Research Project Support Officer in Fisheries Science

Job Number BU03854

School/Department School of Ocean Sciences

Grade 6

Salary Information Salary: £30,805 - £37,174 p.a. (Grade 6)

Contract Duration until 31st Aug 2030

Responsible to Professor of Marine Biology

Closing Date 03-10-2025

Applications are invited for this full-time, fixed-term Research Project Support Officer in Fisheries Science with Bangor University, working as part of a small team providing independent fisheries science research and advice to the Isle of Man Government. The post-holder will be based full-time in the Isle of Man at the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA) working within a small on-island team of Bangor University scientists, reporting directly to the scientific lead Dr Isobel Bloor, supported by the project lead Prof Stuart Jenkins and other academics based at Bangor. The postholder will contribute to the successful long-term relationship that has been forged between scientists, the fishing industry and the Isle of Man Government. Where appropriate there may be an opportunity for the post-holder to register for a PhD to be undertaken alongside the responsibilities of the role. The successful candidate will have a degree in the field of fisheries or marine science (or equivalent experience) and a desire to be part of a successful team delivering world class fisheries science research and advice. Successful candidates must be capable of passing an ENG1 sea-going medical and Sea Survival course, be physically fit and able to work at sea on a variety of vessels including during potentially less favourable sea conditions. The postholder will be an employee of Bangor University and hence have the support of a highly active research group within the School of Ocean Sciences but will be resident full-time in the Isle of Man and therefore qualify for Isle of Man tax rates. The successful candidate will be expected to start during December 2025/January 2026 and this fixed term role is available up to 31 August 2030. The closing date for applications is 03 October 2025. Short-listed candidates will be interviewed on the Isle of Man and should be available for interview during late October/early November. Informal enquiries can be made to Prof. Stuart Jenkins 00 44 (0) 1248 382896 or s.jenkins @bangor.ac.uk. Applications will only be accepted via our on-line recruitment website, jobs.bangor.ac.uk. However, in cases of access issues due to disability, paper application forms are available by telephoning 01248 383865.

Committed To Equal Opportunities

Overview

The School of Ocean Sciences (SOS), located on the Isle of Anglesey, is a multidisciplinary department with a focus on freshwater and marine sciences and a strong history of international research excellence and collaboration. Core research interests include Earth System Sciences, Oceanography, Limnology and Climate Change Science.

The Project

The postholder will contribute to existing research and survey programmes focussed on Isle of Man fisheries, with a primary emphasis on shellfish species including edible crab, common whelk, European lobster, king scallop and queen scallop. There may also be scope to support work on selected finfish species, such as herring and pollack, where relevant. In addition, the postholder will provide support to novel research initiatives aimed at improving scientific knowledge and informing fisheries management advice across key areas. Activities will include a range of data collection activities engaging directly with fishers and processors in the field, as well as work on our research vessel the Prince Madog, plus support for data analysis and reporting.

Purpose of the Job

The post is part of a fisheries/conservation team based full-time in the Isle of Man at the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA) under the direct supervision of Dr Isobel Bloor, the lead Bangor scientist on the island. The post-holder will contribute to an ongoing project led by Prof Stuart Jenkins providing fisheries science and conservation research and advice to the Isle of Man government. The postholder will contribute to existing research and survey programmes focussed on Isle of Man fisheries, with a primary emphasis on shellfish species including edible crab, common whelk, European lobster, king scallop and queen scallop. There may also be scope to support work on selected finfish species, such as herring and pollack, where relevant. In addition, the postholder will provide support to novel research initiatives aimed at improving scientific knowledge and informing fisheries management advice across key areas. Activities will include a range of data collection activities engaging directly with fishers and processors in the field, as well as work on our research vessel the Prince Madog, plus support for data analysis and reporting. Where appropriate there may be an opportunity for the post-holder to register for a PhD to be undertaken alongside the responsibilities of the role.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide research support in collecting the data necessary to undertake stock assessment and implement sustainable management of European lobster, edible crab and common whelk in Isle of Man territorial waters.
• Support the team in other areas of fisheries science on the Isle of Man and wider-Irish Sea, including work on mobile-gear stock assessments (queen scallop, king scallop), ecosystem & conservation science (e.g. monitoring marine nature reserves), and assessing the impacts of marine development on fishery resources (e.g. offshore wind farms).
• Establish working relationships with Isle of Man fishers and processors to facilitate data collection; provide support to ensure efficient functioning of fisheries data collection schemes.
• Undertake at sea or port sampling of shellfish catches across the island.
• Assist in the analysis of fishery dependent and independent data sets using appropriate statistical, mathematical, modelling, graphical or other quantitative techniques.
• Contribute support toward researching innovative techniques and technologies that improve the delivery of fisheries science data and scientific advice.
• Participate in the annual spring scientific research cruise and cooperative industry research surveys as necessary.
• Provide support to student placements (e.g. undergraduate, MSc and PhD) and assist in designing student projects relating to Isle of Man fisheries science, ensuring that they fulfil the need to address knowledge gaps important for DEFA and/or the fishing industry.
• Contribute to the production of reports and other scientific outputs to a range of stakeholders, including through participation in stakeholder fora and meetings, as well as via peer reviewed publication.

