Monitoring & Reporting Specialist (Forest & Environment)

Nelson City Council; Nelson; On-site; NZD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance subsidies

Wellbeing leave

Professional development

Employee benefits

Job summary

Nelson City Council is leading a major transformation and seeking a Forest Transition & Hill Country Reserves data specialist. You will design monitoring frameworks, manage GIS and remote sensing workflows, and build dashboards to convey trends to stakeholders.

You will apply statistics and scripting in R/Python, with UAV experience, to support forest reserves and wider environmental work in a multidisciplinary team. The role is on-site in Nelson.

Qualifications

• A tertiary qualification in environmental science, ecology, geography, data science, statistics or related discipline (postgraduate study or equivalent specialist experience is an advantage).
• Experience designing and implementing environmental monitoring and evaluation systems in land management, conservation, forestry or natural resource settings.
• Advanced GIS skills with ArcGIS or QGIS; hands-on UAV/drone experience and remote sensing knowledge.
• Strong statistical and scripting skills in R, Python or similar.
• Experience building dashboards and data visualisation tools; capable of clear reporting.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement environmental monitoring frameworks including field measurements, remote sensing and UAV surveys.
• Own and operate the programme's spatial data infrastructure, GIS workflows and mapping.
• Apply advanced statistics to identify trends and inform adaptive management.
• Build data pipelines, dashboards and visualisation tools for diverse audiences.
• Prepare monitoring, governance and funding reports for regulators and leaders.
• Ensure data quality standards and audit readiness across datasets.
• Provide technical input across related programmes including methodology development.

Skills

GIS skills

Dashboard development

Programming (R/Python)

Data analysis

Data quality & QA

Driver licence

Education

Tertiary qualification in environmental science, ecology, geography, data science, statistics or related discipline

Tools

ArcGIS

QGIS

UAV/drone

Job description

Shaping our future | Kōmiria te anamata

Nelson City Council is undertaking one of the most significant local government transformations in New Zealand. Through Shaping Our Future, we’re organising ourselves around the people and communities we serve, getting clearer about who does what, and investing in the capability we need for the years ahead. We’re also working more closely with iwi, neighbouring councils and other partners to deliver better outcomes for Whakatū Nelson. Our new structure is in place, and we’re now recruiting for the roles that will bring it to life. You’ll be part of one of Council’s most significant and visible programmes, shaping the future of our forests and hill country reserves for recreation, biodiversity and generations to come.

About the role | Kō tēnei tūranga mahi

This new role sits in our Forest Transition & Hill Country Reserves business unit, reporting to the Manager Forest Transition & Hill Country Reserves. You’ll design and run the monitoring, spatial data and reporting systems that show how our forests, reserves and wider environment are changing, combining field science with remote sensing, GIS and UAV surveys. Most of your time (0.75 FTE) will support the Forest Transition & Hill Country Reserves programme, with the remainder (0.25 FTE) supporting wider environmental work in our Science & Environmental Policy business unit.

You Will

• Design and implement environmental monitoring frameworks, including field-based ecological measurement, remote sensing and UAV survey programmes
• Own and operate the programme’s spatial data infrastructure, including GIS, mapping and remote sensing workflows
• Apply advanced statistical methods to identify trends, assess programme performance and inform adaptive management
• Build data pipelines, dashboards and visualisation tools that make complex data clear for a range of audiences
• Prepare monitoring, performance, governance and funding reports for regulators, funders, certification auditors and senior leaders
• Set and maintain data quality standards so environmental data is traceable and audit-ready
• Provide specialist technical input across Science & Environmental Policy programmes, including methodology development and peer review

About you | Ko ngā pūmanawa ō

You’re a technically strong environmental data specialist who is just as comfortable designing a field sampling programme as building a dashboard. You care about data integrity, enjoy turning complex datasets into insight people can act on, and can explain your findings credibly to technical and non-technical audiences alike. You work well independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.

You Will Bring

• A tertiary qualification in environmental science, ecology, geography, data science, statistics or a related discipline (postgraduate study or equivalent specialist experience is an advantage)
• Experience designing and implementing environmental monitoring and evaluation systems in land management, conservation, forestry or natural resource settings
• Advanced GIS skills (ArcGIS, QGIS or equivalent), hands-on UAV/drone experience and working knowledge of remote sensing
• Strong statistical and scripting skills in R, Python or similar
• Experience building dashboards and data visualisation tools
• Proven ability to prepare high-quality technical, funding and governance reports
• Experience maintaining data management and quality assurance systems where data is subject to external audit
• A full current New Zealand driver licence

What we offer | Ko ngā painga mōu

• Supportive, empowering leadership that backs you to do your best work
• Wellbeing leave, platforms and initiatives
• Fully subsidised health insurance
• Generous leave provisions
• Learning and professional development opportunities
• A range of employee benefits and discounts
• Meaningful work that shapes our community’s future
• Mountains, beaches and national parks on your doorstep

At Nelson City Council, we are committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace where everyone feels safe, valued, and has a true sense of belonging. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, including those from diverse ethnicities and cultures, LGBTQ+ communities, neurodivergent individuals, and people with disabilities. If you require any assistance with your application, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Applications close | Rā whakakapi

Midnight on Monday 9 November 2026.

For further enquiries | Ina he pātai anō, whakapā mai

Please reach out to James Griffiths, Forest Systems Manager on [e-mail]