[Coral-List] Job Posting: Marine Protected Area Advisors x 3

[Amy Ridgeway]

Three
positions have become available at the Joint Nature Conservation Committee
(JNCC) working at Marine Protected Areas Advisors on the establishment of the
UK MPA network. The three posts are focussing on MPA network design, evidence
and the provision of conservation advice.

 

JNCC has an
ambitious work programme on marine protected areas (MPAs) in UK offshore waters
in line with the UK Government’s aim “to recover and protect the richness of
our marine environment and wildlife through the development of a strong,
ecologically coherent and well managed network of marine protected areas”..
JNCC, as statutory advisors on nature conservation to the UK Government and the
Devolved Administrations, are identifying MPAs in UK offshore waters to help
the UK meet its international obligations and national objectives to
establishing a MPA network. JNCC are also providing scientific advice to the
Governments on how to meet wider MPA network commitments, including developing
guidelines on approaches to network evaluation. The MPA Advisors will develop
scientific advice on MPAs in offshore waters, and in particular, on the UK MPA
network.

 

MPA
Advisor (Network)

This post
will have a central role in helping deliver JNCC’s responsibilities for
scientific and policy advice on MPAs in offshore waters, and in particular, on
the UK MPA network. They will work alongside the Senior MPA Adviser and other
MPA Advisers in the team liaising with colleagues in the Statutory Nature
Conservation Bodies, UK Government Departments and the Devolved Administrations
to develop ideas, collate information and provide advice. They will be
responsible for maintaining up-to-date information on MPA designation to assess
progress towards MPA network objectives, reporting to UK Governments and
international fora as required.

 

Key
responsibilities will include:

·        
Providing
specialist scientific and policy advice on MPAs and MPA networks to internal
and external customers;

·        
Representing
JNCC at scientific and stakeholder meetings to explain our MPA work, and
development of the UK MPA network in particular;

·        
Contributing
to the production and dissemination of appropriate material in a variety of
media to communicate the objectives of the MPA networks to national and
international scientists, policy-makers and sea-users;

·        
Collating
and maintaining detailed information on the status of the designation of MPAs
in the UK:

·        
Reporting
to UK Government and Devolved Administrations on progress towards meeting
national and international obligations to MPA designation;

·        
Compiling
and reporting offshore site recommendations to UK Government and/or Devolved
Administrations;

·        
Assessing
progress towards the completion of MPA network obligations;

·        
Providing
advice to UK Government to enable it to report to international and European
fora on UK’s progress towards meeting its MPA network obligations.

·        
Assisting
with writing or collating papers and proposals on MPA and MPA networks for
consideration by the Joint Committee and its sub-groups, and national
scientific and policy groups.

 

MPA
Advisor (Evidence)

The post holder
will have a central role in the work of the Marine Protected Sites team on
maintaining an up-to-date evidence base to support the identification,
recommendation and implementation of offshore Marine Protected Areas. 
Specifically, the successful candidate will have an integral role in
maintaining the evidence base underpinning the offshore MPAs, potential future
offshore MPAs and in providing formal technical advice to government. The
candidate will work with colleagues working implementing our offshore survey
programme, taking a proactive approach to gathering new data to underpin and
support the MPA process as well as wider Marine Protected Sites work.

 

Key
responsibilities will include:

·        
Collating
information on habitats and associated species in offshore areas to build the
evidence base to support and underpin offshore MPA designation and management;

·        
Interpret
the results of survey and other collated information to provide advice to help
implement the relevant MPA obligations under the Habitats Directive, Marine and
Coastal Access Act, Marine (Scotland) Act, MSFD and OSPAR;

·        
Work
as part of the data group within the Marine Protected Sites team to lead the
further development of JNCC’s GIS information on offshore MPAs, working
alongside JNCC’s offshore survey officers to ensure that new data from survey
are appropriately integrated into our systems;

·        
Work
with other MPA Advisors on the maintenance and development of JNCC’s web-based
Interactive Mapper, to support the management and assessment of the networks of
MPAs in UK;

·        
Develop
procedures for ensuring high quality and consistency in data input and in
output from the GIS maps;

·        
Commission
data searches, investigations or other research work necessary to support the
MPA work, including the letting and management of external contracts;

·        
Provide
specialist scientific and policy advice on MPAs to internal and external
customers;

·        
Contribute
to the communication and dissemination of work by the Marine Protected Sites
team to the wider public through press releases, the web, reports and
presentations at conferences.

 

MPA
Advisor (Conservation Advice)

This post
will have a central role in helping deliver JNCC’s responsibilities for
conservation advice on MPAs in offshore waters, in particular, on the management
of UK MPAs. They will work alongside the Senior MPA Adviser and other MPA
Advisers in the MPS team and other teams within JNCC, as well as liaising with
colleagues in the Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies, UK Government
Departments and the Devolved Administrations to develop ideas, collate
information and provide advice. They will be providing conservation advice on
MPAs to Government, Devolved Administrations and competent authorities as well
as assisting in the development of fisheries management measures proposals for
MPAs. 

Key
responsibilities will include:

·        
Providing
support to Senior MPA Advisers in relation to reporting on formal consultations
on offshore MPAs;

·        
Collating
and mapping detailed site specific information on human activities occurring
within or near to MPAs in UK offshore waters at an appropriate resolution, to
support the production of MPA advice;

·        
Let
contract(s) for preparation of site-specific socio-economic Impact Assessments
(formerly Regulatory Impact Assessments) for each site proposed, contributing
to such Impact Assessments and ensuring their high quality, with advice from
JNCC’s marine economic advisor;

·        
Prepare
Conservation Objectives and Advice for MPAs for issue to Competent Authorities
for each MPA submitted to Government;

·        
Develop
site specific management objectives with JNCC Offshore Industries Advisors and
fisheries liaison officers, to assist Competent Authorities in developing
appropriate management measures for each offshore MPA submitted to Government;

·        
Close
liaison and collaboration with staff throughout the Marine Directorate at JNCC,
relevant staff within the country conservation agencies and marine regulatory
authorities. 

 

Further
information available at www.jncc.defra.gov.uk/jobs.
Closing date 09:00am BST Monday 12th August.

 

 

 

Amy Ridgeway

Senior Marine Protected Areas Adviser,
Marine Protected Sites Team

 

Joint Nature Conservation Committee,
Monkstone House, City Road, Peterborough PE1 1JY, UK

Tel: 01733 866841 Mobile: 07807 976517

Email: amy.ridgeway at jncc.gov.uk
Website: jncc.defra.gov.uk

 

Discover more about our work on Marine
Protected Areas jncc.defra.gov.uk/marineprotectedareas