Under the Conservation of Seals Act 1970, the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) has a statutory responsibility to provide the UK Government with ‘…scientific advice relating to the management of seal populations’. The Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU), at the University of St Andrews, collects and collates this advice on behalf of NERC. One major component of the advice is the provision of estimates of the population size and distribution of grey and harbour seals within the UK.
In order to estimate the sizes of seal populations, a programme of aerial survey work, using both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, is carried out annually. SMRU is seeking to appoint a technician to assist in this key area of research.
Appropriate training will be given, but as the applicant will be joining a small team it is essential that they are willing to invest the effort to learn and rapidly develop the appropriate expertise and knowledge. The applicant should be willing to take on responsibility for specific tasks with minimal supervision.
Experience in flying as either a passenger or pilot in light aircraft would be an advantage. The flying involved in the surveys is an enjoyable aspect of this job, but it does entail operating aerial survey and on-board computer equipment during long periods of intense manoeuvring in small aircraft. It is therefore imperative that the applicant does not suffer from severe motion sickness, and has a willingness to cope with the physical discomfort involved whilst undertaking such duties.
As the air survey systems that the applicant will operate are a combination of standard computing equipment modified for specific air survey tasks and specialised purpose-built sensors and mounts, a wide range of un-expected faults are liable to occur during any survey period. An aptitude for maintaining and operating small, complex mechanical systems in remote locations is therefore an essential attribute for this post. Demonstrated ability to identify and deal with mechanical issues and/or demonstrated experience of operating such systems in field conditions, e.g. in aircraft or small boats, will be advantageous.
Throughout the year, the flying sessions constitute a relatively small proportion of the overall work. The vast majority of time will be spent in an office, processing imagery collected during the aerial surveys (e.g. stitching photographs, counting seals). Conducting fairly basic tasks over long periods of time can become rather tedious. This work would suit someone with high patience levels and good attention to detail.
This post is an opportunity to contribute to an important programme of monitoring the populations and conservation status of two of the UK’s most iconic large mammal species. It is expected that the successful applicant will have a keen interest in British marine mammals and be eager to develop an intimate knowledge of seal populations around the UK.
The University is committed to equality for all, demonstrated through our working on diversity awards (ECU Athena SWAN/Race Charters; Carer Positive; LGBT Charter; and Stonewall). More details can be found at http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/hr/edi/diversityawards/.