Location
Wrecclesham, Alice Holt Forest Research Station, Surrey

Hours
Full Time

Salary
£30,105 per annum

About the Role
Join Forest Research, part of the Forestry Commission family and a world leader in applied forest science. With climate and biodiversity in crisis, our research is vital in providing evidence and practical solutions to policymakers, forestry practitioners, and land managers across the UK. This Research Assistant position supports a portfolio of forest ecology projects based at Alice Holt Forest Research Station in Surrey within the Centre for Forest Management. You will work as part of a multidisciplinary team, contributing to field, laboratory, and office-based activities that improve understanding of forest ecosystems and inform sustainable woodland management.

Fieldwork will involve ecological assessments of biotic and abiotic variables across diverse forest habitats and agroforestry systems, including soil sampling and multi-taxa biodiversity surveys such as vegetation, fungi, arthropods, bats, and birds. You will also assist with minor construction, installation, and maintenance of equipment at long-term field sites. Flexibility to travel regularly across Great Britain, including occasional overnight stays, is required.

Laboratory work includes supporting the Ecology Laboratory’s daily operations, processing ecological samples such as mammal eDNA, ectomycorrhizal root tips, and bulk arthropod samples, and maintaining equipment sterilisation and quality assurance. You will have opportunities to develop species identification skills across multiple taxonomic groups.

Office duties include supporting survey site selection, fieldwork preparation, data analysis, report and scientific output preparation, and assisting with external funding applications.

The role involves collaboration with forest ecologists, climate change scientists, and other specialists across Forest Research, with training and mentorship provided by PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and senior staff. Projects you may support include Trees Outside Woodland (ToW), Forest Wilding, Large-scale Ecosystem Recovery Network (LERN), Supporting Woodlands into Management (S-WiM), and Biodiversity Across Forest Types (BioX4Types).

Experience
- Undergraduate degree or equivalent relevant qualification in ecology, environmental science, forest science, physical or biological sciences, or equivalent professional experience
- Experience in ecological fieldwork, sampling techniques, and measurement of physical variables
- Good laboratory practice experience including microscope use and health & safety processes
- Excellent organisational skills, sample and data handling, and record keeping
- Willingness to undertake seasonal fieldwork across Great Britain with regular travel and occasional overnight stays
- Full current UK driving licence

About you
- Enjoy working outdoors in varied weather conditions
- Flexible and able to travel regularly across Great Britain
- Able to work effectively within multidisciplinary teams while maintaining high standards of health and safety, scientific integrity, and data quality
- Enthusiastic to learn new skills including species identification and laboratory techniques

Desirable
- Experience collecting and analysing UK forest ecology data
- Identification skills for ground vegetation, fungi, arthropods, or bioacoustic monitoring
- Knowledge of forest science, ecology, biometrics, or restoration ecology
- Experience with DNA metabarcoding or eDNA sample collection
- Practical skills in construction, repair, and maintenance using hand and power tools
- Familiarity with GIS software such as ARCGIS or QGIS