Graduate Placement - Benefits of Beavers (fliexible location)

Beavers are ecosystem engineers and a keystone species that can have profound positive impacts on biodiversity and a range of ecosystem services from carbon sequestration to natural flood management. This post will seek to document and communicate the benefits of beavers to help support and inform future policy development.

·         Will help to gather the evidence-base to inform the development of schemes that support the delivery of biodiversity benefits and ecosystem services.

·         Will seek to identify good examples of the benefits of beavers in a Scottish context.

·         Engage a wider audience, but particularly land managers in understanding these benefits.

·         This post will inform potential citizen science, volunteering and tourism opportunities associated with beavers.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities:

 The project will involve the following key tasks

• Surveying and cataloguing beaver sites away from conflict areas
• Reviewing the success of beaver mitigation approaches
• Development of simple tools for recording beaver benefits and other impacts
• Gathering of empirical evidence of beaver benefits to support and document:
• Public perceptions and values
• Socioeconomic values
• Biodiversity gains and changes
• Interactions with other species
• Hydrological information
• Explore the potential for the development of citizen science approaches to gathering this information in the future
• Understanding volunteering opportunities and potential for local beaver groups or champions
• Communicating the findings in real time via a range of media

 Eligibility Criteria for the Graduate Placements:

NatureScot are offering paid graduate placement opportunities in various natural heritage subjects and locations, these are open to graduates who meet the following eligibility criteria:

·         You must have graduated at degree or postgraduate level from a higher level education institution within the past 4 years.

·         Are not currently studying full time or will have graduated from your studies at the time of the placement.

·         You must have had no more than one year’s relevant (graduate level) work experience since your last graduation.

The Successful candidate will have a relevant degree.

Prerequisites Required:  

·         Disclosure Scotland (This is part of our standard security checks and NatureScot will arrange a Disclosure Scotland check for all successful candidates)

·         Although Gaelic Language is not a pre-requisite for this post, as part of our commitment to our Gaelic Language Plan, Gaelic Language is a desirable skill for all posts within NatureScot.

• Candidates must be eligible to live and work in the UK and resident in Scotland for the duration of the job contract                                                              

Skills

Not all of these skills are essential, but they are all desirable.

·         A degree or equivalent in environmental or social science.

·         Strong interest in Scotland's natural environment and an awareness of key issues affecting the natural environment now and in the future

·         Knowledge of mammal ecology and survey/monitoring techniques and experience of carrying out field work e.g. habitat surveys.

·         Ability to work flexibly as part of a team and to use own initiative when appropriate.

·         Good verbal and written communication skills; ability to write clearly and concisely for a public-facing audience and be able to demonstrate experience of dealing with the public and/or volunteers.

·         Good understanding of land management and experience of working with land managers.

·         Careful and high quality approach to research including design, data collection, analysis and writing up.

·         Practical experience of data handling and applying statistical and other analytical methods

·         Knowledge of the Scotland Rural Development Programme and the range of measures available to land managers and post EU policy developments.

Application Process

·         Internal applicants should ensure that they read the Self Service Guide

·         External applicants should read the Online Job Application Guide

All Applicants please note if you have already applied for a vacancy on Fusion please ensure you remove the supporting statement saved in your profile and upload your new supporting statement.