BAS announces ‘seriously’ remote jobs in Antarctica

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The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is looking for people to fill a number of different roles at its research stations in Antarctica.

Individuals with varying backgrounds, including plumbers, electricians and carpenters, are encouraged to apply for what BAS says is a “job of a lifetime”.

Unlike any other location, Antarctica will undoubtedly provide lifelong memories for successful applicants and with salaries starting at £29,273 per annum plus benefits, the pay isn’t too bad either - especially when you consider that all living expenses are covered too.

Eloise Saville is a carpenter at Halley VI Research Station, which sits on an ice shelf and is the furthest south of the BAS research stations. This is what she had to say after her first season in Antarctica: “This job is unlike anything I’ve ever done before. I scrape ice off wood, drive skidoos and build things in one of the most extreme places on Earth, yet it’s funny how quickly it all feels normal.

“The people here are some of the most interesting and adventurous that I’ve met, and yet they’re normal too! If I’d known this was an option earlier, I’d have been working my way down here all along. It’s not just cold, it’s cool!”

Ben Norrish, Head of Vehicles, joined BAS in 2001 as a Mobile Plant Technician. He said: “There’s something special about Antarctica and the people that adventure there that gets under your skin. No matter how many times you go, When you step off the ship or aeroplane into Antarctica, look up and take in where you are. That feeling of being in an amazing place is that same now as it was the first time. I would say to anyone who’s even a bit curious about what it’s like to live on the ice, take the leap and apply for the job of a lifetime – you won’t regret it and you don’t know where it might take you!”

Interested parties can check out the first batch of jobs on the BAS website. Contracts run from six to 18 months and are flexible.