Salary: £33,309 - £36,383 depending on experience, plus 33 days of annual leave and 9 buildings closed days. A pension option with HWU contributing 22.5% of salary.
Starting as soon as possible from 1 May 2022, an ongoing contract with fixed funding until 31 December 2024
35 hours a week but we are open to discussing flexible working options when the project allows. 

About the Lyell Centre for Earth and Marine Science and Technology

Based at Heriot-Watt's Edinburgh Campus, Heriot-Watt University and the British Geological Survey (BGS) joined forces in 2015 to create a new research platform, the Lyell Centre for Earth and Marine Science and Technology, to become one of Europe's leading centres for research and expertise in the earth and marine sciences.

The Lyell Centre promotes innovative research at the core of geoscience, marine and terrestrial ecology, computing, mathematics and engineering. Together with our colleagues at BGS, the Centre aims to create a world-leading research cluster bringing science and technology together to tackle major issues of natural resource and energy supply in a responsible and sustainable way.

The new fusion of pure and applied expertise between Heriot-Watt and the BGS provides an opportunity to develop and use innovative methods and new technologies to create real-world solutions to address global challenges The Lyell Centre’s research themes are clustered in two main areas: Applied Geoscience and Ecosystems Science. New research laboratories in Biogeochemistry, Marine Sciences, and GeoEnergy are fundamental components to facilitate and catalyse advancement of research and outreach in the Lyell Centre.

We host a cohort of around 50 PhD students in various disciplines. We provide some undergraduate teaching and this year will begin two new masters programmes in Global Environmental Change and Policy, and Marine Resource Management and Policy.

Further information can be obtained at: https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/research/the-lyell-centre.htm

Detailed Description

“Sources, Sinks and Sustainable Solutions for Impacts of Plastic on Coastal Communities in Vietnam”

The 3SIP2C project is headed up by a multidisciplinary team based at the Lyell Centre at Heriot-Watt University and is focused on quantifying the types and amount of plastic waste entering the coastal margin of Vietnam, and understanding the pathways and destination of that plastic into the wider environment and marine life, and how this plastic impacts upon business activities such as aquaculture, fisheries, tourism and coastal communities. The project proposal’s specific objectives are:

1. Quantify the flow of plastic materials into the coastal environment and the factors that affect this flow, uptake by aquatic organisms, and deposition to the sea floor.
2. Establish rates of macro- and micro- plastic formation from larger intact plastics
3. Identify key plastic particle types and associated contaminants of potential concern (COPC) and pathogens of risk to ecosystem and human health.
4. Establish a ground-truth plastic particle transport model to improve assessment of management and climate mitigation policies and strategies.
5. Engage governments, civil society and relevant businesses to quantify scale and economic risk of plastics in the coastal zone.
6. Establish an equitable, transparent and collaborative platform for knowledge exchange for the responsible utilisation of resources that reduces plastic production and consumption.
7. Build a core capacity of Vietnamese and UK teams able to assess, mitigate and recommend current and future strategies for plastic waste management in the Vietnamese coastal zone.
8. Develop a lasting circle of expertise through engagement with strategic partnerships between academia, Government institutes and non-academic organisations, including retailers (The Cooperative, Sainsbury’s), seafood importers and processors (Labeyrie Fine Foods – Lyons Seafood), a Vietnamese business consortium (IDH-Vietnam), a Vietnamese NGO (Centre for Marine Life, Conservation & Community Development), and global NGOs (Global Ghost Gear Initiative and Global Aquaculture Alliance).

We are hiring four postdocs:

• 2009 - PDRA – Project leader Interdisciplinary Marine Microplastics Research
• 2046 - PDRA in Engagement and Communication
• 2033 - PDRA in Plastic Transport from rivers to coast
• 1999 - PDRA in Environmental Microbiology, Molecular Biology and Microscopy of Marine Microplastics

The 3SIP2C team is excited to welcome an inspiring, creative, and independent Postdoctoral Research Associate (PDRA) to the group, with relevant experience and passion for impact-driven research.

We seek a highly motivated PDRA specialising in the Engagement and Communication of environmental issues. The position will design and action novel engagement practices between project academics, project partners and local-to-(inter)national stakeholders to pioneer new solutions to the ‘plastic challenge’. This multi-faceted strategy will combine cross-sector dialogue to identify plastic-use barriers, triggers for low-plastic behaviours and to stimulate manufacturing and waste management innovations to mitigate plastic risk.

The capacity building and communication (CBC) program will act as the central hub of the 3SIP2C project, connecting and communicating outcomes of the research, internally and externally. CBC will interlink all other work packages, study regions and stakeholders along Vietnam’s coastline through the instigation of a ‘No-Plastic’ network that transcends the business, education and public sectors.

You will take leadership in the translation of scientific findings into civic science, educational programs, and policy recommendations that inform policy-makers and leads to more effective management of plastic production, consumption and waste. The position will contribute to the design and communicate a No-plastic roadmap for the future of Vietnam.

The position requires significant fieldwork and as such you must be able to work independently, have strong organisational and communication skills, and thrive in seeking solutions to a variety of challenges, including in complicated and partly remote environments. You will work effectively as part of a larger team including other PDRAs, technicians, and PhD researchers.

