Overview

A short-term Research Assistant post is available in the Insect Ecology Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, line managed by Edgar Turner.

Applicants will coordinate and participate in public engagement events associated with the Esmée Fairbairn-funded ‘Butterflies Through Time Project’ at the University Museum of Zoology in Cambridge (UMZC) and on local nature reserves around the city, owned by the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire (WTBCN).

This project aims to use historical specimen data to engage the public with a story of long-term change in UK wildlife. We also want to engage the public with present-day wildlife, both where they live and on local nature reserves, to gain support for modern wildlife conservation. Due to COVID restrictions, some aspects of the project have had to be delayed over the last two years, especially in-person public events. The applicant’s main role will be to run more of these in-person sessions, as well as continue online delivery and other aspects of the project as required.

Events will include family days at WTBCN nature reserves, with activities such as sweep netting, pond dipping and guided walks. Other events will include visits to the Museum’s learning programme target schools in North Cambridge and Fenland areas, exploring how natural history collections store a record of past wildlife. The successful applicant will also help to organise an exhibition at UMZC, using butterfly specimens, high-resolution images and accompanying text to convey how local wildlife has changed over time and to highlight conservation efforts. Finally, the applicant will help to collect and collate evaluation data, and contribute to end of project reports.

The successful candidate will work closely with, and be supported by, the PI and other staff at UMZC, particularly members of the public engagement team, Roz Wade and Sara Steele, and Matt Hayes, a PhD student in the Insect Ecology Group. The candidate will also work closely with WTBCN rangers and volunteer coordinators, as well as volunteers from both organisations.

Candidates should have experience of planning and delivering public engagement events, both in-person and online as part of a team, for a range of audiences including multiple age groups. Ideally, they should also have some basic species wildlife identification skills, and experience of managing volunteers and of working in a museum setting.

Screening Checks

This role requires an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and a security check. Any offer of employment we make to you will be conditional upon the satisfactory completion of these checks; whether an outcome is satisfactory will be determined by the University.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 5 months.

Applications are welcome from internal candidates who would like to apply for the role on the basis of a secondment from their current role in the University.

We welcome applications from individuals who wish to be considered for part-time working or other flexible working arrangements.

We particularly welcome applications from women and /or candidates from a BME background for this vacancy as they are currently under-represented at this level in our University.