Geospatial Specialist

Geospatial Specialist

Team: Ecosystems Analysis

Ref No: 202401

Grade: H (HEO)

This post will have a base in either Peterborough or Aberdeen.

JNCC has adopted a hybrid working approach, allowing colleagues to benefit from time in the
office, with the flexibility also to work from home. Employees are expected to work from our
office base for 1 – 2 days a month as a minimum, this will vary by team and the exact balance
will depend on the nature of your role. We can provide more details at the interview and offer
stages.

Who are JNCC?

Established in 1991, we’re the UK’s statutory advisor on issues affecting the natural
environment across the UK and internationally. Our primary role is advising all four
Governments of the UK. We also work with private sector organisations to support decision
making on the sustainable use of marine waters and natural resources around the UK. We work at
the science-policy interface, meaning our evidence-based advice, data and tools can have
substantial nature positive impacts across the UK and beyond.

JNCC is led by the Joint Committee, which brings together members from the nature conservation
bodies for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and independent members appointed by
the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs under an independent Chair.
Support is provided to the Committee by approx. 300 people who bring together scientific and
technical expertise, extensive knowledge of policy at global, European and national levels, and
skills in working with other organisations. Staff are based in two main offices in Peterborough
and Aberdeen.

Why JNCC?

We’re small enough (c.300 staff) that your voice is heard by everyone including the CEO, but
big enough that we have all the skills, resources and people you’ll need to get the job done.
All our staff are passionate about conservation and making a difference to the world we live
in. We have a very flexible, inclusive and welcoming organisational culture. Our Executive
Management provides employees with the freedom and tools you will need, and our friendly team
will assist you in your role.

One of our great strengths is the deep and extensive expertise of our staff – several of
our people are national and international experts in their fields. As an organisation we
strongly support discussion, mutual learning and professional development. 

JNCC is committed to maintaining employee health and wellbeing, whether it is physically,
emotionally, financially or socially, and offers a range of benefits to support employees in
this. Such benefits include the option to join the Civil Service Pension Scheme, professional
and personal development opportunities as well as an exciting job in a unique environment.

Hours of work: Full-time

Normal minimum hours of attendance for the post are 36 hours per week over a 5-day period,
Monday to Friday.

Flexi time is available. This post may also be suitable for job share.

Annual Leave:

The annual leave allowance is 25 days per year, rising to 30 days per year after 5 years’
service. There are also 12 days public and privilege leave. Part-time staff will receive this
on a pro rata basis.

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.

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.

Technical (Responsibilities)

To be a successful candidate you will have:

• A logical approach to understanding complex environmental issues and to identify the
  spatial data and analytical methods likely to help inform them.
• Ability to critically evaluate analytical methods, data, and metadata, and to identify
  potential sources of error and uncertainty.
• Experience of using GIS software and packages for manipulating, interpreting and mapping
  datasets, automating functions and establishing links to databases.
• Ability to use R, Python, or a similar scripting language to manipulate and analyse spatial
  data and automate processes.
• Understanding of EO data from different platforms and sensors would be desirable, but not
  essential provided the candidate is willing to develop knowledge in this area with support from
  the team.

Behaviours

• Making Effective Decisions
• Managing a Quality Service
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing

In the event that we receive a large volume of applications we reserve the right to conduct the
sift based on the Lead Behaviour of Making Effective Decisions.

Please see the CS Behaviours framework for more details at this grade.

Nationality requirements 

This job is broadly open to the following groups: 

• UK nationals
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply
  for either status by the deadline of the
  European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the
  Civil Service
• certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals

JNCC do not provide sponsorship. 

Closing date and interview date

The closing date for this post is 23:55 on Sunday, 03 March 2024

The anticipated interview date is week commencing Monday, 18 March 2024