Social Scientist

The postholder will be a member of the Society and Environment Research Group, within the Centre for Forest Management. The Centre leads FR's research into biosecurity threats, ecosystem robustness and resilience, land use and ecosystem services, and the way in which society values and utilises trees. Programmes within the Centre focus strongly on interdisciplinary research, using the mix of disciplines within FR to address some of the many complex social and environmental problems facing those concerned with Britain’s trees woods and forests.

SERG is an agile group of twenty social scientists focusing on four broad thematic work areas:

1) Well-being and woodlands

2) Land manager behaviours in relation to trees and woodlands

3) Social dimensions of forest disturbances including tree health

4) Social dimensions of wildlife management and reintroductions

Cross-cutting issues include climate change, urban forestry and project, programme, and policy evaluation.  The group delivers evidence direct to policy and other research commissioners, presents at national and international conferences, as well as publishing in a range of high impact journals.

The post holder will carry out social science research that contributes to improving understanding of the values, attitudes, behaviours and actions of land managers, publics, and stakeholders across SERG’s four themes.

Key Work Areas:

• Assist with the design of methods and the collection of data across a number of research projects by contributing social science insights and approaches
• Assist with and conduct the analysis of quantitative data and qualitative data
• Contribute to research project management, e.g. procurement and contract management for research services
• Interpret and report on social science data, including contributing to technical reports, research summaries, website and social media content, and scientific publications
• Work with other members of the Social and Economic Research Group and in an interdisciplinary way with other scientists across FR and its partners to develop research proposals and projects

Essential Criteria:

• Postgraduate qualification with substantial social science content within an environmental setting or equivalent social research skills and experience gained within consultancy or other environmental sector (min. 1 year)
• Track record of contributing to successful social research e.g. developing research questions, data gathering, data analysis and reporting
• Experience in social science respondent recruitment and data gathering, fieldwork and analysis of data
• Competent user of IT including social science analysis packages
• Proficient in technical report writing
• High standard of verbal and written communication and experience of knowledge exchange with a range of stakeholders
• The post holder will need to be able to travel across the UK to attend meetings, conferences, and undertake fieldwork

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