Senior Marine Taxonomist

APEM Ltd; Banbury; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading environmental consultancy is seeking a Senior Marine Taxonomist based in the United Kingdom. The successful candidate will lead the analysis of marine and freshwater biological samples, ensuring high standards in project delivery. Key requirements include a PhD or MSc in marine biology, strong identification skills, and experience with marine fieldwork. The role offers flexibility, support for professional development, and comprehensive benefits to promote work-life balance.

Benefits

Private medical insurance

Access to mental health support

Flexible working options

Qualifications

• PhD or MSc with 4+ years in consultancy or biological laboratories.
• Experience with NMBAQC standards and robust QC systems.
• Strong numerical accuracy and attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Lead the identification and processing of marine biological samples.
• Contribute to SOP improvements and manage health and safety.
• Support mentoring and development of junior team members.

Skills

Strong marine fieldwork experience

Excellent identification skills for North-East Atlantic benthic macrofauna

Proficiency in statistical analysis

Strong problem-solving skills

Education

PhD in marine biology or related discipline

MSc with significant taxonomic experience

Tools

R

PRIMER

Deltek

Job description

About The Role

Are you an experienced taxonomist who’s passionate about biodiversity, rigorous science, and the next generation of marine laboratory specialists? Do you want to shape taxonomic standards, lead complex identifications, and play a key role in high-impact environmental projects across Ireland, the UK, and beyond?

We're looking for a Senior Marine Taxonomist to join our AQUAFACT team in Galway, specialising in the analysis of biological samples from marine and freshwater environments. Our laboratory team processes and identifies hundreds of samples each year, generating the ecological evidence that underpins environmental impact assessments, regulatory monitoring, aquaculture audits, port and harbour studies, Water Framework Directive compliance, and offshore renewable development.

You’ll lead and contribute to the identification, processing and interpretation of benthic macrofauna, epifauna, plankton and freshwater samples, applying robust QA/QC procedures. You’ll help plan and oversee delivery of laboratory projects, contribute to SOP improvements, manage elements of health and safety, prepare tenders and costings, and support the mentoring and development of junior team members. Working across teams, you’ll help ensure seamless sample flow from field collection to data interpretation and environmental reporting, supporting AQUAFACT’s reputation for scientific excellence and delivering high‑quality outputs to our clients.

You’ll have:

Essential

• PhD in marine biology or related discipline or MSc with significant taxonomic experience and 4+ years in consultancy or biological laboratories
• Strong marine fieldwork experience (intertidal and/or subtidal sampling)
• Excellent identification skills for North‑East Atlantic benthic macrofauna and epibenthic species
• Experience with NMBAQC standards and robust QC systems
• Proficiency in statistical analysis (e.g. R, PRIMER) and ecological data interpretation
• Strong numerical accuracy, attention to detail and analytical ability
• Experience working to deadlines and managing workload in a fast‑paced lab environment
• Strong problem‑solving skills and ability to support and motivate others

Desirable

• Experience identifying zooplankton, phytoplankton, meiofauna and/or freshwater invertebrates
• Experience in multivariate statistical analysis for EIAs
• Experience using Deltek or similar project management software
• Membership of a relevant professional body (or working toward chartership)
• Full driving licence

You will be offered the chance to work on a variety of projects, many of our employees have worked on projects that have been of personal interest to them. We match this with a commitment to continuous development and learning to support your career. We also offer benefits to look after you, from private medical insurance for all employees, access to mental health first aiders and comprehensive income protection if you cannot work. We also offer superb flexible working options, balancing work with your life.

Next steps

We are focused on creating a diverse and inclusive team. If you can’t tick every box on our job description, then we are still keen to hear from you and are open to supporting your development. That may be working part time or supporting you to gain experience in a specific area – we are a growing company and are able to adapt roles to reflect individual skills.

If you think you have what it takes to join our fast‑growing business, then please apply immediately on our website. All we need some basic information and your CV, we will review all applications quickly and will respond to all applications.

About Us

The APEM Group is a global environmental consultancy, we work with a range of clients including large corporations and governments to help them understand and solve a wide variety of environmental projects in the UK and globally. Our successful pioneering work has enabled us to grow and combine forces with other businesses who share our ethos and integrity. At our core, our people are working toward the protection of the environment across the globe.