Earth Observation Specialist

The Ecosystems Analysis Team helps JNCC’s stakeholders meet the challenges of managing our environment and the benefits it provides. This dynamic, multi-disciplinary team brings together three elements:

• A set of long‑term partnerships with organisations undertaking species surveys in terrestrial, coastal and freshwater ecosystems using networks of volunteers.
• An analysis and modelling capability producing rapidly deployable models, including a range of models focussed on predicting outcomes from changing land uses and environmental pressures.
• An Earth observation (EO) data processing and analytical capability with expertise in using EO to provide high-quality evidence on biodiversity and ecosystems to inform environmental decision making.

As an EO Specialist, you will help JNCC deploy habitat and feature mapping methods, develop products to detect change in habitat condition or management, and provide biophysical parameters for environmental modelling. The post would contribute to projects across the work of the team, and to projects led by other teams in JNCC, bringing technical evidence skills and insight into integrating evidence on habitat extent and condition. The post will focus on EO data analyses but will also work collaboratively with other analytical, data science and data infrastructure skills across the Ecosystems Analysis and Digital and Data Solutions Teams.

Recent examples of EO applications developed by the team and our partners include national‑scale habitat extent and change mapping, coastal habitat monitoring in a changing climate, developing indicators of urban blue and green space extent and type, and developing national indicators of woodland condition and young tree health. Whilst much of the work of the team is terrestrial, some work on marine environments is possible.

Post Duties

The post will be managed by a Senior Earth Observation Specialist and will work with other EO specialists, as well as modellers, analysts, and surveillance experts. The main duties of the post are to:

• Carry out a variety of geospatial analyses where EO data is needed as a significant input, working with JNCC colleagues with other technical or stakeholder-facing skills where appropriate.
• Analysis will include developing new workflows and adapting existing ones to process and analyse EO and other spatial data.
• Collate and analyse information from stakeholders to help understand their evidence needs and identify where EO approaches can provide effective solutions.
• Manage work packages for the team or other teams in JNCC, focussing on projects that require geospatial analytical components, ensuring that staff resources are used effectively and that we work efficiently alongside external contractors.
• Manage data effectively to JNCC standards and ensure effective quality control and quality assurance is carried out for analytical methods and products.
• Maintain a current overview of relevant EO methods and research.

The post‑holder may be required to attend meetings and other fora at various localities in the UK and potentially internationally, involving overnight stays away from home.

Post Responsibilities & Qualifications

Technical – To be a successful candidate you will have:

• A degree or equivalent experience in an appropriate subject from which you can demonstrate both aptitude and practical experience of applying EO data to meet environmentally related evidence requirements.

Experience – To be a successful candidate you will have:

• Understanding of the principles of EO data acquisition and experience of applying EO data from a variety of platforms and sensors (e.g. satellite, aerial and drone) to investigate terrestrial environments.
• A logical approach to understanding complex environmental issues and to identify the spatial data and analytical methods likely to help inform them.
• Ability to critically evaluate analytical methods, data, and metadata, and to identify potential sources of error and uncertainty.
• Experience of using GIS software and packages for manipulating, interpreting and mapping datasets, automating functions and establishing links to databases.
• Ability to use R, Python, or a similar scripting language to manipulate and analyse spatial data and automate processes.
• An understanding of the relationship between biodiversity, ecosystems, sustainable development, and benefits to society.