Peatland Data Officer

Contract length: Fixed term for 3.75 years, full-time, based on 35 hours per week

We are seeking to recruit a Peatland Data Officer to join our team.

This exciting new role will play an integral part in our peatland restoration projects across Cumbria. The successful candidate will be responsible for managing data related to the Trust’s peatland work, ensuring it supports the development and delivery of a Nature Recovery Network across the region.

About the role

Working closely with the Peatland Team Manager and the Senior Peatland Conservation Officer, this role will be responsible for managing data associated with the Trust’s Peatland Programme. It will also focus on developing monitoring and research opportunities to demonstrate the impact of our peatland work. The postholder will ensure that all data is stored, managed, and shared in an organised and accessible way.

Main Responsibilities and Accountabilities

• Manage the collation and organisation of peatland survey data and GIS mapping.
• Ensure peatland survey data and GIS outputs are shared with the Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre, contributing to the county’s habitat base maps that underpin the Cumbria Local Nature Recovery Strategy.
• Support peatland data outputs for Cumbria Peat Partnership (CPP) member organisations and other project partners where required.
• Expand the use of GIS within the peatland team to enhance restoration planning and help capture the environmental benefits of restoration, including the use of LiDAR, Digital Terrain Models, and flow modelling.
• Increase the use of drone surveys to support restoration planning and to document site conditions before and after restoration.
• Install and carry out monitoring on sites, including water table levels, peat depth, surface flow, water retention capacity, and grazing impacts.
• Analyse data collected through monitoring activities to inform decision-making and demonstrate project outcomes.

We’re looking for someone who is a confident communicator, highly analytical, and naturally detail-oriented. You’ll enjoy working with data, spotting patterns, and ensuring accuracy in everything you do. Previous experience in surveying and managing data will be essential to succeed in this role. An understanding of peatland restoration and the ability to identify upland species, wildlife, and plants would be a real advantage. If you’re passionate about using data to make a real environmental impact and have experience collecting, recording, and analysing data for projects, we’d love to hear from you.

Cumbria Wildlife Trust is devoted to the conservation of the wildlife and wild places of Cumbria.