About the job

Job summary

Post background

The Ecosystems Analysis Team helps JNCC’s stakeholders meet the challenges of managing our environment and the benefits it provides.
This dynamic, multi-disciplinary team brings together three elements:

• A set of long-term partnerships with organisations undertaking species surveys in terrestrial, coastal and freshwater ecosystems using networks of volunteers.
• An analysis and modelling capability producing rapidly deployable models. These include a range of models focussed on predicting outcomes from changing land uses and environmental pressures.
• An earth observation data processing and analytical capability with expertise in using EO to provide high-quality evidence on biodiversity and ecosystems to inform environmental decision making

The team’s recent projects have included modelling and mapping ecosystem services in the UK and overseas; creating ‘apps’ to help land managers consider the trade-offs for nature based solutions; developing an indicator to show the global environmental impact of UK consumption; working with partners to improve collection and interpretation of citizen science data for ecological monitoring; using machine learning and deep learning to target environmental restoration projects; and building an interactive web-based tool to help users monitor and respond to change in the landscape.

As a Geospatial Specialist, you will help JNCC deploy habitat and feature mapping methods, develop products to detect change in habitat condition or management, and provide biophysical parameters for environmental modelling. The post would contribute to projects across the work of the team, and to projects led by other teams in JNCC, bringing technical evidence skills and insight into integrating evidence on land use and land use change in the UK and overseas, mainstreaming biodiversity into Official Development Assistance, and contributing innovative solutions to country monitoring programmes.

The post will focus on geospatial data analyses but will also work collaboratively with other analytical, data science and data infrastructure skills across the Ecosystems Analysis and Digital and Data Solutions Teams. Recent examples of geospatial data analyses include national-scale habitat mapping, coastal monitoring in a changing climate, detecting impacts on priority habitats, and developing national indicators of woodland condition. Whilst much of the work of the team is terrestrial, some work on marine environments is likely.

Job description

Post Duties 

The post will work with EO specialists, modellers, analysts, and surveillance experts. The main duties of the post are to:

• Carry out a variety of geospatial analyses (a large component being earth observation data), working with JNCC colleagues with other technical or stakeholder-facing skills where appropriate. Analysis will include developing new methods and adapting existing ones.
• Collate and analyse information from stakeholders to help understand their evidence needs and identify where geospatial approaches can provide effective solutions.
• Manage work packages for the team or other teams in JNCC, focussing on projects that require geospatial analytical components, ensuring that staff resources are used effectively and that we work efficiently alongside external contractors.
• Manage data effectively to JNCC standards and ensure effective quality control and quality assurance is carried out for analytical methods and products.
• Maintain a current overview of relevant geospatial analytical methods and research, including those relating to EO data.
• Summarise and communicate work underway via the JNCC website and other media channels

The post-holder may be required to attend meetings and other fora at various localities in the UK and potentially internationally, involving overnight stays away from home.

Person specification

Please demonstrate in your statement your suitability for the position.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £30,573, Joint Nature Conservation Committee contributes £8,255 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a statement of suitability. In your statement, refer to the Behaviours and technical section of this advert to show how you’re suitable for the role.

Please use the STARR technique

• Situation: Set the stage. 
• Task: Explain where you fit in. 
• Action: Describe each step. 
• Results: Impress with your achievements.
• Reflection: what have you learned 

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.