Terrestrial Monitoring Scientist

Description:

Identified position
This position is an 'Identified' position which signifies that the role has a strong involvement in issues relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The successful applicant must have an understanding of the issues affecting Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people and an ability to communicate sensitively and effectively with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander People.
Who we are
The Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) is part of the Commonwealth Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. As primary agency for Australia's Antarctic Program (AAP), the AAD is responsible for achieving the Australian Government's Antarctic goals.
These goals are to:

• maintain the Antarctic Treaty System and enhance Australia's influence within it
• protect the Antarctic environment
• understand the role of Antarctica in the global climate system
• undertake scientific work of practical, economic and national significance.

The AAD also has responsibility for administering the Australian Antarctic Territory and the Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands.
The AAD Science Branch leads, conducts and supports a world class program of scientific research and environmental management, consistent with national priorities through the Australian Antarctic Science Strategic Plan. The branch provides research and advice to support Australia's Antarctic policy objectives, including participation in the Antarctic Treaty system and other international committees, commissions and intergovernmental panels. It manages and administers the Australian Antarctic Science Program (including project requests, assessment, and reporting) and provides scientific and research advice to support regulatory and management decisions.
The East Antarctic Monitoring Program (EAMP) is responsible for the delivery of sustained and coordinated observations of essential variables to underpin all aspects of Antarctic and Southern Ocean research, modelling and forecasting, and to support protection, conservation and management. The East Antarctic Monitoring Program explicitly links monitoring to end-user needs to inform management and policy interventions framed in the Australian Antarctic Strategy and 20 Year Action Plan (2022 Update) and the Australian Antarctic Science Decadal Strategy 2025-2035, contributing to international frameworks and commitments and involving strategic research collaborations with other national and international programs.
The key duties of the position include

• Developing and applying standardised methodologies and workflows for the implementation of long-term monitoring programs for terrestrial Antarctic environments, including pre-season planning, field campaign design, sampling, laboratory analyses, image analyses, and data analyses and visualisation.
• Developing and leading Antarctic research projects that focus on terrestrial ecosystems, their management and conservation.
• Engaging with scientists, policy officers, environmental managers, operations officers, and other internal and external stakeholders including academic and state and Commonwealth Government agencies, to plan and implement Antarctic terrestrial long-term monitoring programs.
• Processing, analysing, visualising, and interpreting terrestrial monitoring datasets to address questions relevant to biodiversity conservation, environmental policy, and ecosystems management, including integration of multi-disciplinary data and from collaborative projects.
• Identifying priority monitoring gaps and reviewing, testing and refining survey methodologies to maximise observing capabilities.
• Providing expert advice for the formulation and implementation of Environmental Impact Assessments, Environmental Evaluations and Authorisations to key stakeholders in the AAD such as the Environmental Management Unit (EMU) and Antarctic and Environmental Regulation section, particularly to support area protection (e.g. ASPAs) and station operational zone management (including monitoring of mitigation measures) in Antarctica.
• Communicating key science outcomes to key stakeholders throughout the AAD, through peer-reviewed journal publications, scientific reports for state and Commonwealth governments and to international fora such as the Committee on Environmental Protection of the Antarctic Treaty (ATCM-CEP), Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research and presentations at relevant workshops and conferences.
• Supporting other branch, divisional and departmental priorities, and practicing an inclusive culture of safety, compliance and continuous improvement within Science Branch.
• Participating in Antarctic field programs and working with teams undertaking terrestrial ecological research (including with external collaborators).

For detailed information about the job-specific capabilities for this role, please view the Job Description which can be downloaded from our website - the Apply Now link will take you there.