Marine & Commercial Fisheries Scientist

About The Role

Are you looking for a role where you can spend a large part of your time out in the field, working alongside the fishing industry and getting hands-on experience of marine fish monitoring?

Do you have a passion for marine fish ecology or commercial fisheries and want to build your career within environmental consultancy?

We’re looking for a Marine & Commercial Fisheries Scientist to join our growing Marine & Commercial Fisheries team. This is a role with a strong fieldwork focus, so if you enjoy being outdoors, working on vessels, travelling to different locations and getting stuck into practical fisheries monitoring, this could be a great opportunity for you.

Around 70% of the role can be fieldwork, with the remainder focused on desk-based activities such as data analysis, report writing and supporting project delivery. Fieldwork will include both vessel-based and shore-based fisheries monitoring and survey programmes, with some travel and time away from home required.

You’ll work across a diverse portfolio of projects throughout the UK and Ireland, including nationally important infrastructure projects, offshore wind, fisheries management and marine conservation. You’ll be helping clients understand environmental risks, regulatory requirements and fisheries stakeholder concerns, whilst supporting responsible development and sustainable management of the marine environment.

You’ll work alongside experienced fisheries scientists, marine ecologists and consenting specialists, gaining exposure to a wide range of projects and developing your knowledge of marine fish biology, ecology and commercial fisheries.

The role would suit someone at an early stage of their career who already has some relevant ecological and fieldwork experience and is keen to develop their career. You’ll have the opportunity to build your technical skills, from fisheries monitoring and data management through to analysis and report writing, whilst developing your understanding of consultancy and project delivery.

There will also be opportunities to build your experience in fisheries stakeholder engagement, Environmental Impact Assessments, Habitats Regulations Assessments, commercial fisheries assessments and fisheries management plans.

This is not a desk-based role. If you enjoy fieldwork, don't mind travelling and want a role where being out on the water is a significant part of your working week, we’d love to hear from you.

Location

Ideally, we’re looking for someone based within easy travelling distance of Stockport, Manchester or North Wales, as the role will require access to our Stockport equipment stores, occasionally up to two days per week.

You’ll also need to be comfortable travelling to project sites and working away from home when required.

You’ll need to bring

• At least 12 months’ relevant ecological work experience.
• Practical fieldwork experience and a willingness to work outdoors in all weather conditions.
• A genuine interest in marine fish ecology and/or commercial fisheries.
• Good report writing skills.
• Excellent data management and analysis skills.
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Excel, Word and other standard data management software.
• The ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver work to deadlines.
• Good communication skills and the ability to work positively as part of a technical project team.
• A full UK driving licence – essential due to the amount of fieldwork and the remote locations of some projects.

It’s a bonus if you have

• Vessel-based survey experience and relevant offshore certifications.
• Experience working with commercial fishermen, fishing industry organisations or other fisheries stakeholders.
• Experience of fisheries stakeholder engagement.
• Experience working with regulators, developers or the fishing industry.
• Knowledge of fisheries data sources such as MMO, ICES, CEFAS or Marine Directorate Scotland.
• Experience supporting offshore wind, marine infrastructure or marine licensing projects.
• GIS experience, particularly ArcGIS or QGIS.

Our WOW Factor

We know that everyone works differently and that daily life does not always follow a set schedule. That is why flexibility is built into the way we work. Whether you prefer to work from home, from one of our offices, or a mix of both, our Ways of Working (WOW) are designed to support a healthy work-life balance and create an environment where our people can thrive.

You belong

Everyone brings something unique to APEM. Whether it's your background, experiences, perspectives or ideas, we believe that what each person brings makes us stronger.

We're committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels respected, supported and able to be themselves. When our people feel empowered to do their best work, we all succeed together.

Next steps

We are focused on creating a diverse and inclusive team. If you can’t tick every box on our job description, then we are still keen to hear from you and are open to supporting your development. That may be working part time or supporting you to gain experience in a specific area – we are a growing company and are able to adapt roles to reflect individual skills.

If you think you have what it takes to join our fast-growing business, then please apply immediately on our website. All we need is some basic information and your CV, we will review all applications quickly and will respond to all applications.

About Us

With locations across the globe, APEM Group provide independent environmental consultancy and expert scientific advice to a wide range of industries including water, renewables, infrastructure, power and utilities, ports and harbours as well as to regulators and governments around the world.

Our Marine & Commercial Fisheries team works at the interface between marine development and the sustainable management of fisheries and marine ecosystems. We bring together fisheries scientists, marine ecologists and consenting specialists to provide practical, science-led advice across a varied and growing portfolio of projects.