The Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of St Andrews is seeking to appoint a 2-year fixed-term Research Technician following the recent award of a major NERC Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability (BESS) consortium grant to the University of St Andrews. The role holder will support the research activities of Dr Yit Arn Teh, Dr Timothy Hill and Dr Claire Gollety (School of Biology). The project, entitled 'A hierarchical approach to the examination of the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem service flows across coastal margins' (CBESS), will provide a large-scale analysis of biodiversity stocks and the flows of ecosystem services from selected coastal systems.

A detailed regional study will compare two areas of great local and national importance for England: Morecambe Bay and the Essex coastline. We will carry out biological and physical surveys at more than 600 stations and use these results to clarify how biodiversity influences these key ecosystem services. The role holder will conduct measurements of greenhouse gas exchange, nutrient cycling and carbon sequestration both at the major regional study sites and also in the Eden Estuary near St Andrews.

The post holder will be expected to work as part of a team. The role holder will receive practical training for field and laboratory tasks from the PI and other contributing investigators if he or she does not already have prior expertise, after which they will be expected to operate independently with minimal supervision. The role holder will be expected to work towards a schedule, decided in consultation with the PI and other contributing investigators.

Applicants are required to have higher level education (or equivalent) in the sciences, experience of fieldwork in remote location, laboratory skills and experience of working with scientific instrumentation. A degree in physical geography, biology or related subjects would be advantageous.  Other important skills and attributes include numeracy skills; independence and initiative; organisational and logistics abilities and good communication skills.  

Informal enquiries should be made to Dr Yit Arn Teh (yat@st-andrews.ac.uk).

Further information about the NERC BESS programme and CBESS consortium can be found at: http://www.nerc-bess.net/http://www.nerc-bess.net/index.php/bess-projects-list/research-projects/42-cbess   

Closing Date:  30 July 2012   

Interview Date: Mid-August 2012
 
Further Particulars: WC1051TG FPs.doc

Please quote ref: WC1051  

School of Geography and Geoscience, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
£20,559 - £22,475
Start Date: 1 September 2012 or as soon as possible thereafter
Fixed Term for 2 years