Postdoctoral Research Associate

Directorate: Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society

Salary: Grade 7 (£36,924-£46,485)

Contract Type: Full Time (1FTE), Fixed Term (36 Months)

Rewards and Benefits: 33 days annual leave, plus 9 buildings closed days for all full time staff (Part time workers should pro rata this by their FTE). Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University

Detailed Description

Heriot-Watt University is looking to appoint a Post-Doctoral Research Associate to support research on the UKRI-funded TRANSECTS (TRANSitions in Energy for Coastal communities over Time and Space) project. TRANSECTS will apply an interdisciplinary spatial-temporal lens to learn from past marine energy transitions to support and inform future decision-making. Combining natural and social sciences with arts and humanities, TRANSECTS will interrogate the shifts from non-renewable systems of production (whale oil in the 1800s through to offshore oil and gas in the later-1900s) to more sustainable marine renewable energies in the early-2000s (and the competition with transitioning oil and gas via CO2 and hydrogen storage). This post will contribute to the aims of TRANSECTS by identifying the ecological values associated with natural capital (stocks) and ecosystem services (flows) from past, present and future marine energy transitions. This research will take a place-based approach and consider how the stocks and flows identified for our three case study areas (Orkney Islands, East Coast Scotland, Humber Estuary) are interlinked with wider societal benefits and explore how they have affected coastal community resilience.

TRANSECTS is adopting such a natural capital approach to ensure that society’s dependence on natural resources for energy is considered when assessing the broader impacts of marine energy transitions. Showing the ecological values, and spatio-temporal changes, of particular habitats and species within marine energy transitions makes them visible and facilitates their inclusion within marine decision-making processes.

The successful candidate will be hosted in the Institute of Life and Earth Sciences (ILES) at the School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society (EGIS), within Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. The ideal candidate will have knowledge in areas related to marine environmental impacts, assessment and management, and experience in GIS and/or applying natural capital approaches. Essential requirements are excellent communication skills, as well as the ability to work both independently and as part of a team. Work activities will vary according to the requirements of the job; however, general responsibilities are typically, but not restricted to, the following:

Strong research ethos, engaging in research activities related to the TRANSECTS project and contributing to the University’s research and outreach profile;

Establishing collaborative research links outside the university via funding councils, industry, business and public bodies (including existing TRANSECTS partners/collaborators);

Representing Heriot Watt University and the TRANSECTS project in a professional capacity, particularly through research dissemination and development e.g. conferences, meetings with project partners.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

The successful candidate will be expected to undertake the activities specified below:

• Conduct a comprehensive review of the existing data and literature (both peer-reviewed and grey) to identify the environmental stocks and flows associated with different marine energy transitions;
• Assist with the identification, collation and archiving of relevant datasets;  
• Support and develop the quantitative analysis of environmental data (including historical and spatial data) to explore temporal changes;
• Explore interlinkages between natural capital stocks, ecosystem service flows and societal benefits through qualitative analysis of TRANSECTS data;
• Liaise with stakeholders and collaborators to identify and introduce suitable data and expert knowledge;
• Undertake administrative tasks associated with data preparation and project reporting;
• Contribute to the development of an online Energy Transitions Atlas, displaying trends in stocks/flows/benefits over time and their interlinkages;
• Work with the project team to explore how changes in natural capital stocks (including legacy effects and path dependencies) may have implications for resilience of coastal communities;
• Collaborate with the project team and partners to create exhibition materials for wider public and community dissemination;  
• Work in collaboration with other TRANSECTS Post-Doctoral Research Associates who will focus on the economic and socio-cultural values of marine energy transitions and energy law and just transitions; and
• Develop research outputs that will help demonstrate how past Marine Energy Transitions have impacted coastal community resilience, and provide solutions to ensure the effects of future Marne Energy Transitions are reduced and/or mitigated. 

Please note that this job description is not exhaustive, and the successful candidate may be required to undertake other relevant duties commensurate with the grading of the post. Activities may be subject to amendment over time as the role develops and/or priorities and requirements evolve. A flexible working schedule may be required to meet all key duties and responsibilities.

We will assess applicants based on the essential criteria, not by the key duties.

Education, Qualifications and Experience   

Essential 

• PhD in a Marine or Environmental Science, Spatial Planning or Geography discipline.
• Knowledge and experience on at least two subject areas from the following: Marine Spatial Planning, Geographical Information Systems (GIS), Natural Capital Approaches, Environmental Risk Assessments, Marine Management, Marine Energy, Environmental Sustainability.
• A track record of research outputs which reflects their career stage.  

Competencies, Skills and Knowledge 

• Competency undertaking statistical analysis of qualitative and quantitative data.
• Experience of executing spatial data analysis and interpreting mapped outputs.
• Excellent IT skills and proficiency with using online communication platforms.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Good team player with good interpersonal skills. 

Desirable

• Postgraduate experience working with marine industries and/or coastal communities.
• Experience undertaking thematic analysis of qualitative data.
• Experience in project management, report preparation and writing, quality assurance, stakeholder engagement and research dissemination.
• Experience of undertaking interdisciplinary research.
• Experience of working in a multi-cultural environment.
• Creative communication skills.
• A developing track record of applying for external research income.