Marine Conservation & Fisheries Officer – Belfast

Location: Clare House, Belfast
Pay: Approx. £19.59 per hour
Hours: 37 hours | Monday-Friday | Flexi
Contract: Temporary assignment – 1 November 2026 to 31 October 2027

JDR Recruitment is recruiting a Marine Conservation & Fisheries Officer for a Northern Ireland Civil Service assignment with DAERA’s Marine and Fisheries Division.

Working within the Marine Protected Areas (MPA) Team, the successful candidate will support the management and conservation of Northern Ireland’s marine protected sites, with a particular focus on fisheries management and marine ecosystems.

The Role

You will:

• Assist in developing fisheries-management measures for offshore Marine Protected Areas.
• Help develop an inshore MPA monitoring programme.
• Provide conservation advice relating to the impacts of fishing.
• Represent the Department on stakeholder groups.
• Liaise with agencies and other UK administrations on policy and technical matters.
• Identify species-specific evidence and knowledge gaps.
• Engage with external stakeholders to develop options for addressing evidence gaps.
• Potentially support the development and management of external evidence-gathering contracts.
• Assist with delivery of the Elasmobranch Conservation Strategy.

Essential Criteria

Applicants must have:

• A degree or equivalent/higher qualification in Zoology, Biology, Ecology or another relevant Marine or Environmental Science subject.
• At least 2 years’ relevant experience gained within the last 8 years, in a paid, voluntary or academic capacity, associated with the conservation or assessment of marine ecosystems.

Relevant experience must include one or more of:

• Producing and/or reviewing ecological assessments or reports.
• Conducting ecological surveys of marine habitats and wildlife, particularly those found in UK waters.
• Conservation management.

An MSc in a relevant scientific discipline, fisheries survey experience, marine telemetry experience, stakeholder engagement and project-management experience would be advantageous.

Security Clearance

The successful candidate will be required to complete the relevant pre-employment checks and obtain Basic security clearance.

JDRBelfast