The Atlantic Salmon Trust is a leading salmon and sea trout conservation charity that seeks to improve the freshwater and marine populations of Atlantic salmon and sea trout from catchments flowing into the Atlantic Ocean. It is based in the UK but has a reach and reputation that extends around the fisheries world. Key to this is an evidence-based approach to informing management, which has put the Trust at the forefront of migratory salmonid conservation. The Trust is looking to appoint a Research Director to lead the scientific team that delivers this research across the private, industrial and academic sectors. Whilst the Trust is based at Battleby, the role will involve working in collaboration with other organisations and partners around the Atlantic. The Research Director will report in the first instance to the Atlantic Salmon Trust CEO, who in turn reports to the Board of Trustees. Applications are by submission of CV and cover letter to pamela@atalnticsalmontrust.org and must be received by close of business on 20th July 2021.

General Duties

The Research Director will be responsible for the scientific function of the Atlantic Salmon Trust, in terms of setting the direction of research, ensuring that it is delivered to the highest standard and communicating the results. This will be achieved by:

  • Positioning the Trust as a strategic leader in migratory salmonid research.
  • Providing strategic support to the CEO and the Board of Trustees to develop the research direction of the Trust and providing a range of technical and scientific advice.
  • Leading the research team at the Trust to ensure that the scientific credentials of the Trust are maintained and further developed.
  • Communicate, with simplicity and authority, the research programme to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Specific Duties Leadership and Management

The postholder will be the head of the research team at the Trust, with overall management of staff and budgets, with the expectation to mentor and develop this team. This will be achieved through:

  • Development and ownership of the research direction for the Trust.
  • Leadership of the Trust’s research group through line management and development of staff to ensure high quality delivery of work programmes to an agreed budget and timeframe.
  • Transferring knowledge and experience.
  • Developing proactive links with local, national and international partners, to better deliver the aims and scientific credentials of the Trust, through partnerships, cooperative working and joint projects.

Communications

A key task for the Research Director will be to communicate the results of the Trust’s research programmes and wider developments within the scientific community and also to a wider non-technical audience. This operates at a number of levels but must always be achieved with concise clarity and authority:

  • Provide technical and scientific advice to the Trust and its partners.
  • Representing the AST at key events and serving as the voice of the science undertaken by the Trust, on a national and international basis.
  • Leading the Trust’s publication of scientific, peer reviewed papers and technical reports, particularly through the curation and editing of the in-house Blue Book series of publications.
  • Assisting in the planning of AST Workshops, Conferences and other technical meetings, including input into NASCO.
  • Contributing to press and social media articles through the written word, film and spoken word.

Technical

The Research Director will lead and develop a small team of multi-disciplinary scientists to deliver the Trust’s research programmes. The three main current focuses of the work programme are the Likely Suspects Framework, Fish Telemetry (including eDNA), and River Restoration. To maintain and develop the reputation of the Trust this team must ensure that work is delivered to the highest scientific standard. Part of the technical aspects of this role will be to highlight where there are weaknesses or gaps in the strategic work undertaken by the Trust and work in partnership with the CEO to remedy these. This will include the stimulation of partnerships to carry out targeted research to fill those gaps in our understanding of salmon and the impacts upon them. The Research Director is currently supported by an Honorary Scientific Advisory Panel, a group which he will chair.

Financial & Governance

The Trust operates in an open and transparent manner to the highest professional standards. As such the postholder will ensure that all work complies with the Trust’s governance policies relating to, but not limited to, health and safety, procurement, child protection, fairness and equality for all and financial accountability. Specifically the Research Director will be responsible for the setting, management and accountability of research budgets. Where appropriate the postholder will assist in the fundraising efforts of the Trust, by seeking out funded research partnerships, supporting fundraising initiatives and identifying / pursuing appropriate income streams for the organisation.

Conditions of Employment

The terms of employment will be detailed in a contract and accompanying staff handbook, along with this job description. The Trust operates a flexible 37.5 hour working week, which will on occasion require working evenings and weekends. The main place of work will be at the Trust’s main office at Battleby, which is located just north of the city of Perth in Scotland. Other work locations are available and can be agreed by negotiation. Irrespective of work location, the postholder will be expected to be eligible to work within the United Kingdom.

It should be noted that the postholder will be required to travel, work with partners across the UK and further afield. As such, they will need to have access to a vehicle as work locations may not be accessible by public transport. The Trust also operates a policy of continuous professional development and will help support the development of the career of the postholder. The following are a set of criteria against which the applications from potential candidates will be appraised.

1. Knowledge and Qualifications

Essential

  • A high standard of academic qualifications and a postgraduate degree in biological or related science.
  • A good scientific publication and citation record.
  • Excellent communication skills, written and verbal, to technical and non-technical audiences.
  • Knowledge of how salmon advice for managers is formulated, both across the British Isles and ICES.
  • Proven project and personnel management record.

Desirable 

  • An appropriate PhD and post-doctoral career path.
  • Highly regarded as a skilled scientist and scientific manager
  • An understanding of how salmon management is undertaken across the British Isles.

2. Skills

Essential

  • Extensive experience of working with salmonid fishes. Track record in delivering high quality scientific outputs in a timely and efficient manner.
  • Research creativity and cross-discipline collaborative ability
  • Proven ability to organise and manage technical teams of scientists and technicians
  • The ability to engage and communicate, at a senior level and with authority, with project partners and stakeholders. Whether through interpersonal skills (written and oral), including public presentations and the ability to communicate complex data or concepts clearly and concisely.
  • Initiative and judgement to resolve problems and overcome challenges

Desirable

  • Experience of statistical analyses and have basic modelling skills

3. Experience

Essential

  • Extensive experience in planning, implementing and reporting on research projects.
  • Experience of working with universities and government agencies, both within the UK and internationally.
  • Evidence of partnership and collegiate working.
  • Experience in the collection and analysis of data.

Desirable 

  • A good working knowledge of NASCO and ICES, and their respective roles in salmon conservation and management.