Peatland ACTION Monitoring Officer

Job purpose summary

We are looking for a skilled and motivated person to join the Data & Evidence Team as a
Peatland ACTION Monitoring Officer on a temporary basis to cover maternity leave. You will work
closely with another Monitoring Officer in the Team, as well as others in Peatland ACTION,
wider NatureScot, Scottish Government and external organisations. We are looking for someone
who is open to challenges, adaptable, enjoys supportive and collaborative working and able to
work independently. 

You will ensure the ongoing delivery of the Peatland ACTION Monitoring
Strategy in order to assess and improve the effectiveness of our peatland restoration and
help evidence the range of benefits arising from restoration activity through data review and
analysis work. You will evaluate peatland restoration outcomes through monitoring led by
NatureScot Peatland ACTION, collaboration with other organisations and funding of external
projects. The post covers the whole of Scotland and includes some fieldwork, often in remote
locations, requiring the ability to travel independently and occasional overnight stays.

A key component of NatureScot Peatland ACTION monitoring is continuing to build up a
Restoration Monitoring Network we initiated in 2023 and involves repeatable, long-term,
field-based monitoring across a representative sample of sites. Sites are monitored before and
after restoration using vegetation surveys, assessment of restoration features, fixed point
photography and area-level assessments. Surveys are mainly conducted by contracted ecologists
managed via a framework agreement, but some fieldwork is required to provide training and/or
complete surveys. We also manage contracts to maintain hydrological monitoring equipment within
an extensive network of water level
loggers and a more recent project
on the Isle of Lewis.

Collaboration with external organisations and funding of external projects is an integral part
of our Strategy and has allowed us to support more in-depth evaluation of specific restoration
techniques, water quality monitoring, greenhouse gas emission monitoring, and development of
remote sensing tools for peatland monitoring. You will build collaborative relationships to
develop monitoring projects, assess applications for monitoring funding and communicate
effectively across a range of organisations to ensure coordinated peatland monitoring and
research. 

Context

NatureScot’s
Peatland ACTION programme restores damaged peatlands in Scotland. It is integral to the
government’s determination for peatland to reduce carbon emissions and contribute wider
benefits for biodiversity, water management and green growth.

NatureScot has dual roles in providing leadership on shared services and business solutions
across all Peatland ACTION delivery partners and increasing the pace and scale of peatland
restoration projects on the ground.

The NatureScot Peatland ACTION Programme is expanding in support of the government’s 10 year,
£250m, commitment for restoration. It has an annual budget of ~ £15m and comprises over 50
posts employed or supported by NatureScot.

The main duties and responsibilities are:

• Ongoing delivery of the Peatland ACTION Monitoring Strategy in order to assess and improve
  the effectiveness of our peatland restoration.
• Continuing implementation of the Peatland ACTION Restoration Monitoring Network, including
  site identification, liaison with site contacts, monitoring design, fieldwork and arranging
  surveys using contracted ecologists.
• Maintenance of a network of automated water levels loggers at peatland sites across
  Scotland, using contracted hydrologists and other suppliers.
• Management of peatland monitoring data including quality assurance, processing, storage,
  analysis and publication.
• Procurement and contract management of external suppliers used to deliver peatland
  monitoring activities.
• Support and assess applications for monitoring funding from external organisations,
  including development of collaborative projects. Review and share outputs from collaborative
  and funded monitoring projects.
• Liaise with Peatland ACTION delivery partners, Scottish Government and other external
  organisations to ensure coordinated peatland monitoring and research.
• Provide advice, respond to data requests and summarise evidence on peatland restoration
  monitoring and outcomes for NatureScot, Peatland ACTION, Scottish Government and other
  stakeholders.
• Support and/or lead analysis of existing datasets to draw conclusions and key messages for
  use in stakeholder communications. 
• Continual review and improvement of monitoring activities and processes, including
  monitoring design, protocols, data management and use of novel techniques.

Skills required (please address these in your Supporting Statement):

• Degree level qualification in environmental sciences, ecology, conservation or equivalent.
• Good understanding of upland management and peatland ecology, hydrology, and restoration
  techniques.
• Experience of using field-based and desktop GIS tools to support mapping, field survey and
  data collection, preferably QGIS.
• Strong organisational and project management skills including contract management. 
• Good analytical and critical thinking skills with experience in making evidence-based
  decisions.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with ability to explain scientific
  concepts simply to a non-technical audience. 
• Good interpersonal skills to support collaborative working with remotely based colleagues
  and various external stakeholders.

Prerequisites

• To undertake a Disclosure Scotland application.
• Although Gaelic language is not a prerequisite it is a desirable skill in support of our
  commitment to our Gaelic Language Plan.
• Applicants must be eligible to live and work in the UK and resident in Scotland for the
  duration of the job contract.

Working for NatureScot

NatureScot offers some great benefits to reward and support you whilst you are working for us.
Our benefits package includes the civil service pension scheme, a generous holiday leave
allowance plus flexi time, and employee discount scheme. Visit
the NatureScot website for further details.

NatureScot’s Net Zero commitment

Whether working at home or in an office, or travelling to meetings and site visits, as a
NatureScot you will contribute to our Net Zero plan, for example through positive carbon travel
choices. You will aim to minimise travel in accordance with NatureScot’s low carbon operating
procedures. However, you will, in some circumstances, be expected to work with colleagues and
stakeholders from across Scotland, which will involve some travel and may involve overnight
stays. 

For information regarding the vacancy, please contact:

Sally Blyth – Peatland ACTION Project Manager – Data and Evidence

Email: [email protected] Tel: 01463 725013

For information regarding the recruitment process please contact:

[email protected]

Nature is vital to all of us, so it is vital that we are an organisation for all of Scotland.
The more diverse NatureScot is, the better we will be in connecting everyone with nature. We
particularly encourage applications from people from Minority Ethnic (ME) backgrounds and
people with a disability