Contents Location About the job Benefits Things you need to know Apply and further information Location This post will have a base in Peterborough or Aberdeen. JNCC has adopted a hybrid working approach, allowing colleagues to benefit from time in the office, with the flexibility also to work from home. Employees are expected to work from one of our office bases for a few days a month as a minimum with attendance expected at regular face to face team meetings. Arrangements will vary by team and the exact balance will depend on the nature of your role. We can provide more details at the interview and offer stages. About the job Job summary Post background Are you an experienced data engineer looking for an opportunity to stretch your technical skills and have a positive impact for nature? The Digital and Data Solutions Team at JNCC is looking for a data engineer to contribute their skills and expertise to a range of technical projects and reporting responsibilities. As the statutory adviser to Government on UK and international nature conservation, one of JNCCs key roles is the provision of biodiversity related evidence. Access to good evidence to underpin biodiversity and nature conservation advice has become increasingly important as the demands and pressures on the environment rise. Evidence activities relating to biodiversity and nature conservation, such as data collection, dissemination, analysis, and reporting, are all critical elements of JNCCs core functions. The Environmental Data Specialist will work in the Digital and Data Solutions team. The Digital and Data Solutions Team at JNCC works across the organisation to deliver creative and innovative solutions which support biodiversity and nature conservation in the digital and data space, as well as offering cross-organisational project management, data protection, and information management expertise. The post holder will join the data engineering section of the team working across an interesting and varied range of projects. Examples of the projects our team are involved in include leading the data engineering function for a new air pollution assessment service, processing earth observation data for targeted projects; using Python and R to extract and analyse marine data; developing databases, validation routines and tools to collate seabird data; and managing the UK protected areas databases. Within the teamlet there are lots of opportunities to work on projects of interest and collaborate with like-minded data engineers and developers. Job description Post Duties The main duties of the Environmental Data Specialist post are to: Take a lead role as a spatial data specialist within the organisation. Drive the adoption of best practices, advise on methodologies and implement technical solutions across JNCC. Lead or support data ingestion, manipulation, analysis, reporting and publishing tasks for various JNCC projects using scripting and ETL software (such as FME). Projects include the UK Biodiversity Indicators reporting and managing protected areas databases. Provide advice, practical design or production assistance in technical implementation, scripting, data management, processing or automation to support programmes across JNCC, with a particular focus on geospatial data. Work with other teams requiring technical solutions for spatial, structured and unstructured data across JNCC to define requirements and plan and deliver innovative solutions. Contribute to the portfolio of automation work being undertaken by the team to improve the way in which we generate indicators and other data products. Lead in quality assurance and advice on management of production-level analytical scripts and analyses. Promote good practice in script creation, versioning, and documentation. Share best practice, mentor or skill share with colleagues to drive technical upskilling across the organisation. Person specification Please demonstrate in your Behaviours the STARR technique Situation: Set the stage. Task: Explain where you fit in. Action: Describe each step. Results: Impress with your achievements. Reflection: what have you learned Behaviours We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: Working Together Changing and Improving Communicating and Influencing Managing a Quality Service Technical skills We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process: Solid experience with R or Python which you use to manipulate and analyse data and automate processes. This includes the robust testing of outputs and quality control checks on code produced in the team and elsewhere in JNCC. A strong understanding of GIS systems (preferably experienced in QGIS or ArcGIS). Experienced manipulating and analysing spatial data in a diverse range of formats. Ability to write SQL queries to manipulate and extract data from large and complex datasets (preferably with experience using PostgreSQL or Microsoft SQL Server). Experience of designing relational databases would be an advantage. Relevant experience in management, manipulation, and analysis of large or complex data for environmental applications including the creation of metadata, audit trails, version control and establishing processes/rules for changing and archiving them. Experience of, or aptitude for, working with others to identify data challenges, and design and implement solutions. Experience of preparing and publishing data online Experience of, or aptitude to use source-control, package management, multiple computers operating systems or working on remote cloud computing platforms Experience of automating data processing in order to generate efficiencies (including automation of functions and establishing links to databases and webservices). Benefits Alongside your salary of £32,025, Joint Nature Conservation Committee contributes £9,277 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides. Equality and diversity JNCC is committed to creating an environment where everyone feels valued and respected and see this as a good place to work. JNCC has a responsibility to ensure that we have an inclusive culture where discrimination, harassment, bullying and prejudice will not be tolerated. Our selection process is determined on fair and open competition and regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership. Continuous professional development (CPD) Employees are encouraged to keep developing skills and professional knowledge. JNCC has made available, and encourages employees to use, on average, five working days per annum for CPD activities with access to related funding Leave entitlement JNCC annual leave allowance is 25 days per annum. After five years service, leave entitlement increases to 30 days per annum. In addition to annual leave, JNCC offers 12 public and privilege days per annum, three of which are explicitly reserved for office closure between Christmas and New Year. Work/life balance JNCC supports flexible working hours and practices to help employees strike a good balance between work life and personal life. Our policies are family-friendly and include flexi-time, flexible working patterns, compressed hours and dispersed working. JNCC also offers paid maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave, over and above the minimum statutory entitlements. Some work/life balance benefits are available following a minimum length of service. Any move from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/ Civil Service Pension Employees will have the opportunity to join Civil Service pension arrangements, which include a valuable range of benefits. JNCC makes a significant contribution to the cost of employee pensions. Employee Assistance Programme JNCC provides employees with a free and confidential support service which gives unlimited access to information, advice and emotional support to help employees prepare for and manage all of life's ups and downs, events and challenges. Trade Union JNCC has entered into a partnership agreement with its recognised Trade Unions: Prospect and PCS, which employees are able to join and be involved with. Salary sacrifice schemes Employee Discount Scheme Civil Service Sports Club Things you need to know Selection process details This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills. If selected for interview there will be a Technical test You should attach your redacted CV, this should not exceed 2 pages 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 (opens in new window) 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) (opens in a new window) nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for 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 (opens in a new window) Working for the Civil Service The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window). 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. Diversity and Inclusion The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window). Apply and further information This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative. Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records. Contact point for applicants Job contact : Name : Recruitment Team Email : recruitmentjncc.gov.uk Recruitment team Email : recruitmentjncc.gov.uk Further information Selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit, on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissions Recruitment Principles. In accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners Recruitment Principles, our recruitment and selection processes are underpinned by the requirement of appointment on the basis of merit by fair and open competition. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact recruitmentjncc.gov.uk in the first instance. Attachments 202500-Environmental Data Specialist Opens in new window (pdf, 120kB) Share this page Print Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn GMail