Research Leader - Remote Sensing

The integration of remote sensing, IoT, and AI analytics is revolutionizing environmental management - enabling us to monitor, understand, and respond to environmental challenges with unprecedented precision and speed.

We are offering an exciting opportunity for a dynamic leader to head a team of talented researchers addressing some of today’s most pressing and policy-relevant environmental and sustainability issues. Based within the Information and Computational Science (ICS) Department, you will spearhead remote sensing and geospatial data science initiatives to characterize and assess ecosystem health, with a particular focus on soil, land use change, policy development, and climate impacts.

As a senior scientist at the James Hutton Institute, you will combine project leadership, methodological innovation, and income generation with mentoring responsibilities and active engagement with both internal colleagues and external partners. This is a unique chance to shape the future of environmental science and make a tangible impact on sustainability policy and practice.

Key activities include:

Development of the scientific and administrative components of project proposals for nationally significant environmental research; leading project teams and research groups with different levels of skill and seniority to ensure project delivery; leading and mentoring colleagues to ensure career development and alignment with the James Hutton Institute strategic goals; interacting with research leads across the Institute to build capacity and new science directions; reporting on project delivery to a cross-section of stakeholders including land managers, policy developers, environmental regulatory bodies and industry partners.

Initially, this post will be primarily involved with ongoing Scottish Government-funded and other work on soils, land use change and climate impact mapping. The postholder would be expected to generate research income and participate in senior-level departmental strategy development.

Main Duties of Postholder

1. Working on Scottish Government Strategic Research Programme projects:
2. Working on other competitively funded projects:
3. Developing funding applications:
4. Knowledge Exchange:
5. Research group/team lead: the postholder will occupy a senior position within the ICS department, working with the head of department on departmental strategy and research programme delivery. In addition to helping coordinate departmental activities and occasionally seconding for the head of department at Institute executive-level committee meetings, the postholder will have operational responsibility for specific equipment and software licence oversight, administration and management.
6. Line management: the postholder will line manage several colleagues with skills across soils and environmental science GIS, remote sensing and data science specialisms. These colleagues will be involved in multiple projects, some led by the postholder and some led by others. The postholder will be responsible for ensuring that the colleagues they line manage have appropriate training and career development opportunities, and that they comply with Institute policies and procedures and annual reporting requirements.
7. Values and Behaviours: As a senior member of the Department, the postholder will be responsible for ‘setting the tone’ and helping maintain our open and supportive culture, ensuring professional standards are upheld and that behaviour and performance aligns with our values and strategic goals.

Person Specification

Education/Experience/Skills

Essential

• PhD in remote sensing, geoinformatics, computational geography or equivalent geospatial research
• Strong leadership, mentoring and coaching skills evidenced by career development of colleagues
• An impactful research track record with national and international collaborations and well-regarded publications
• Significant working experience managing projects that involve development and implementation of complex spatial workflows
• Advanced knowledge of data requirements for geospatial analysis and visualisation. Ability to lead staff working with Google Earth Engine, R, Python and a range of GIS platforms
• A track record of successful research funding acquisition with e.g. UKRI, Innovate UK, EU
• Ability to work in a complex and rapidly changing research environment
• Knowledge of manipulation and visualization of spatial data
• Demonstrable ability to prepare and present professional-quality presentations to a range of technical and non-technical audiences
• Up-to-date familiarity with commercial and open-source GIS and related software
• Experience in managing large teams with diverse skill sets
• Experience of working in interdisciplinary teams and contributing to a range of projects
• Experience in leading and contributing to the writing of research papers and reports
• Evidence of flexible and adaptable working style
• Excellent interpersonal skills

Desirable

• Experience of leading research projects in soil science, land use and climate change
• Experience of effective communication with policy developers and land managers
• Experience of working in an interdisciplinary environment
• Effective communication across disciplinary boundaries
• Ability to adapt leadership skills and apply them across a range of project areas

What We Offer

Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) - A confidential service available to support employees and their families with work or personal problems. Providing access to professional counsellors, psychologists, and work-life consultants available to help and support individuals in tackling all types of problems.

Annual Leave – Generous entitlement up to 40.5 days a year, with carry over possible and guaranteed time-off for Christmas.

Pension - Employer Contribution of 15% in a Personal Pension Plan and employee contribution flexibility.

Self-managed hours and Flexible Working – option to manage and spread your working time in line with organisational needs to create a healthy work life balance.