Robert Jones wintered on two occasions as a Station Leader, following on from his involvement in three trips to Heard Island as a biologist. His performance on both occasions was assessed as outstanding and he was considered to be one of the best Station Leaders in many years.
As well as supporting biological science projects he coordinated support for other scientific programs well beyond the level of most Station Leaders, due in the main, to his superior knowledge and understanding of the demands of Antarctic scientific programs gained from his own practical experience as a field scientist in the sub-Antarctic and Antarctica.