibility for conservation work and liaison with local Government, farmers and other interests. Including the network of conservation officers and reserve-based staff, RSPB Scotland has some 300 established and long term contract employees plus many seasonal posts forming a network across the country of people working to protect birds and wildlife and encouraging people to enjoy our nature reserves.

The director and his staff benefit from the advice of the Committee for Scotland whose Chair sits “ex-officio” on the RSPB’s UK Council of Trustees. The Committee for Scotland meets quarterly and comprises 13 members appointed by Council to advise the Charity on its work and conduct in Scotland. We are registered with OSCR, the statutory regulator of charities in Scotland, as an England and Wales Charity with a substantial presence in Scotland.

RSPB Scotland is part of the RSPB, the UK-wide charity that speaks out for birds and wildlife, tackling the problems that threaten our environment. The RSPB is supported by more than a million members across the UK, and relies on charitable giving to fund its work. We are keen to build support with more people and communities and the corporate as well as commercial sector.

Peatlands Partnership

Job Title: FIELD ECOLOGIST

Department: Reserves Ecology, Species and Land Management (775)

Location of Job: Based on and around Forsinard Flows RSPB Reserve.

Proposed duration and start/end of contract: Fixed Term Contract, 1 August 2014 to 31 December 2014.

Post holder reports to: Neil Cowie, Senior Ecologist

Reporting To Post holder: None

Overall Purpose of the Job: To monitor the effects of Forest to Bog restoration management within the Forsinard Flows RSPB Reserve, following agreed protocols.

This role is part of the Peatlands Partnership’s Flow to the Future project, which is restoring a large area of peatland and monitoring its recovery.

Main Duties:1. Undertake field survey and monitoring projects by collecting data following agreed protocols to a

high and consistent standard. This will involve using specialised techniques, including surveying of vegetation and hydrology, and also will require the ability to read maps, use of a GPS and to record data accurately. More information is listed below under 'Additional details'.

2. Organise basic day to day planning and scheduling of project and provide feedback on progress to the line manager and the rest of the project team.

3. Responsible for any equipment procurement, preparation and checking. 4. Ensure all data are clearly and accurately recorded on standardised recording sheets and

catalogued. 5. Provide feedback to the other members of the project team on the practicalities of the protocols

and suggest improvements.6. Carry out data preparation, entry in Excel spreadsheets and checking. 7. Complete compilation and basic analyses and summary of data, and provide summary interim

report.8. Assist with other monitoring activities on the Forest to Bog restoration project, as required. 9. Maintain positive working relations with landowners/site managers/volunteers as required, and

gain support for any logistical assistance with monitoring work, and relocation monitoring infrastructure.

10. Be prepared to explain your work to interested parties and to be a responsible ambassador for the Peatlands Partnership and RSPB in all situations.

11. Specific duties will be agreed with your line manager as needed for any additional projects.

Other Duties

1. Observe H&S procedures at all times, as described in H&S handbook and your individual Risk Assessment form, which needs to be completed at the start of your employment. Ensure your Risk Assessment is kept up-to-date and reflects your current work.

2. Ensure that any equipment provided or paid for by the Society is maintained in good order and that any damage is reported to the line-manager as soon as possible.

3. Ensure you follow RSPB procedures at all times.

You will be part of the Reserves Ecology team, which advises on habitat management on the RSPB's nature reserves and monitors its effects. The job will involve spending extended periods of time in the field, often working alone or in small teams on the Reserve.

We expect you to carry out your job responsibilities in an environmentally aware manner, ensuring as little damage to the environment as possible. Our aim is to ensure all resources are utilised effectively and efficiently. You will be expected to apply ‘sound value for money’ principles in undertaking purchasing or supply of goods and services.

In the RSPB, volunteers are a major resource and make a vital contribution to the RSPB’s aim to take action for the conservation of wild birds and the environment. You will be expected to encourage, develop and support volunteer involvement in our work.

