DIRECTOR
SIIR   ALISTER HARDY FOUNDATION FOR OCEAN SCIENCE (SAHFOS) Plymouth, Devon, UK
http://www.sahfos.org
SAHFOS wishes to appoint a Director to lead the Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) Survey and other activities of the Foundation. Could you be the next leader of this internationally-recognised, small but dynamic research organisation?
Continuous Plankton Recorders have been towed by merchant ships belonging to many nations for over 5 million nautical miles, resulting in the collection of more than 200,000 plankton samples, primarily from the North Atlantic but increasingly from other oceans. The CPR survey is the longest running and geographically the most extensive marine ecological survey in the world.
Using this historical time series and the skills of a dedicated team of researchers and analysts the Survey provides globally-recognised scientific and policy-relevant information on environmental and climatic changes in marine ecosystems. SAHFOS has recently initiated a global alliance of similar surveys.
SAHFOS Council invites applications for the appointment of a Director. This is a unique opportunity for a scientist with vision and motivation to lead the staff and research to ensure the Foundation builds on its reputation for excellent and relevant science. The Council is open to employment arrangements such as joint positions with a University or a secondment from the candidate’s present institution.
Presentations and interviews will be held in Plymouth, Devon on 26 and 27 April 2012.
To apply send electronically a covering letter, CV and names and contact details of three referees by 16 March 2012 to:
Marion Smith, SAHFOS, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, PL1 2PB Tel: 01752 633271. E-mail: masm@sahfos.ac.uk

Further Particulars
Background
The Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science (SAHFOS) is an international centre of excellence in marine plankton ecology and taxonomy. The Foundation is a UK-registered international charity funded by the UK Government (Defra and NERC) and a consortium of international agencies. It manages the Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) Survey – the longest and most geographically extensive marine ecological survey in the world. Since 1931, the Survey’s monitoring programme has been based on the collection of plankton using CPRs towed by volunteer merchant ‘ships of opportunity’ along regular monthly shipping routes in the North Sea, North Atlantic, Arctic, North Pacific and Southern Oceans. Recently, the Foundation has spearheaded a global initiative that will link existing sister CPR surveys and initiate new surveys from around the world, forming a more comprehensive global sampling strategy. The dataset of plankton biodiversity (~500 taxa) created from these tows provides a unique historical record of environmental and climatic indicators. It is used worldwide by marine scientists and policy makers to address marine environmental management issues such as harmful algal blooms, biodiversity, pollution, eutrophication and fisheries, as well as climate change. SAHFOS scientists also contribute to the IPCC and other international assessments.
The Foundation is governed by a Council – for further details see
http://www.sahfos.ac.uk/research/publications/annual-report.aspx. SAHFOS is based in Plymouth overlooking Plymouth Sound, and is co-located with the Marine Biological Association of the UK in its Citadel Hill laboratory.
The major aim of SAHFOS is to maintain the geographic and temporal coverage of the CPR Survey thus providing an accessible, reliable and up-to-date time series for scientific research and for the assessment of plankton ecosystems. Research is conducted to exploit the unique sample record collected over the past 80 years, in order to understand how climate and other environmental changes have and are affecting the living resources of the oceans.
Appointment
The Foundation is seeking to appoint a committed and enthusiastic scientist of international standing to fill the post of Director that became vacant on the recent retirement of Professor Peter Burkill.
Candidates will be scientists with distinguished careers in marine and/or global environmental research. In addition to their scientific experience, they should also demonstrate abilities for:
•       applying innovative approaches to fundraising;
•       leading and managing survey resources;
•       communicating science and policy to a variety of audiences;
•       negotiating research contracts.
The successful candidate will be a strategic thinker with a vision for the future of the Foundation.
The Director is responsible for the annual turnover of approximately £2.2M and 34 full and part time staff consisting of specialist plankton analysts, researchers, technicians and administrators who all play an

integral part in the CPR and the work of the Foundation generally. He/She will promote and participate in an active research programme, including work by resident and visiting scientists, for exploiting and interpreting the SAHFOS database.
The Director, as Secretary to the Foundation’s biannual Council Meetings and AGM, will be required to:
•       Provide leadership, vision and commitment in implementing the strategic goals of the Foundation;
•       Promote SAHFOS research so that maximum benefit is obtained, particularly in order that the CPR’s invaluable archive is properly exploited;
•       Maintain and develop the CPR Survey through negotiation of new research contracts and ensure it is both scientifically excellent and relevant to national and international policy needs;
•       Further enhance the national and international profile of SAHFOS by adopting an outward facing approach involving new partnerships and collaborations.
Together with senior personnel, the Director will:
•       Appoint staff, review their performance, advise Council on existing and new personnel policies and, when approved, implement them;
•       Review the Foundation’s Science Strategy and Development Plan and present and discuss it with Council;
•       Determine an annual budget for the Council’s approval and monitor financial performance between Council meetings;
•       Manage the Foundation’s resources effectively and ensure the accountability of the Council to the Charity Commission, Information Commissioner’s Office, HM Revenue and Customs and Registrar of Companies, as well as to beneficiaries and staff;
•       Advise and assist Council in identifying needs for compliance with the law, including Health & Safety.
At interview candidates will be asked for their strategic views of the future of SAHFOS and in particular how the existing close working relations between SAHFOS and the co-located Marine Biological Association of the UK can be further developed.
The appointment will be for an initial term of five years with the option to renew.
Expected salary will reflect the role and the calibre of the appointed candidate and will be broadly in the Civil Service Grade 5/6, NERC Band 2 or University Senior Manager/Professorial range. SAHFOS operates a Group Personal Pension Plan; a sum equivalent to 10% of the employee’s annual salary will be contributed to the plan by the Foundation on successful completion of the 6-month probation period.
Informal enquiries regarding the post may be directed to the President of Council, Professor Peter Liss, FRS (p.liss@uea.ac.uk; Tel: 44 (0)1603 592563).