Job Description: Head of Science & Research
Location: Flexible – home based.
Salary: £35,000 - £37,500 pro-rata.
Working hours: 3 days per week (including Monday)
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Holiday: 23 days per year pro rata, plus bank & statutory holidays.
Reporting to: Chief Executive Officer.
Contract length: 2 years (23rd November 2026 – 22nd November 2028).
Froglife is a national wildlife conservation charity with a specific focus on the conservation of the UK’s reptile and amphibian species and their habitats. Froglife also manages a successful company, Froglife Ecological Services, which provides essential unrestricted funds and co-funding for its charitable activities.
Central to our ethos is to involve as many people as possible into taking action to help conserve amphibian and reptile species. We are particularly keen to involve those who for socio-economic reasons are often excluded from taking part in wildlife conservation activities.
Froglife is working across the UK to conserve amphibians by:
Transforming Landscapes; conserving and creating the habitats our species depend on.
Transforming Lives; engaging people from all walks of life.
Transforming Research; finding out more about how to conserve our species.
Main areas of responsibility:
1. Strategic development
Influence and promote and support the development of Froglife’s strategic plan to ensure the future growth, development, and success of the organisation, making significant contributions to the organisation’s development.
Lead on the development of the Research Protocol ensuring it is underpinned by conservation evidence and signed off by the Research Advisory Board.
Froglife, Brightfield Business Hub, Bakewell Road, Orton Southgate, Peterborough, PE2 6XU Tel: 01733 602102 Email: info@froglife.org Charity Patrons: Jules Howard, Kate Bradbury & Prof. Roger Downie
Make significant contributions to the work of the Senior Management Team (SMT) and work closely with other members of the SMT, reporting regularly to SMT meetings and Trustees meetings.
• Support the CEO to gain funding for Froglife’s work and develop our conservation activities for the future.
2. Human Resources and Line Management:
• Supervise all research volunteers, research students, scientific interns, and research partners.
• Work with SMT to ensure all staff are well supported across Froglife through staff meetings and training.
3. Research
Manage all research carried out across the organisation, including commissioning, supervising, and disseminating outcomes.
Manage research opportunities with Natural England / NatureScot/ Natural Resources Wales / Northern Ireland Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and any resulting research projects, to ensure they keep to budget, remain on target and generate appropriate outcomes.
• Chair Steering Groups set up to oversee and guide research projects
• Support the development of evaluation practice leading to publication in scientific journals.
• Ensure Froglife keeps up to date with latest research findings and ensure these are shared as relevant.
Work with the Head of Conservation and Impact and the Research Advisory Board to plan and develop Froglife’s applied science research programme
Liaise with Head of Conservation and Impact to assist Froglife’s commitment to “Improve conservation effectiveness through the routine testing of management” by testing one conservation intervention per year.
• Work with other research institutions to produce relevant scientific papers on Froglife’s work.
4. University and Volunteer Research
Support the supervision of postgraduate research studentships at Masters and PhD level and work with the Research Advisory Board to engage with University based research opportunities that align with the Froglife Strategy.
Support the supervision of undergraduate research projects that align with the Froglife Strategy as advised by the Research Advisory Board.
Support the work of Research Volunteers in the gathering of data or production of research output that benefits Froglife’s research portfolio.
5. Collection and sharing research information
• Oversee the Froglife data sharing process and data sharing agreements
• Oversee the Dragon Finder App and the verification of records.
Oversee collection and submission of NBN Data through Dragon Finder App and Toads on Roads project.
Ensure Froglife makes the most of all opportunities to analyse data collected through, citizen science, surveys, projects etc.
Support a new project-based species data recording system (Species Hub) to link with Habitat Hub project information.
Support the planning and delivery of Froglife led conservation and/or scientific events including a biennial Online Research Conference.
6. Policy
Represent Froglife and lead on policy matters at a Westminster level as agreed with the Head of Conservation and Impact (e.g. Invasive Species, Planning and Land Use, Wildlife Crime group; watching brief for Chemicals Group & Agriculture Group)
7. Other duties:
• Attend relevant conferences, workshops and meetings to raise the profile of Froglife’s work.
Give presentations/talks at relevant conferences and workshops.
• Contribute to Froglife’s social media, Website, Natterchat, and Croaks.
• Participate in and provide professional training as required.
• Act as a responsible ambassador for Froglife.