A programme and project management role, where I lead and/or contribute to the development and management of a number of community-based projects.Specific programmes include PeerJ Collections and Special Issues, the PeerJ Awards programme, PeerJ Hubs society publishing and the development of the five PeerJ Chemistry journals.

This role was within the Publishing Team, i.e. the more business-orientated wing of the company. I was the business owner of PLOS’ programme looking at launching new journals, using business analytics data and industry knowledge to investigate new journal suggestions then acting as project manager for launches. I also took a lead role in PLOS’ work towards existing journal development strategies and external market intelligence.

I was promoted to become PLOS' first Preprints Manager following the implementation of a new process to post certain research articles to a public preprint server prior to peer review. I would screen submitted content for preprint suitability - for example assessing the potential for the research to impact on public health - as well as leading process improvements, decision making and policy concerns with respect to preprints at PLOS.Following stabilisation of the preprints process, the supervision of Research Integrity was added to my role. This involved the management of, and investigation into, potential cases of scientific misconduct across six of the PLOS journals.

I moved from PLOS Biology to PLOS Medicine to become their Publications Manager and take on more of a leadership role. This involved day to day management of the journal, such as publishing schedules, content delivery and supervision of journal staff, as well as more long term projects. These have included journal performance statistics, process optimisation and being the lead for implementation and management of regular themed Special Issues.

Whilst continuing my responsibilities involving press and the journal’s magazine section, as a Senior Publications Assistant I became the lead for coordinating cases relating to publishing ethics/scientific integrity. I also began writing monthly blog articles to unwrap recently published research and explain them in a manner more accessible to the general public.

Following a successful period working across all of PLOS’ journals, I was asked to move to the PLOS Biology team. Here, I took on greater responsibility including creating the weekly homepage, collating the monthly issue release, management reports, training new starters and mentoring junior staff. I also took on overseeing the magazine section of the journal and became PLOS Biology's press representative, sending out press releases and being the primary contact for the external press and media.

Working as a publications assistant across PLOS’ seven journals to facilitate the submission, peer review and publishing of scientific research. This included technical style and writing checks, proof reading and troubleshooting problems such as copyright issues, figure manipulation and plagiarism. I was required to quickly become proficient in a number of new software programs and processes, many of which differed between journals. Being the only cross journal employee in the UK, this was a very independent role. Managing my own time well and being proactive was essential.

Working up to 120 days a year offshore collecting data for environmental baseline surveys, habitat assessments, and seabed investigations. Responsibilities encompassed a range of tasks including seabed ground-truthing using both shallow and deep water camera systems, sediment sampling with various grabs or cores, water profiling using CTD arrays, water sampling using Niskin bottles, as well as assisting in geophysical, geotechnical and marine mammal surveys. The ability to use, maintain and fix scientific instrumentation when at sea was essential. When onshore, I analysed these data and compiled reports for clients as outlined below.

Primary responsibilities revolved around the comprehensive analysis, interpretation, and presentation of scientific data gathered from various locations within the UK and abroad. These data encompassed physical, chemical, and biological attributes, that would inform on the environmental suitability of a region intended for oil, gas or renewable energy infrastructure, all while adhering strictly to pertinent national and international regulations. Report compilation utilised GIS software, univariate and multivariate statistical analyses, and the interpretation of seabed data such as sonar mosaics, backscatter plots and imagery.Effective communication and clear presentation skills with both the public and industry experts was crucial to the success of projects. Through my work, I aimed to present complex scientific findings in a comprehensible and engaging manner, bridging the gap between technical information and accessible knowledge for diverse audiences.

An internship during my Master's degree acquiring and analyzing valuable data on great white sharks in South Africa. Tasks included dorsal surveys/ID and the acoustic tracking of tagged white sharks - as well as additional seal and dolphin surveys - to inform on shark residency patterns and local habitat use. The culmination of my internship was reflected in my Master's dissertation "Observations on the movements of three white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) of different size classes around a pinniped colony in South Africa." Beyond gaining valuable knowledge in my field of interest, the internship provided an excellent platform for honing existing skills like boat handling, conducting animal surveys, and handling large datasets. It also gave me the chance to learn new skills including acoustic tracking, tagging and genetic sampling.Additional duties involved working and presenting to customers at the Shark Lab Aquarium, and acting as a guide during commercial cage diving trips.