We are seeking two highly motivated field technicians to join us at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) as part of a new, exciting US-UK collaborative project on viral dynamics in wildlife. 

Role 1: Lead Field Technician. The role will be full-time and field activities will be based in Wytham Woods, Oxfordshire. 

 The postholder’s key role will be to lead field activities to investigate virus transmission dynamics among wild rodents across temporal and spatial scales. The data generated from the fieldwork will contribute to developing and optimising new methods for inferring epidemiological dynamics, and advancing fundamental understanding of how viruses circulate in wild rodent populations. The ideal candidate will have an undergraduate or masters degree in ecology, infectious diseases, or wildlife animal health and experience undertaking small mammal fieldwork. Interested individuals with vocational qualifications or school education to a standard grade with relevant (2-3 years) work experience will also be considered. 

 The postholder will be responsible for day-to-day organisation and running of field activities. Specifically, they will trap wild rodents, collect non-invasive samples and morphometric data, and manage a set of RFID loggers to track spatial movements and social networks, using a well-established capture-mark-recapture study in Wytham Woods. They will also take a leading role in curation of the resulting data and samples, and support maintenance of field equipment. 

 Part-time (e.g.  70-80% FTE) arrangements are also feasible for the right candidate. 

 Salary range: £29,518 - £32,711 pa FT (including London Allowance)

38 month position, expected start date March 2024.

Role 2: Supporting Field Technician. The role will be 40% FTE and field activities will be bimonthly (consecutive 3-4 day trapping events) in Wytham Woods, Oxfordshire. 

 The postholder’s key role will be to support field activities to investigate virus transmission dynamics among wild rodents across temporal and spatial scales. The data generated from the fieldwork will contribute to developing and optimising new methods for inferring epidemiological dynamics, and advancing fundamental understanding of how viruses circulate in wild rodent populations. The ideal candidate will have an undergraduate or masters degree in ecology, infectious diseases, or wildlife animal health and experience undertaking small mammal fieldwork. Interested individuals with vocational qualifications or school education to a standard grade with relevant (2-3 years) work experience will also be considered. 

 The postholder will be supporting field activities, particularly on processing days, in a well-established capture-mark-recapture study in Wytham Woods. They will trap wild rodents, collect non-invasive samples and morphometric data, and maintain field equipment. They will take a supporting role in maintenance of field records and data. 

 Salary range: £29,518 - £32,711 pa FT (including London Allowance)

36 month position, expected start date May 2024.

Roles 1 & 2: As both roles involve animal research, individuals with a Home Office personal licence for rodent work are especially encouraged to apply, although this is not essential and full training in all required techniques will be provided. Excellent organisation and communication skills, and the ability to work as part of a team is essential. The field technicians will work in close collaboration with Dr Jayna Raghwani at RVC, Dr Sarah Knowles at the University of Oxford, and Dr Christina Faust at the University of Glasgow. While the main task for both posts will be leading and supporting UK-based fieldwork, they will be embedded within a highly collaborative and international team with expertise spanning virus genomics, wildlife disease ecology, and social network analyses. 

Informal enquiries are welcome, please contact Dr Jayna Raghwani jraghwani@rvc.ac.uk