6288 - Senior Data Scientist – Species Distribution Modelling

Natural England; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A governmental environmental agency in the United Kingdom seeks a leader for analytical projects. The ideal candidate will manage teams, ensure robust evidence processes, and improve data quality to support strategic objectives. Strong leadership and data science skills are essential. Applications are encouraged from all communities, with support for disabled candidates.

Qualifications

• Strong leadership and people management skills.
• Ability to apply data science skills to improve evidence base.
• Experience in conducting complex data analyses.

Responsibilities

• Lead and deliver analytical projects to support strategic objectives.
• Ensure quality data use and analysis minimizes risks.
• Liaise with teams for efficient project delivery.

Job description

Overview

The Team

We are Data Science Services (DSS). Our team is key to providing the best available evidence to underpin the work of Natural England and our partners in supporting thriving nature for people and planet. We provide expert analytical and data management services and ensure access to evidence through online systems and scientific publications.

Responsibilities

• 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.
• Apply specialist skills and domain expertise to identify opportunities for data science to improve the evidence base to support the organisation’s strategic objectives.
• 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.
• Oversee small teams and projects and carry out complex data (including spatial) analyses and data management to meet the evidence needs of Natural England, Defra group and other stakeholders.
• Put in place project data standards, processes, and systems, and exemplify a culture of quality, to ensure outputs are high-quality and robust (through good documentation and automation) so that customer decisions and advice can be based on quality evidence and outputs can be reproduced.
• Understand organisational objectives and engage with business planning processes to provide technical intel and assist with prioritisation and scoping of projects.
• Liaise with project leads, owners 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 can be monitored.
• Engage with customers and partners to identify and exploit opportunities for new or revised projects (including use of new technologies), or for developing projects to improve the evidence base, improve efficiency, build capability or generate funding.
• Build capability and develop others in the team and across NE (as appropriate) to enable effective analytical 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.

How to Apply

We welcome and encourage applications from all communities. Natural England is accredited to the Disability Confident Scheme, which denotes organisations that 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.

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 doing so.

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.