Deep-Sea Benthic Ecologist - Earth Sciences

At Earth Sciences New Zealand, we're bringing together exceptional science, technology and people to address the environmental, climate and natural hazard challenges facing Aotearoa New Zealand. As a collaborative and purpose-driven organisation, we're committed to delivering science that creates meaningful impact for communities, industry and the environment, while partnering with Māori, supporting Pacific resilience, and shaping a more sustainable future for generations to come. We are seeking a dynamic senior researcher to work in our marine benthic ecology team, based at our marine and climate research-focused, Wellington Greta Point campus. What You’ll Do Lead and contribute to research that advances understanding of New Zealand's marine benthic ecosystems. Develop innovative research ideas and prepare proposals to secure new funding opportunities. Work with multidisciplinary teams across Earth Sciences New Zealand to deliver impactful science. Build and maintain strong relationships with industry, government agencies and key stakeholders. Provide scientific leadership and support strategic initiatives across the organisation. Grow our research portfolio through successful funding applications, collaborations and thought leadership. The position is for a permanent, full-time researcher with the expectation that the successful candidate will also be well‑placed to secure additional external research funding. What You’ll Bring A PhD in Marine Biology or a related field with at least 10 years relevant work experience A strong research background in at least some of the following areas: deep‑sea ecology, deep‑sea fisheries, benthic ecology, environmental impact assessments, risk assessments, impacts of seabed mining Advanced skills in ecological methods and experimental design Proven ability to obtain external applied science funding and lead multi‑disciplinary research teams and science programmes Proven ability to write technical reports and to publish scientific papers in international, peer‑reviewed journals Proven ability to present science to stakeholder groups, and in scientific fora, and to undertake collaborative international research Experience with carrying out scientific work on ocean‑going research vessels (ideally including in a voyage leader/chief scientist capacity) We know that talented people—especially those from under represented or neurodiverse communities—sometimes hesitate to apply unless they meet every single requirement in a job description. If this role aligns with your strengths, lived experience, or interests, we’d love to hear from you and we’re committed to supporting your growth. What We Offer Varied, challenging and important work with talented colleagues in an organisation devoted to earth science. A high performing organisation with a focus on employee development and wellbeing Generous leave entitlements and employee benefits Flexible working options (e.g, part‑time, flexible start and finish times). We are happy to discuss potential flexible options for this position at the interview stage. A permanent, full time (37.5 hours per week) position. The salary range for this position is between $95,000 to $150,000, depending on the successful candidate’s experience. View the full Position Description for this position at: https://careers.sciencenewzealand.org/niwa/about-us. If you have any questions about the role or application process, please contact [email protected]. Apply now If this sounds like the next step in your career, we’d love to hear from you. Applications close on Monday, 3 August 2026 #J-18808-Ljbffr