Research Data Scientist

JBA Group; York and North Yorkshire; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

An award-winning environmental consultancy is seeking a Data Scientist to join its team in North Yorkshire. The role focuses on developing datasets and models for natural hazards, integrating new methodologies, and providing technical leadership. The ideal candidate will hold a postgraduate degree in a quantitative science, possess strong skills in Python or R, and be passionate about tackling real-world environmental problems. The organization supports hybrid working models, requiring a minimum office presence of three days a week.

Benefits

Ongoing training

Opportunities to attend conferences

Qualifications

• Research-led degree in a quantitative science or equivalent experience.
• Comfortable coding for data analysis and modelling purposes.
• Strong communication skills and self-motivation.

Responsibilities

• Develop extreme event datasets and methodologies.
• Investigate and integrate new data sources.
• Automate quality assurance and validation of data.
• Provide technical leadership and mentoring.

Skills

Python

Data analysis

Communication skills

Analytical capability

Teamwork

Education

Postgraduate degree in a quantitative science

Tools

R

Job description

Are you passionate about natural hazard risk and data science, with postgraduate research or relevant industry experience? Motivated to implement innovative approaches to modelling extreme weather and climate events? Our multidisciplinary team is looking for a research-minded individual who enjoys problem-solving and collaboration. If you fit this profile, please apply.

You will be joining an award-winning environmental and engineering consultancy which puts innovation, sustainability and resilience at the heart of its work. We are independent and staff-owned under a stewardship model which drives long‑term decision making and investment. We have offices in the UK, Ireland, Romania, India, Singapore and Australia. Our people are all important and we invest heavily in life‑long learning and skills development. JBA supports hybrid working which provides for greater flexibility with the way that we work. We are proud to be a B Corp and recognised for our commitment to transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement for a more inclusive and sustainable future, by meeting high standards in many areas.

Your role:

JBA Risk Management’s Global Flood Event Set is an industry‑leading dataset of simulated flood events, used by insurers, reinsurers, disaster risk reduction professionals and international development projects to assess natural hazard risk. We are now upgrading this data with innovative modelling methodologies and expanding coverage to other weather‑ and climate‑related hazards.

You will play a key part in this effort, developing advanced datasets, models, and tools to quantify impacts of extreme weather events, including flooding. Sitting at the intersection of data science, environmental science, and catastrophe modelling, this role allows you to shape JBA’s future natural hazard capabilities. Collaborating in a team of experts in natural sciences, statistics, and software engineering, your key responsibilities include:

• Develop extreme event datasets and methodologies
• Investigate and integrate new data sources and methodologies
• Design reproducible workflows
• Automate quality assurance and validation of data
• Become a go‑to expert for JBA products and datasets
• Present approaches and outcomes to stakeholders, collaborators, and clients
• Provide technical leadership and mentoring to colleagues

You will benefit from ongoing training, opportunities to participate in relevant conferences, and collaboration with leading experts to support your professional growth and career advancement within our dynamic organisation.

The team member we are looking for:

We are looking for a skilled individual with proven interest in natural hazards and modelling to become a Data Scientist in our product development team. If you enjoy research and are passionate about solving problems, you could be a great fit. You have a research‑led degree in a quantitative science or equivalent industry experience. You should be comfortable coding for data analysis and modelling purposes. Strong communication skills, enthusiasm for teamwork, and a high degree of self‑motivation are important qualities to succeed in this role.

A postgraduate degree (Master’s, PhD, or equivalent) in a scientific discipline with a strong quantitative component, or equivalent professional experience.

Essential attributes for the role:

• Highly numerate with strong analytical capability
• Proficiency in Python or R
• Strong background in data analysis and modelling and experience handling large datasets
• Demonstrated independent thinking and initiative in addressing data‑driven problems
• Ability to plan, prioritise and deliver high‑quality work independently and as part of a team
• Excellent communication skills across technical and non‑technical audiences
• Motivation to become a technical leader within the organisation
• Interest in real‑world environmental and natural hazard problems
• Proficiency in English

Desirable attributes for the role:

• Experience in catastrophe modelling or weather modelling
• Knowledge of natural hazard risks, particularly flooding and climate change
• Experience with statistical modelling and/or machine learning
• Experience working with geospatial or environmental datasets
• Understanding of the re/insurance industry and/or disaster risk reduction sector

Location:

The full‑time role will be in our modern, eco‑friendly offices at Broughton Park, near Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 3FD. Our team has adopted a hybrid working approach with some requirement to work both from home and in the office. We supply basic equipment to support this. You will need to be in the Skipton office a minimum of 3 days a week.

Further information:

For further information or an informal discussion about this position, please contact Barbara Nix on t: 01756 799919.