Spatial Data Scientist

Job summary

This role is in the core spatial data science team, part of the Environment Science and Analysis division. The division provides cross-cutting analytical support to a wide range of Defra’s environmental policy areas, and the spatial data science team uses innovative approaches to provide insight into complex spatial problems across Defra. As a team, our work feeds into critical environmental policy areas, including but not limited to developing modelling and analysis to understand the implications of new policy on land use, developing new geographical indicators, such as the access to green and blue space statistics, providing ad hoc spatial analysis, and working with external partners on research.

Working with both Defra and cross-government policy teams, our work is often fast-paced and provides opportunities to engage with a range of teams and disciplines. We are always looking for opportunities to improve the impact of our analysis. We champion the use of geography and spatial data science across government, promoting good practice and developing innovative ways of working with large and complex spatial data.

Job description

The SEO spatial data scientist role will work closely with policy and other evidence teams to help understand their evidence needs and formulate appropriate analytical approaches. The main focus of the role will be to develop data products to support a range of emerging policy areas, helping to better understand and communicate the potential impact of future policies on the environment and economy.

We are looking for someone who will bring strong data science and analytical skills and be able to apply spatial analysis and modelling approaches to complex environmental problems. If you are a data scientist with experience of working with spatial data, dealing with fast-paced and emerging requirements and working across multi-disciplinary teams, then we are keen to hear from you.

Person specification

Leading the development of spatial analysis to answer cross-cutting environmental issues such as land use change, nutrient pollution, environmental indicators and targets, and spatial targeting of our policies. Delivering novel spatial data science solutions that use innovative approaches to draw new insights from environmental data. Working with environmental and farming policy colleagues to understand and translate their requirements into analytical products. Advising on the use of appropriate data sources in our work, using your expertise to help ensure data are used in a reasonable way and represent the best available evidence. Helping embed a quality culture in use and communication of data and evidence, providing analytical assurance and championing good practice for quality assessment. Collaborating closely with colleagues across the spatial data science workgroup, sharing approaches, data and analytical insights to help develop new tools and data products and building capability in data science, mentoring and/or line managing colleagues across the team.

We are looking for someone with a strong set of spatial data science skills, ideally combined with knowledge and experience of policy design within the natural environment sector. Key skills and experience include:

• Undergraduate university degree in geography, data science or other numerate subject and a relevant postgraduate degree or equivalent experience (4 + years).
• Practical experience of scoping and delivering projects that apply data science and spatial analysis to deliver policy-relevant insights. Understanding of geospatial data and analysis for tackling environmental problems.
• Strong experience in the application of either Python or R; and QGIS or ArcGIS, for the purposes of spatial analysis and data science. Awareness working with spatial data in distributed computing environments and cloud environments.
• Ability to understand complex analysis and communicate policy relevant insights effectively to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Experience working collaboratively as part of a team delivering a wide programme, using agile principles to produce high-quality and policy-relevant analysis, often to tight timescales.
• Experience using version control is essential.
• Ability to contribute to a positive, supportive team culture that develops your own and others professional and technical expertise.

Qualifications

Undergraduate university degree in geography, data science or other numerate subject and a relevant postgraduate degree or equivalent experience (4 - 6 years).

Memberships

The role is open to members of the Government Analysis Function professions geography; statistics; operational research; social research or economics. Applicants will be assessed in line with the accreditation guidelines of their specific profession during the recruitment process. Existing Civil Servants should already be members of a profession. External applicants and analysts applying on promotion will be assessed at interview. Please state the membership you are applying under on your application. If applying through the Government Geography Profession, you should be appropriately chartered or eligible for the professional pathway to chartership. Please contact the hiring manager for details on profession membership criteria

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Making Effective Decisions

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Data modelling and analysis using Python or R.
• Data visualisation/communication of analysis
• Spatial analysis, and familiarity with GIS tools (such as QGIS or ArcGIS).

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £42,665, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £12,360 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

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

To apply for this post, you will be asked to complete the following as part of the online application:

• A CV detailing your career history (including any relevant qualifications). CVs will be assessed against the essential criteria outlined in the Person Specification section of this advert.
• A Personal Statement (max 750 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience evidence of your suitability for this role in reference to the essential criteria.
• You will also be asked to provide a Behaviour Statement (250 words maximum per statement) for the Success Profiles Behaviour listed below:

Making Effective Decisions (Lead)

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

For guidance on how to construct your personal statement, you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers. Links – Statement

For guidance on how to construct your behaviour examples, you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers. Links – Behaviours

Sift

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be undertaken using the Personal Statement and the lead Behaviour, Making Effective Decisions. Candidates who pass the initial sift will progress to a full sift, or progress straight to interview.

Sifting and Interview dates to be confirmed.

Interview

Candidates successful at sift stage will be invited to a video assessment/interview that will consist of a blended interview of Behaviour, Experience, Strength and Technical Skills questions.

You will also be required to provide a presentation at interview. The presentation topic will be ‘Tell us about a time you have developed a data science solution for a spatial problem. We are particularly interested to hear how you have applied geospatial techniques to solve complex problems, including examples of projects where you delivered impactful insights or solutions.’. The presentation will be assessing candidates following skills:

• Data modelling and analysis using Python or R.
• Data visualisation/communication of analysis.
• Spatial analysis, and familiarity with GIS tools (such as QGIS or ArcGIS).

Please note that interviews via video use Microsoft Teams and you will need to use your device to access the video link.

You will receive a link to join the interview at the appointed time through the email account you provide us with on your application.

Salary

New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.

Location

As part of the pre-employment process for this post, successful candidate(s) will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert. The agreed contractual workplace is then the substantive and permanent place of work for the successful candidate(s).

Where the location is ‘National’ the successful appointee should discuss and agree an appropriate contractual location in line with both Defra’s location policy and site capacity, prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.

Successful applicants currently employed by the hiring Defra organisation for this post may choose to remain in their current contractual location or may choose to change contractual location to one of those listed above. This should be discussed and agreed prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.

The agreed amount of time spent at a workplace for this post will reflect the requirement for Civil Servants to spend at least 60% of their working time in an organisation workplace with the option to work the remaining time flexibly from home. Working time spent at a workplace may include time spent at other organisational locations including field-based operational locations, together with supplier, customer, or partner locations. This is a non-contractual agreement which is consistent with common Civil Service expectations.

Travel costs to non-contractual workplaces will be subject to departmental travel and subsistence policies. Travel costs to contractual workplaces are the responsibility of the employee.

The successful candidate is required to perform all their duties from a UK location and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.

Defra includes the core department, APHA, RPA, Cefas and VMD.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Merit Lists

Where more than one location is advertised, candidates will be appointed in merit order for each location. You will be asked to state your location preference on your application.

Childcare Vouchers

Any move to Defra from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

Criminal Record Check

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Internal Fraud Database Check

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

NSV

All these posts require the successful candidate to hold basic security clearance. Candidates posted to London may be subject to a higher level of clearance because of the security requirements for that location. Job offers to these posts are made based on merit. Security vetting will only take place after the receipt of a job offer.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Government Recruitment Service via defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you are deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Accessibility

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Visa Sponsorship Statement

Please take note that Defra does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.

Feedback

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.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

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

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.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 : Sam Flint
• Email : sam.flint@defra.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact Government Recruitment Services via email: defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: here