As the successful candidate, you will be based in the Lyell Centre at HWU Edinburgh and become part of the wider interdisciplinary team involved with the £2.8 million project “Sources, Impacts and Solutions for Plastics in South East Asia Coastal Environments”. You will work closely with our strategic engagement partner in Vietnam - the Institute of Vietnamese Studies and Development Science, at the Vietnam National University (VNU) in Hanoi, as well as the other Vietnamese universities involved in the project.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

Based on the strengths and experience of the successful candidate, the position will take selected responsibilities in four interconnected clusters of activity that jointly feed into a integrated portfolio of solutions. Examples of the activities are outlined below:

1. Workshops & discussion forums

• Set up annual local workshops and discussion forums informed by local-(inter)national scale participation analyses to build equitable partnerships with local communities, giving them a voice in the design and delivery of the program based on local (ecological, cultural and economic) knowledge and narratives.
• Contribute to the design and evaluation of stakeholder events at VNU and, for a final international conference, at HWU Edinburgh to define and enable tangible academic and non-academic impact from the 3SIP2C project.

2. Stakeholder & Public Engagement

• Aligned to local workshops, widen participation of under-represented and marginalised community groups via established and novel engagement methods such as beach cleans, plastic alternative challenges and gamification. In-country support will be provided by NGOs, creating the foundation for a national ‘No Plastic’ network with long-term legacy.
• Take a central role in the public engagement strategy to gather qualitative and quantitative narratives on the (1) public perception of plastic waste risk, (2) local (ecological) knowledge about temporal changes in plastic use and waste, (3) perceptions of waste management responsibility, and (4) barriers to changing plastic habits.
• Work with the project team to break down traditional barriers to participation (e.g. literacy, technology access, culture, finance) by adopting a multifaceted engagement approach of gamification, online and social media dissemination and citizen science initiatives.

3. Multi-directional exchanges

• Contribute to the design and evaluation of a national exchange program in Vietnam as a tool for increasing cross-stakeholder development and sharing of best practices.
• Evaluate the value of international exchanges on academic development. These multi-directional exchanges between Vietnam and the UK facilitate training across a broad range of topics, to be defined and agreed by the team.

4. Co-design of solutions

• Solutions to plastic risks will be major threads of discussion in the local and national workshops, and the final conference. Bottom-up solutions will be considered, facilitated by a national competition. The CBC PDRA will be actively engaged in the design, implementation and evaluation of the competition as a tool for innovative co-creation of plastic solutions with direct relevance to local communities.

The four main CBC activities will actively contribute to the development of a framework for a Plastics Knowledge Exchange Hub - a high-level collaborative platform for knowledge exchange. Realising the Hub will closely connect with Governance and Policy activities (GP). These may include contributions to (a) a review of global policy measures in both hard and soft law, and (b) SWOT analysis to develop a best practice model that covers feedback mechanisms and promotes assimilation of international developments into domestic policy frameworks.

Please note that this job description is not exhaustive, and the role holder may be required to undertake other relevant duties commensurate with the grading of the post. Activities may be subject to amendment over time as the role develops and/or priorities and requirements evolve. A flexible working schedule may be required to meet all key duties and responsibilities.

Essential Criteria
Applications will be shortlisted using the criteria below. Please ensure it is clear in your CV or cover letter how you meet the criteria.

• Applicants should hold a PhD (or thesis submitted by start) in a relevant area in engagement and communications, environmental sciences, or related subject.
• Strong academic publication record, or equivalent portfolio.
• Inspiring and creative personality with evidence of excellent presentation and communication skills.
• Experience in civil society engagement in research and policy relevant projects, designed to deliver solution-based impacts.
• Practical experience in the design, leadership and delivery of engagement strategies that connect local communities with stakeholders at the local, national and international level.
• Competence with a wide range of engagement techniques, connecting local community, governmental and international, educational and business sectors.

Desirable:

• Experience in working with marginalized and under-privileged groups
• Focus on delivering policy and societally relevant outcomes and co-created solutions.
• Experience and interest in working internationally, in remote regions with different and often contrasting social, cultural and economic conditions. Examples of working at the interface between local communities, regional stakeholders and national/international organisations are favourable for this project position.
• Experience in engaging with non academic stakeholders, including retailers, national and global NGOs, and regulators at local to government level.
• Experience of working in an interdisciplinary, multi-cultural work environment.
• Experience in presentations of scientific results to academic communities and other stakeholders, including the public (e.g. conference talks).

Contact for enquiries:

Expressions of interest and other queries should be sent by email to Dr Heidi Burdett (h.burdett@hw.ac.uk) or Professor Thomas Wagner (t.wagner@hw.ac.uk) or recruiter and Lyell administrator Fenella.Watson@hw.ac.uk for queries on the recruitment process. 

How to Apply: Applications should consist of a single PDF (including a motivation letter describing your interest and suitability for the post, CV, publication list) and be submitted via the Heriot-Watt University website. The screening of candidates will start in early May 2022, and continue until the position is filled. Anticipated start date: May 2022.

Our Values
Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities.  Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.

Heriot-Watt University values diversity across our University community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information, please see our website https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/services/equality-diversity.htm and also our award-winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers https://disc.hw.ac.uk/ .

We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g. part-time working.

Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.