Postgraduate Placement, Fishing Vessel Positional Data Analysis and Mapping

The role

Purpose of the post

NRW needs robust, high-quality spatial evidence on marine fishing activity in Welsh waters to inform its advisory and reporting duties. This new, fixed-term, postgraduate placement has been created to deliver a high-priority evidence project for Natural Resources Wales (NRW): the analysis and mapping of a four-year dataset of fishing vessel positional data collected through Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS).

This is an opportunity for a recent postgraduate (or someone completing a PhD/postdoc), preferably in marine or marine fisheries science, to:

• Apply advanced analytical skills to a nationally important marine evidence project


• Produce outputs that will directly influence marine conservation in Wales


• Work with leading marine specialists in a supportive, flexible environment


• Build on your comprehensive and highly marketable skills in R and/or FME, GIS, and spatial data workflows


• Gain experience inside a major environmental body with a strong mentoring culture

Key Tasks and Responsibilities

The postholder will:

• Analyse and map fishing vessel positional data using R and/or FME and GIS tools, producing high-quality datasets and maps.


• Develop repeatable workflows for processing and analysing the data so that future datasets can be handled efficiently.


• Apply postgraduate-level technical training to a real-world marine evidence challenge, using judgement, creativity and problem-solving.


• Present findings at internal and external meetings, contributing to NRW's marine evidence and advisory work.


• Manage and interpret large datasets, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and clear documentation.


• Work independently and proactively, adjusting priorities where needed and meeting deadlines.


• Engage with Project Managers, including bi-weekly project meetings to interrogate data and refine analysis.

About us

• You will join NRW's Marine and Coastal Ecosystems Advice Team, working closely with the Project Managers Lead Specialist Advisor for Marine Species (Fish) and the Lead Specialist Advisor for Marine Fisheries.


• You will interact with a range of teams across Strategy, Policy and Evidence, as well as external partners. You will be mentored, included in marine meetings, and connect with specialists across NRW.


• The role is largely desk based, requiring a good internet connection, driving is not essential.