Research and Monitoring Officer (Career-graded)

The role

The Moors for the Future Partnership (MFFP) is an externally funded partnership organisation within the Peak District National Park Authority. MFFP carries out evidence-led moorland conservation and engages with academia and fellow practitioners to maintain, share and advance knowledge and best practice within the field.

Several exciting new projects are about to come online, and we are increasing our team of Research and Monitoring Officers to contribute towards the delivery of MFFP's research and monitoring programme. The successful candidate will carry out a mix of field data collection (including routine maintenance of monitoring sites), data analysis, and report writing (including both internal reports and formal reports for dissemination to funders and elsewhere). There will also be opportunities to engage with academia, other moorland conservation practitioners and members of the public.

The successful candidate will work on a range of existing and new projects, covering the upland peatlands from the Roaches in the south, through to Ilkley Moor in the north, and will be supported by experienced staff and casual staff who are familiar with the sites, projects and protocols. Travel throughout the Peak District and South Pennines is therefore an integral feature of this role.

The current end date for this post is 31st March 2027. The Moors for the Future Partnership is currently awaiting confirmation of forward funding for other projects. If this confirmation is received, then there will potentially be scope to extend this job contract to March 2030, but this is unconfirmed at this stage.

This is a career-graded post. The Job Description and Person Specification make reference to “Research and Monitoring Officer” and “Senior Research and Monitoring Officer.” We are ideally looking for someone to join at the Research and Monitoring Officer level, but will also consider offering at the Senior Research and Monitoring Officer level for the right candidate.

This post is advertised as full-time. However, for the right candidate, we would consider a part-time commitment of 3 or more days per week instead. One of these days would need to be Wednesday, when we hold our science team meetings.

About you

You will be educated to BSc level in natural science or have equivalent experience. You will be numerate, have technical science writing skills, and be able to manage and analyse large datasets. You will have experience of working outdoors and collecting field data, preferably in an upland environment. Ideally, you will have good knowledge of upland ecosystems, ecosystem services and moorland restoration techniques.

In return, we can offer you the opportunity to make a real difference to the South Pennine uplands, working as part of a friendly and focused team. You will be based at the Moorland Centre, in the beautiful village of Edale, minutes from the Pennine Way.

About us

The Peak District National Park was the first of Britain’s 15 national parks and is still enjoyed by millions, looking for both adventure and a breathing space to escape. It is also the most accessible due to its proximity to four major cities of the UK and its 38,000 residents. We recognise the importance of our national park, and our job is to speak up and care for the Peak District National Park for all to enjoy forever.

Our values

• Care – We care for the Peak District National Park, the people we work with and all those we serve. It’s at the heart of everything we do.
• Enjoy – We take pride in what we do and feel good about our contribution.
• Pioneer – We were born of pioneers. We will continue to explore opportunities to inspire future generations

Benefits

We offer a range of staff benefits including flexi-time, a great pension with employer contribution of 19.57%, 25-30 days holiday (pro rata) plus bank holidays and free parking at most of our offices. Please see our Total Reward Brochure to see what we offer.

Flexible working

A range of flexible working options would be considered, including hybrid home/office working. If you would like to discuss this, please contact us using the contact details on our website.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

The Peak District National Park Authority is committed to equal opportunities. We aspire to have a diverse and inclusive workplace and strongly encourage applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply and join us.

Provisional interview: w/c 23 February