Join the Marine and Coastal Science Community Steering Group

Amy Bond

10 April 2025

Join the Marine and Coastal Science Community Steering Group

We have a very exciting opportunity to join the Marine & Coastal Science Community Steering Group as the Community relaunches. Steering Group positions are now open to expressions of interest, so if you’d like to get involved, keep reading!

Our Communities are groups of members brought together around a shared professional interest, goal, or challenge. Communities are an integral part of the IES ecosystem, providing thought leadership for their area of focus, and a forum for members to network, collaborate and shape their field. At the IES we know that our members are the experts. Communities are a key tool for directly engaging with our members, channeling their expertise into a unified voice, and informing the development of tailored resources. Being member-led, they provide members with the agency to set their own priorities and develop associated workplans aligned with their needs and interests.

Steering Groups take a leading role in their Community, working collaboratively with IES staff to deliver an annual Community workplan.

We are inviting expressions of interest from current IES members (Fellows, Full Members, or Associates) to join the Steering Group. The Steering Group has space for up to 10 members in total, with around 6 being recruited this year and the remainder joining in 2026. Terms will last for two years. Once part of the Steering Group, there will be an opportunity to stand for the role of Chair, or Vice Chair, if desired.

Benefits of joining the Marine & Coastal Science Community Steering Group

Help shape the IES’ Marine & Coastal Science work and develop tailored resources
Engage with fellow environmental professionals and expand your network in the sector
Build on your leadership skills and support your continuing professional development
Deepen your connection with the IES and gain opportunities to engage with the wider sector through partnerships with external organisations
Play a key and rewarding role in supporting the IES to work with speed, vision and expertise to solve the world’s most pressing environmental challenges
Have a say in the direction of the Community as it relaunches

Who can express interest?

Expressions of interest are open exclusively to professional members of the IES (Fellows, Full Members or Associates).

Current IES members and those interested in applying for professional IES membership can express interest. If successful, your appointment would be conditional on being an Associate, Full Member, or Fellow of the IES by 31st May 2025. Find out more about joining the IES and membership requirements.

We aim to appoint around 6 positions, with the remainder of the 10-person Steering Group recruited in 2026. Our goal is to represent a range of sectors and backgrounds across the environmental sciences, so regardless of your professional background, we would love to hear from you.

The IES is committed to fostering an inclusive culture which reflects the diversity that exists within society, enabling us to deliver outputs that reflect the diverse needs of our members. In recruiting for these roles, we welcome the unique contributions that you can bring in terms of your ethnicity, age, sex, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, educational background, national origin, religion and beliefs.

What is involved?

Each Steering Group meets four times per year (once per quarter). Meetings are typically 1 hour long and are held virtually. In-person meetings may be organised from time to time depending on member interest.

At Steering Group meetings and via email, the work you will be involved with includes:

Supporting the delivery of the Community's annual workplan
Helping shape Community activities
Being an ambassador for the Community and sharing Community outputs
Engaging with IES staff and partners on areas related to Community activities
Providing feedback for relevant publications, events and policy outputs, as appropriate

Terms on the Committee last two years, and ordinary members can have two concurrent terms. If in the Chair position, terms of office are three years, with two potential concurrent terms.

If you would like to express your interest in joining the Steering Group, please send the following information to Amy Bond (communities@the-ies.org).

Your CV
A short statement (max 500 words) covering why you want to join the Marine and Coastal Science Steering Group, your expertise in the sector, and what you will contribute to the group

This information will be used to process your expression of interest and will be shared with the Chair of the Steering Group (if in place), as well as other members of the IES staff team.

The deadline for expressions of interest is 12th May 2025, 9am BST. Member terms will start from 1st June 2025.

The Institution of Environmental Sciences is committed to fostering an inclusive culture for our staff and volunteers which reflects the diversity that exists within society, enabling us to deliver outputs that reflect the diverse needs of our members. After completing your expression of interest, we also request that you fill out our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Monitoring form. We collect this data to monitor the effectiveness of our advertising and recruitment strategies, ensuring they are open to all sections of the community. It is anonymous and held separately to your expression of interest.

If you have any questions about the application process, would like to have an informal conversation about the roles, or you anticipate needing reasonable adjustments to apply for this role, please email Amy Bond (communities@the-ies.org). Alternatively, you can call the IES office on +44 (0)20 3862 7484.

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