Floral Resources Field Research Technicians

We will consider job share and/or flexible working arrangements

We are seeking to two highly competent field botanists to help collect pollen and flowering data across multiple sites in northern England over the coming spring and summer. The work will involve locating field populations and collecting pollen from a wide range of plant species, following standardised protocols developed by collaborators at Kew and Oxford.  In addition, floral longevity of the species will be surveyed by marking flowers over repeated visits.  These data will contribute to a national assessment of pollen resources, as part of a NERC-funded research project on bee nutrition. The two posts each will last between 3 and 7 months (full-time equivalent), and might be full or part-time depending on availability. 

You will have good familiarity with wildflowers of the Yorkshire Dales and Nidderdale, as well as proven abilities to follow scientific protocols and health & safety procedures. A strong track record of working with scientists and interacting with landowners and the general public would be useful.  You will have a full, current, clean and valid UK/EU driving licence as you will be required to travel to, from and between the selected sites along public roads.

The University of Leeds and the Faculty of Biological Sciences are committed to providing equal opportunities for all and offer a range of family friendly policies. The University is a charter member of Athena SWAN (the national body that promotes gender equality in higher education), and the Faculty of Biological Sciences was awarded a Silver award in 2020.  We are proud to be an inclusive Faculty that values all staff, and are happy to consider job share applications and requests for flexible working arrangements from our employees. Our Athena SWAN webpage provides more information.

What does the role entail?

As a Field Research Technician, your main duties will include:

•             Locating populations of diverse wildflower species in the Yorkshire Dales and Nidderdale area;

•             Negotiating site access and collecting permission, in collaboration with Professor William Kunin and other project staff;

•             Carefully collecting and weighing pollen samples according to agreed protocols;

•             Storing samples appropriately and shipping or transporting them to project partners at Kew for analysis;

•             Recording floral longevity by marking and re-visiting flowers;

•             Maintaining careful records to inform subsequent analyses;

•             Conducting other research support tasks as needed;

•             Organising your activities around constraints of weather, flowering phenology, access and the needs of the rest of the project team;

•             Maintain good working relationships with project staff, land owners and general public in sampling areas.

These duties provide a framework for the role and should not be regarded as a definitive list. Other reasonable duties may be required consistent with the grade of the post.

What will you bring to the role?

As a Field Research Technician you will have:

•             An A level, BTEC or equivalent or equivalent experience;

•             Field botany experience, especially regarding Yorkshire wildflowers;

•             Good familiarity with the landscapes and habitats of the Yorkshire Dales and Nidderdale, and of the surrounding region;

•             Good verbal and written communications skills, with the ability to clearly articulate and present information, modifying your approach to suit different audiences;

•             The ability to work accurately;

•             The ability to maintain up to date records;

•             Good organisational and time management skills, with the ability to work unsupervised and use your own initiative to meet deadlines;

•             Good IT skills, including MS Office software, with experience of record keeping;

•             A full, current and clean and valid UK or EU drivers’ license;

•             Willingness to develop and learn new skills.

You may also have:

•             Previous experience with botanical surveying and sampling;

•             RSci (Registered Scientist), RSci Tech (Registered Science Technician) or CIEEM (Chartered -Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management) certification.

Contact information

To explore the post further or for any queries you may have, please contact:

Professor William Kunin, Professor of Ecology

Tel: +44 (0)113 343 2857

Email: w.e.kunin@leeds.ac.uk

‘Please note: If you are not a British or Irish citizen, from 1 January 2021 you will require permission to work in the UK. This will normally be in the form of a visa but, if you are an EEA/Swiss citizen and resident in the UK before 31 December 2020, this may be your passport or status under the EU Settlement Scheme.’

How to apply

You can apply for this role online; more guidance can be found on our How to Apply information page. Applications should be submitted by 23.59 (UK time) on the advertised closing date.

To apply, please visit: https://jobs.leeds.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx?ref=FBSBY1160

Closing date: 2^nd March 2022