Senior Data Scientist - Marine - ( Ref : 6601 )

Job summary

This position is based Nationally

Job description

Data Science Services (DSS) is part of the Analysis Directorate. We are a large, national team and have broad skills including data science, analysis and statistics. We are passionate about quality technical delivery and continuous improvement, using novel data science approaches to help everyone understand nature recovery. We are looking for a Senior Data Scientist (Statistician) who can lead delivery and drive improvement on a range of projects.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone with a passion and expertise in spatial modelling and climate change impacts to marine ecosystems.

Job description

To lead the development and delivery of robust analytical and data programmes and projects to increase efficiency and provide improved evidence to support the organisation’s strategic objectives. To apply specialist skills and domain expertise to identify opportunities for data science to improve the evidence base to support the organisation’s strategic objectives. To ensure quality and promote appropriate use of data and analysis (including uncertainty) to minimise risk and increase robustness of evidence underpinning advice, decision-making and delivery.

This role has the initial focus projects involving analysis and modelling of climate change impacts on habitats. This work will primarily be working on Natural England’s Blue Carbon projects as well as projects around the assessment of risk posed to designated features due to climate change. This role would suit a data scientist who have an expertise in marine climate change impacts and spatial modelling.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead small teams and programmes of work to carry out complex statistical analyses, improving efficiency and quality, in order to meet the evidence needs of a variety of Natural England, Defra group and other stakeholders.
• Liaise with project managers and teams to establish project planning and resourcing so that projects are delivered efficiently, with appropriate resource and capability, to a high standard, and progress, risks and issues are monitored.
• Put in place project data standards, assurance processes and systems to ensure outputs are high-quality and robust (including through good documentation and automation) so that customer decisions and advice can be based on sound evidence and outputs can be reproduced.
• Understand organisational objectives and be able to communicate them with project teams. Engage with business planning processes to provide intel, develop ideas, and assist with prioritisation and scoping of projects and programmes.
• Engage with customers and partners to identify and exploit opportunities for new or revised projects (inc use of new technologies or approaches) which will improve the evidence base, improve efficiency / quality, build capability or generate funding.
• Build capability in others in the team and across NE (as appropriate) to enable effective delivery and support resilience to absence and change.
• Liaise with relevant partners/authorities/professional networks to understand and interpret advice, standards and best practice for relevant application in NE.

Knowledge, skills and experience

• People leadership skills / experience in a functional management context.
• Experience of planning and leading the delivery of projects.
• Knowledge of climate change impacts and marine ecology
• Data analysis skills such as:
• Data extraction/ingestion and preparation, exploratory data analysis, and data visualisation.
• Working with a range of large scale spatial and non-spatial data types in both structured and unstructured formats.
• Experience working with (preferably combining) a range of biological, geographical and social data.
• Experience of coding in Python and R.
• Knowledge of mathematics, statistics, and algorithms.
• Experience in GIS software (e.g. ArcPro, ArcGIS, ArcGIS Online, QGIS).
• Knowledge of relevant data/metadata standards.
• Understanding of good practice, ethics, and quality assurance for data analysis.

How to Apply:

We welcome and encourage applications from all communities. Natural England is accredited to the Disability Confident Scheme, which denotes organisations which have a positive attitude towards disabled people. Disabled applicants who meet the minimum requirements for the role at the shortlisting stage are guaranteed an invitation to interview.

If you require a reasonable adjustment at interview, or there is anything else you would like the panel to take into consideration, you should notify us of this at application stage where possible, or well in advance of your interview. We now provide primary interview questions in advance for all formal recruitments.

This vacancy uses competency-based assessment. We'll assess you against the competencies below during the selection process:

• Technical Skills and Knowledge
• Leading and Managing People
• Work Delivery
• Personal Effectiveness

When completing the application form you should present relevant examples using the STAR format. Give us an example of how you have demonstrated the competency (which can be work related or from another area of your life) and tell us about the Situation, the specific Task you had to undertake, the specific Actions you took, and the Result (both immediate and in a wider context) of your Action.

Please note that STAR format is not required when answering the Technical Skills & Knowledge competency.

Examples should be given in no more than 250 words for each competency.

Please be aware that we reserve the right for roles that receive a high volume of applications to initially sift applications for one competency only.

If you are successful at the shortlisting stage, you will be invited to attend an interview via MS Teams or a suitable alternative, where you will be asked to give examples for all competencies as set out in the Job Description.

As with all roles in NE, these roles require office attendance of a minimum of 20% of the working time – one day per week for those who work full time, subject to any reasonable adjustments and/or existing contractual homeworking.

Competencies

Competence 1

Professional competency

Detail

Technical Skills and Knowledge

Description

• Extensive experience undertaking geospatial analysis using programming languages such as Python & R (Required)
  • Extensive experience working with GIS software (e.g., ArcGIS, QGIS) (Required)
  • Experienced in using statistical techniques for identifying relationships between data and what can be inferred from these (Required)
  • Experience of transforming data, including integrating different data types (e.g. spatial and non-spatial) and from different data sources using automated workflows and processes (Required)
  • Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with attention to detail (Required)
  • Experience of defining and testing against quality assurance activities (e.g. verification, validation and analytical review), and implementing analytical and data standards (Required)
  • Experience working with internal and external stakeholders, as well as working in a large, multidisciplinary team (Required)
  • Able to clearly communicate the meaning of analytical outputs to a range of audiences and stakeholders, including the ability to present results and offer robust expert opinion. (Required)
  • Previous leadership experience, for example via mentoring and technical training (Desirable)
  • Expertise in climate change impacts in marine ecosystems (Desirable)

Competence 2

Professional competency

Detail

Leading and Managing People

Description

• Set clear plans and expectations for your team, explain reasons behind decisions, be clear on the outcomes to be achieved, and make things happen by sharing and delegating work to the right people (Practitioner)

Competence 3

Professional competency

Detail

Work Delivery

Description

• Identify and apply the most appropriate data and methodologies for your analysis, utilising reproducible analytical pipelines and data science approaches where appropriate (Practitioner)

Competence 4

Professional competency

Detail

Personal Effectiveness

Description

• Make and explain objective decisions which combine your professional judgement and evidence (Expert)
  • Use clear and appropriate language, communication styles and techniques that engage your audience (Practitioner)

Person specification

Please refer to Job Description

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £39,660, Natural England contributes £11,489 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

Please refer to Job Description

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.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Tom Pullen
• Email : Thomas.Pullen@NaturalEngland.org.uk
• Telephone : 07717455559

Recruitment team

• Email : defra-recruitment-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk

Further information

https://networkrecruitment.tal.net/vx/appcentre-7/brand-4/spa-1/candidate/so/pm/1/pl/8/opp/6601-6601-Senior-Data-Scientist-Marine/en-GB

Attachments

DEF-001h - Candidate Pack Natural England v2.9 Opens in new window (docx, 548kB)