Additional details

The main duties for this post will be key elements of the large-scale Forest to Blanket Bog restoration project, carrying out monitoring of restoration areas, and blanket bog and standing forest control sites, in and around the North Raphan, Leir and Lonielist forest blocks, which form part of Forsinard Flows Reserve. Specifically, the expected duties are as follows:

1. Relocating vegetation sample points and associated dipwells and restore / replace markers as necessary. If possible, improve the standard of location information, and establish ways of marking the sites that are sustainable for longer-term monitoring work.

2. Carry out vegetation surveys at restoration and control plots using established standard protocols. Note that this needs to be taken down to species level for higher plant and most bryophyte species, so a good working knowledge of plant identification is required for these taxonomic groups.

3. Where necessary, build new dipwells and install and re-mark them where old dipwells have been lost or destroyed. Record necessary monitoring information at time of any dipwell re-installation e.g. peat depth, dipwell depth, GPS readings and distance along furrow /furrow number.

4. Check dipwell autologgers every 2 months and download data using Reserve laptop. Collate downloaded data with existing datasets.

5. Assist volunteers in carrying out manual readings of water tables every 2 week at dipwell locations in restoration areas, and comparable bog and forest areas.

6. Complete all data preparation from field forms, entry and checking using standardised spreadsheets already set up to record the monitoring baseline. Analyses will be completed to show changes in key vegetation parameters and water tables, and outputs summarised in charts, which will be incorporated into an interim report for the project.

7. Other duties as time permits, including (i) assistance with other monitoring and evaluation projects, as part of the Forest to Bog restoration project (ii) attendance at RSPB meetings and conferences, with the opportunity to feedback results of work.

Person SpecificationJob Title: Field Ecologist

Department: Species and Land Management, ScotlandHow criteria will be tested : A = Application Form, T = Test, I = Interview, P = Personality test, O = Other

Essential DesirableQualifications A T I P O Qualifications A T I P O1 A relevant degree (B.Sc or equivalent) Experience Experience2 Experience of having undertaken botanical surveys &

monitoring Experience of recording water tables using dipwells

and/or auto-loggers

3 First hand experience of carrying out research, survey or monitoring work for conservation purposes, in particular recording data accurately

Experience of working as part of a project team

Skills/Abilities Skills/Abilities4 Ability to identify bryophytes to species Familiarity with computer mapping software or GIS 5 Ability to identify UK vegetation including vegetative

grasses Ability to explain your work to interested parties and be

a responsible ambassador for peatlands, the Peatland Partnership and the RSPB

6 General computer skills – good level of Microsoft Office packages, in particular Excel

7 Experience of analyzing simple data (e.g. population trends) and report writing

8 Ability to carry out basic statistical analyses of data 9 Ability to travel and work flexibly (i.e. outside normal

working patterns), including in areas where there is little or no public transport.

10

Excellent map, GPS and ground measurement skills (for relocating dipwells post-restoration)

Knowledge Knowledge11 Understanding of ecological principals and their

application to habitat management for conservation, principally in a Scottish and UK context

Knowledge of peatland habitats and main conservation issues impacting blanket bogs in Scotland

General ecological & natural history knowledge gained from personal experience

Disposition/Circumstances Disposition/Circumstances12 Needs to work under own initiative 13 Needs to be willing to spend long periods working on

your own and away from home

14 A good, approachable communicator, able to work with site-based staff and understand their many demands

15 A team player, aware of their strengths and weaknesses and able to work with others to achieve shared objectives.

16 A positive outlook and attitude, with a passion for wildlife conservation.

PLEASE REFER TO VACANCY DETAILS FOR RETURN ADDRESSJob Ref. No. A1240614

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APPLICATION FOR EMPLOYMENT

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Relevant skills/knowledge/experienceYou should outline below how your skills/knowledge/experience meet the requirements of the Person Specification. You may draw on past employment and/or out of work activities. Please include details of any scientific papers you have had published. Continue on a separate sheet if necessary.

Application Pack July 2012 The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity: England and Wales No. 207076 Scotland No. SC037654

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The information on this form will be used for recruitment and selection purposes only and if your application is successful it will form part of your employment record. All unsuccessful applications will be destroyed twelve months after the closing date for positions advertised in Scotland, England and Wales and three years after the closing date for positions advertised in Northern Ireland.

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