The post-holder will report on a day-to-day basis to the senior post-doctoral fisheries scientist based on the island and weekly or as required to the project lead in Bangor.

Other Duties And Responsibilities

The post holder will be expected to participate in performance review and developmental activities. The post holder will be expected to comply with the University equal opportunities policies, Dignity at Work and Study Policy and the University’s Welsh Language Policy and the Welsh Language Standards. The post holder has a general and legal duty of care in relation to health, safety and wellbeing and must take all reasonable steps to ensure a safe and healthy working environment for themselves and for other members of staff, students and visitors affected by their actions or inactions. The post holder is also required to comply with all applicable health and safety policies, procedures and risk assessments. The post holder must comply with relevant legal and financial policies and procedures and be aware of their responsibilities in terms of the legal requirements of their post.

Person Specification

Essential Qualifications/Training

• Degree in marine or fisheries science or related area OR equivalent experience.

Desirable

• Postgraduate degree in marine or fisheries science or related area.

Experience/Knowledge

Essential

• Experience undertaking field-work in the marine environment including at sea sampling
• Experience of working with stakeholders outside of the academic environment
• Experience in statistical analysis and mapping using appropriate software (e.g. R, Matlab, ArcGIS).
• Experience assimilating quantitative information in the production of written reports.
• Aware of techniques and tools for fisheries-independent and fisheries-dependent data collection and analysis.

Desirable

• Experience in handling large data sets.
• The ability to produce scientific reports to deadlines.
• Experience of working with baited-pot fisheries or crustaceans/molluscs.
• Experience in the use of R to undertake data handling and analysis.
• Understanding of basic fisheries statistics and fisheries stock assessment methods.
• Experience of EU Vessel Monitoring System and logbook data for spatial fisheries monitoring and analysis.

Skills/Abilities

Essential

• Able to work as part of a team both independently and under direction.
• Able to pass an ENG1 sea-going medical and Sea Survival course, be physically fit and able to work at sea on a variety of small and large vessels including during potentially less favourable sea conditions.
• A current clean, valid driving licence to enable travel around the Isle of Man at times and to locations when public transport is unavailable.
• Demonstrate the ability to prioritise work load and work to deadlines.
• Demonstrate good analytical skills, ability to analyse numerical data and present results appropriately.

Desirable

• Proven ability to communicate science to a wide range of stakeholders (e.g. political, industry, scientific, fisheries managers).
• Demonstrate an understanding of the bilingual nature of Bangor University.

General

The University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds. We strive to develop a workforce from all sections of the community regardless of sex, gender identity, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, trans identity, relationship status, religion or belief, caring responsibilities, or age. We promote and facilitate the use of the Welsh language through our progressive Welsh Language Policy. We comply with the Welsh Language Standards and are committed to equality of opportunity. You are welcome to apply for any job in English or Welsh and all applications submitted will be treated equally. We are a member of Advance HE's Athena SWAN Gender Equality charter and hold a Silver award in recognition of our commitment to and progress towards gender equality within the University's policies, practices, and culture. We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer. All members of staff have a duty to ensure their actions are in line with the overall environmental aims of the University and minimise their environmental impact. All offers are made subject to proof of eligibility to work in the UK and receipt of satisfactory references. We have a legal responsibility to ensure that you have the right to work in the UK before you can start working for us. When you apply for this post you will be required to explain the basis upon which you believe you will able to live and work in the UK legally on the commencement date of the role should your application be successful. If you do not have the right to work freely in any position in the UK already, any offer of employment we will make to you will be subject to you obtaining a right to work visa. The following link provides information on the various visa routes into employment and the eligibility requirements (including switching visa status where permissible) https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas. If you are successful in your application we will discuss visa options with you at the time of making the offer of employment. Candidates should also note that they may be required to apply for an ATAS certificate (Academic Approval Technology Scheme) from the Counter-Proliferation and Arms Control Centre of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office before being able to apply for a visa - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/academic-technology-approval-scheme

Please note that, in the event of applications being received from candidates on the University's Redeployment Register with a reasonable skills match to the post specification, these applicants will be given prior consideration.