Senior Data Scientist – Species Distribution Modelling - ( Ref : 6288 ) in London

This position is based Nationally.

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.

Purpose of Role

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.

Key Tasks / Principal Accountabilities:

• 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 (inc. 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 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.

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.

Competencies

• Competence 1 Professional competency Detail Technical skills and knowledge Description Significant experience in the development of species distributions models at varying spatial/temporal scales with understanding of multiple regression and classification modelling methodologies (including the optimisation of those models) (Essential)
• Highly proficient with coding in R, proficient in at least one other programming language (Essential)
• Proficient at using scripts to handle spatial data (including an understanding of multi-core processing design and options) (Essential)
• Highly proficient in the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS; ArcGIS / QGIS) and undertaking spatial analysis of both vector and raster datasets (Essential)
• People leadership skills / experience in either a functional or line management context (Essential)
• Experience of planning and leading the delivery of projects (Essential)
• Understanding of species ecological niches and dispersal characteristics, and how these are incorporated into SDMs (Essential).
• Able to clearly communicate the meaning of analytical outputs to a range of audiences and stakeholders, including the ability to present any results. (Essential)
• Experience in designing and delivering proportionate assurance activities and processes in the analytical process to ensure the delivery of quality outputs (Essential)
• Experience and knowledge of options relating to the development of sampling strategies (Desirable)
• Experience of transforming data including integrating different data types (e.g. spatial and non-spatial) and from different data sources (Desirable)
• Experience of using version control (e.g. Git & GitHub) in managing and developing code in a collaborative analytical environment (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 (Practitioner)

Person specification

Please Refer To Job Description

Alongside your salary of £37,950, Natural England contributes £10,994 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%

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 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)
• 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

Working for the Civil Service The Civil Service Code 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. 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 welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction.

Contact point for applicants Job Contact: Name: Katy McBean Email: Telephone: Recruitment team Email: defra-recruitment-