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Cetacean stock assessment Research Assistant, SMRU Ltd, St Andrews,

UK SMRU Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of the University of St Andrews that provides scientific advice to industry and government. SMRU Ltd works closely with the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) and the Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling (CREEM) undertaking a wide variety of research contracts that build on the expertise of scientists and mathematicians within the organisations.

The areas of work that we are currently involved in include advising on potential impacts of marine renewable energy projects; providing guidance on marine mammal populations; and assessing how wider commercial activities within the marine environment may affect marine organisms.

SMRU Ltd currently invites motivated applicants to apply for the post of Research Assistant. The candidate will assist in a study of the relationships between cetacean stocks and oil and gas industry exploration and production noise.

Key responsibilities will include:

1. A desk based review of current information on cetacean abundance.
2. Assisting with spatial and abundance estimation, for example using General Additive Model fitting and GIS
3. Draft key project reports in conjunction with the scientific team
4. Undertake other project-related work as required.

The successful applicant is expected to have an advanced degree in an environmental discipline, and must be able to demonstrate some experience of marine mammal research. The applicant must be proficient with database and word processing software and be willing to learn new software applications. Specific experience in the statistical techniques used in marine mammal abundance estimation and GIS would be advantageous. The preferred candidate should have a proven track record as a team player as the project will involve working closely with a team of at least eight scientists. They must also be self-motivated with the drive and determination to work independently. This post brings the opportunity to submit work for scientific publication in addition to producing specific project reports, so the ability to draft high quality scientific reports in English is essential.

We encourage all qualified persons with the necessary visas and documentation to work in the UK to apply.

The post is for 10 months with a preferred start date in late 2007, but some flexibility will be possible to accommodate a strong applicant.

The salary available for this position will be close to ?20,000 p/a pro rata.

Interested candidates should send a letter of application, curriculum vitae, and list of referees by email or post to Fiona Skilbeck, fas@smru.co.uk,
SMRU Ltd,
7 Woodburn Place,
St Andrews, Fife KY16 8LA.

The deadline for applications is 7th November 2007.

Tel: + 44 (0) 1334 479 100
Fax: + 44 (0) 1334 477 878