Researcher, Ecosystem Health and Social Dimensions

WWT Slimbridge (Centre)

South West

Closing date for applications is: 23rd Nov 2026

Contact: Recruitment Team (recruitment@wwt.org.uk)

Sector: Research

Type: Paid

Contract type: Full-time

Salary: £25,985 per annum, pro rata

About The Role

Are you an early career scientist, looking to gain experience working on real-world conservation issues within a supportive and internationally recognised team of interdisciplinary researchers?

WWT’s Wetland Evidence department are looking to recruit an early career scientist to support our work on urban wetlands. Based in the Ecosystem Health and Social Dimensions team, the successful candidate will play a key role in helping WWT to deliver evidence on the barriers and enablers of urban areas achieving Ramsar Wetland City status, a globally recognised accreditation. The role will focus on finding, extracting, and summarising relevant data that will allow us to understand the experiences of Wetland Cities worldwide. This will include identifying common challenges, enabling factors and outcomes, what makes Wetland City initiatives successful, and how accreditation can translate into meaningful benefits for nature and people.

This role will enable an early career scientist to gain and develop fundamental research skills in searching, identifying, extracting and summarising scientific data.

This is a full-time position, working 37.5 hours per week, for a fixed period until 30th May 2027. The role is suitable for hybrid working, with up to 1 day per week required at Slimbridge Wetland Centre.

About You

The successful candidate will have:

• A background in conservation, environmental sciences, or a related discipline.
• Experience of extracting and collating information from multiple published sources, such as published reports and webpages.
• A proven track record of delivering work to deadlines.
• The ability to work independently and as part of a team to deliver high quality research.
• The create ability to summarise information effectively using figures and tables.
• Skills in problem solving, able to independently and proactively find solutions to issues and challenges that arise in your work.
• Current knowledge of national and international conservation issues, especially as they relate to wetlands.
• A desire to apply their skills to real-world conservation issues.

Please view the full job description for all the responsibilities and specifications for the role.

About Us

We’re WWT, and we’re on a mission to restore the super-powered ecosystems we call wetlands. There’s never been a more important moment for our work, and we’ve got some phenomenal people on the case.

Whether they’re taking a new visitor under their wing, or conducting ground-breaking research further afield, our team are second to none. And there’s nothing we love more than watching them soar.

Whatever you do here, you’ll be helping to restore wetlands and unlock their power. So, the only question left is, what role will you play?

Why you’ll love working at WWT

• Wake up every day knowing your work is helping to restore wetlands, and our world
• Be surrounded and inspired by our team of passionate, dedicated people
• 33 days annual leave (which goes up to 38 days after 5 years of service) - this includes bank holidays and you have flexibility to take those days whenever you want
• Free entry to all our wetland centres, including your family
• Free car parking and secure bike storage areas
• Colleague discount on shopping and memberships
• Cycle to work scheme
• Contributory pension scheme
• Life Assurance of three times your salary, for peace of mind for your loved ones
• Independent personal, workplace and financial advice from our Employee Assistance Programme

WWT is an equal opportunities employer and all applications will be considered solely on merit.

Registered Charity Number England & Wales, no 1030884 and Scotland, no SC039410