Marine Policy Officer

For over 50 years, the Scottish Wildlife Trust has worked with its members, partners and supporters in pursuit of healthy, resilient ecosystems across Scotland’s land and seas for the benefit of people and wildlife. The Trust successfully champions the cause of wildlife through policy and campaigning work, demonstrates best practice through practical conservation and innovative partnerships, and inspires people to take positive action through its education and engagement activities.

A key component of the Trust’s work towards achieving a healthy and productive marine environment has been its Living Seas project, which focuses on marine planning, policy, and community engagement at both national and local levels.

Scotland’s marine area is vast, making up approximately 60% of UK seas, and our coasts and waters support a rich and diverse array of spectacular wildlife and natural habitats that provide a wealth of benefits to society, from food and jobs to education and inspiration.

The Trust is keen to increase its capacity to engage with Scotland’s marine environment, and is looking to recruit an enthusiastic and driven Marine Policy Officer to join it’s Living Seas team. The role will focus predominantly on developing and advocating the Trust’s position on marine nature-based solutions and the role they can play in tackling climate change, reversing biodiversity loss, and supporting Scotland’s green recovery.

Nature-based solutions have the potential to assist with the many environmental, social and economic challenges we face, but to date discussion on nature-based solutions has focused largely on terrestrial environments, and leaving Scotland’s biggest asset, the marine environment, overlooked. It is essential that decisions on the future use and management of the marine environment are considered within the context of nature-based solutions, and that the multiple benefits this approach can provide to the environment and society. The Marine Policy Officer’s key role will be to identify and advocate for these opportunities.

Applicants should have a post-graduate degree in environmental or marine science, and a good understanding of Scotland’s marine environment, the industries that operate within it, and the challenges climate change poses. The Marine Policy Officer post will focus mainly on marine nature-based solutions, but there will be opportunities to work with the Trust’s Living Seas Manager on other key marine planning and policy work areas, in particular fisheries management, marine planning, and marine protected areas.

You should have excellent communication and writing skills, experience writing briefings, consultation responses and written evidence, excellent time management, and be confident and comfortable working independently and collaboratively.

Closing date for applications: 12 noon, Monday 9 November 2020

The Marine Policy Officer role is a 2-year position funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.