Scientist – Climate Change

The Climate Change Research Group works to improve understanding of forest functions. These include the impact of climate change on forests and forestry and what role forestry can have in mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and climate change. We also investigate how forestry practice can adapt to reduce the impact of climate change and to benefit from any opportunities. The research is across the spectrum from more fundamental measurements, through developing methods and tools, undertaking practical action and demonstration, and providing advice and evidence to underpin policy. We have many external collaborations in the UK and internationally.

This job will involve a varied mixture of desk, laboratory, and field work, primarily within the UK. The post-holder will support work at our eddy covariance peatland flux tower site, with responsibility for soil-based assessments of GHG dynamics and hydrological monitoring. They will also be responsible for other shorter-term experiments measuring GHG fluxes, tree growth dynamics, and ecophysiology. There is scope for the post-holder to develop their own work in these areas. Field work will involve taking measurements, installing, and maintaining instrumentation. Laboratory work will involve setting up, testing and calibrating equipment and ensuring equipment inventories, standard operating procedures and risk assessments are up to date. The post-holder will also be required to carry out data analysis, visualisation, summary, and report writing and communicating results to different audiences, on their own and with colleagues.

Key work areas:

– Setting up, maintaining, and running a range of field experimental assessments in forest environments using meteorological, data-logging and GHG flux instrumentation.
– Conducting a range of field measurements, including hydrological assessments.
– Calibrating, troubleshooting, and maintaining complex instrumentation.
– Carrying out quality assurance and preliminary data analysis of complex data sets; summarising the main results of these analyses in both scientific and non-technical manner.
– Contributing to internal reports, trade, and scientific journal articles.
– Talking to a wide range of audiences, both at seminars and during field visits.
– Coordinating with other FR and local forest district staff to deliver key work, with oversight of health and safety for site visits and managing collaborator access to sites.