Marine Monitoring Manager

About the job

Why JNCC?

We’re small enough (c.290 staff) that your voice is heard by everyone including the CEO, but
big enough that we have all the skills, resources and people you’ll need to get the job done.
All our staff are passionate about conservation and making a difference to the world we live
in. We have a very flexible, inclusive and welcoming organisational culture. Our Executive
Management provides employees with the freedom and tools you will need, and our friendly team
will assist you in your role.

 

JNCC is committed to maintaining employee health and wellbeing, whether it is physically,
emotionally, financially or socially, and offers a range of benefits to support employees in
this. Such benefits include the option to join the Civil Service Pension Scheme, professional
and personal development opportunities as well as an exciting job in a unique environment.

Short Summary: 

JNCC are looking for a Marine Monitoring Manager to join the Marine Monitoring Team. You will
work under the guidance of JNCC’s Marine Monitoring Team Leaders, with a range of other
specialists, both within JNCC and in other organisations. Using your knowledge of marine
biodiversity and monitoring, you will help lead marine monitoring strategy and research and
development for all UK marine biodiversity but particularly related to the offshore benthic
environment and Marine Protected Areas. You will work with colleagues in the country nature
conservation bodies (NatureScot, Natural England, Natural Resources Wales, CEFAS, Department
for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Northern Ireland) and other public bodies (e.g.
MMO, Environment Agency).

Post background:

JNCC is the statutory adviser to UK Government on UK and international nature conservation. ln
using our advisory responsibilities, JNCC supports governments in achieving their vision of
clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse oceans and seas through piloting and
demonstrating improved use of evidence and analysis in decision making. 

The Marine Monitoring Manager post will work within JNCC’s well-established Marine Monitoring
team, which has a hugely diverse and exciting work portfolio centred around providing evidence
to support tackling biodiversity loss and climate change across our seas.

Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs) are areas of the sea that allow the protection and full
recovery of marine ecosystems. By setting aside some areas of sea with high levels of
protection, HPMAs will allow nature to recover to a more natural state, allowing the ecosystem
to thrive. HPMAs present a unique opportunity to monitor ecosystems in areas where damaging
activities will be prohibited. To date, monitoring of offshore MPAs has focussed on the seabed
habitats. All marine biodiversity components will be considered for monitoring in the HPMAs
(cetaceans, seabirds, seals, pelagic, benthic, fish and cephalopods and food webs).

The Marine Monitoring manager post will provide a key leadership function for the management of
programmes of work relating to strategic monitoring plans for HPMA marine ecosystems and the
future of evidence collection from UK offshore waters.

Job description

Post Duties 

• Lead the Marine Monitoring Programme Strategy Project, setting targets with the Programme
  Leaders, and managing and reporting on delivery. 
• Lead on Highly Protected Marine Area and wider UK offshore monitoring research and
  development work to inform and steer the programme of monitoring for all biodiversity;
• Work with partners to improve the functioning of marine biodiversity monitoring programmes
  across the UK and ensure a robust and accessible evidence base for developing policy advice;
• Work with others at JNCC and with partners to support the delivery of operational
  monitoring for HPMAs and MPAs in UK offshore waters and liaise with, plankton, seabird and
  marine mammal specialists regarding monitoring activities. 
• Support JNCC’s national and international monitoring work, for example under the UK Marine
  Strategy, Environment Bill and the International Oslo Paris (OSPAR) Convention.
• Contribute to the writing of proposals for future project opportunities related to marine
  biodiversity monitoring.
• Manage other projects and contracts necessary to support JNCC and its marine monitoring and
  evidence work.
• Line-managing and supervising a small team to deliver the work described above;

Most of the work will be office based, but there may be opportunities to participate in field
surveys at sea (for up to several weeks at a time). The post-holder will be required to work
with colleagues in JNCC’s Peterborough and Aberdeen offices, and will be required to attend
meetings in UK and overseas, involving overnight stays away from home.

Person specification

Please demonstrate in your statement of suitability your reasons for applying.

Behaviours

We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions

Technical skills

We’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Advanced knowledge and understanding of the marine biodiversity in UK waters, including
  knowledge of relevant scientific and survey techniques for benthic habitats and knowledge of
  the UK and European marine habitat classifications.
• Experience of marine environmental monitoring using a variety of sampling and data
  interpretation techniques, including knowledge and experience of assessing how marine
  activities may affect marine biodiversity.
• A comprehensive understanding of the UK’s work and progress on Marine Protected Areas
  (MPAs) and Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs).
• A good understanding of the principles and techniques for assessing the status/condition of
  marine ecosystems.
• Verifiable experience in the use of standard office software, databases, GIS and
  statistical packages, to manipulate, interrogate and interpret spatial datasets, including
  experience of integrating and analysing different types of data from multiple sources
• Additional skills and experience that would be valuable to the post are: Detailed knowledge
  of the main provisions of UK and European policy or legislation concerning nature conservation.
• Educated to degree level or equivalent qualification in a relevant subject and/or relevant
  recent practical work experience that provides the following knowledge, experience and
  behaviours