The Data Centre is employing EIP ecological survey team members!

Job Announcement

Protecting Farmland Pollinators

EIP Ecological Survey Team Member (3 positions available)

 

Background

The National Biodiversity Data Centre is a national centre that collates, manages, analyses and disseminates data on Ireland’s biodiversity. It manages a large work programme of biodiversity data management and associated thematic projects that bring added value to the data management role. One of these thematic projects is the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan.

The National Biodiversity Data Centre obtained funding under the European Innovation Partnership programme run by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine for a project on Protecting Farmland Pollinators (2018). The project is testing a whole-farm pollinator scoring system that can be easily calculated, easily understood and easily improved (and in line with the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan farmland pollinator guidelines published in 2017). The project team is working with a group of 40 farmers across farm types and intensities in Co. Kildare and neighbouring counties. The project is a result-based system – the higher the pollinator score of the farm, the more the farmer will get paid annually. The project will include significant insect/plant surveys to test whether farms that do have higher scores have more pollinators (bees, hoverflies) and more biodiversity generally. It will also test the effectiveness of each of the individual pollinator measures in Ireland.

 

The posts

We are looking to fill three six-month full-time positions, to assist with field work for the Protecting Farmland Pollinators EIP Project between 1st March and 31st August 2020. This is an exciting opportunity for experienced fieldworkers to join the small team of staff at the National Biodiversity Data Centre in Waterford. The focus of the work will be on field surveying (mainly plants and pollinators) and data collation following field work.

 

Duties will be:
  • Have responsibility to carry out a sampling protocol provided by the project manager on each of the farms.
  • Liaise with the Project Manager to establish appropriate reporting processes.
  • Planning and conducting site ecological surveys and fieldwork.
  • Assist with identification of all pollinator specimens collected during surveying.
  • Input data for recording and archiving at the National Biodiversity Data Centre.
  • Report on project progress according to milestones and expected outcomes.

 

Location

These are full-time posts dividing time between field survey work in Kildare and office-based work in the National Biodiversity Data Centre, Waterford. The 40 farms involved in the project will be based mainly in Co. Kildare, so the project will involve regular travel to and around this area, and between Kildare and Waterford.

 

Salary

The salary for the post is €35,000 pro-rata (€17,500 per 6 months). In addition, travel and subsistence costs will be provided.

 

Mininum requirements
  • Degree in Botany, Ecology, Environmental Science, Zoology or a related field or equivalent professional experience.
  • Experience with biodiversity surveys and survey techniques.
  • Excellent interpersonal and oral communication skills.
  • Good plant identification skills.
  • The ability to work as part of a team and to employ one’s own initiative in the working environment.
  • Full clean driving licence.

 

Desirable requirements
  • Experience of working in the agri-environment area.
  • Expertise in pollinator identification and ecology.
  • Excellent report writing skills and communication skills with the ability to record data efficiently and methodically.
  • MSc or equivalent experience in a natural sciences or related field or equivalent professional experience.

 

Applications

To apply, please send a cover letter together with a one-page Curriculum Vitae to the National Biodiversity Data Centre at admin@biodiversityireland.ie. In your cover letter please outline the following:

  1. What appeals to you about the post and how you can contribute.
  2. Your participation in biodiversity surveys.
  3. Any other skills that make you particularly suited to the post.

Please mark your applications: EIP Ecological Survey Team Member. The closing date for applications is 17:00hrs, 3rdth December 2019. A shortlist of suitable candidates will be made, and it is anticipated that shortlisted candidates will be invited for interview in Waterford on the 17th December 2019. The Data Centre will not cover costs of attending for interview.

The most suitable candidate will be appointed subject to final approval of the budget for the post.

 

Further information

More details of the work of the National Biodiversity Data Centre can be found on the Centre’s website at www.biodiversityireland.ie/about-us/. More details on the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan can be found at www.pollinators.ie

Download a .pdf copy of this job description here.