Job description
Details
Reference number
Salary
Job grade
Contract type
Type of role
Digital
Environment and Sustainability
Geography
Project Delivery
Science
Statistics
Working pattern
Number of jobs available
Contents
Location
About the job
Benefits
Things you need to know
Apply and further information
Location
About the job
Job summary
Job description
About Natural England
Do you have a passion for nature and the environment? Do you want to make a real difference and secure significant environmental gains in the present and the future? Do you enjoy working in a team? Can you see yourself advising communities and customers to maximise gains for the Natural Environment?
If this appeals to you, a career at Natural England offers rewarding opportunities to secure environmental improvements and play your part in creating a better future for people and nature.
The priority work Natural England is delivering includes:
- Establishing a Nature Recovery Network to help wildlife thrive.
- Monitoring environmental changes to identify and help reduce the effects of climate change.
- Working with farmers and landowners to develop greener food production methods.
- Advising on plans for new developments to maximise gains for nature, and
- Providing ways for people to better connect with nature, including green social prescribing.
We are the Government’s Adviser for the natural environment, playing a vital role in delivering the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan, an ambitious vision which brings new opportunities to protect and enhance and to achieve real outcomes for the environment.
Find out more about the work of Natural England at www.gov.uk/government/organisations/natural-england
About the Team
The Chief Scientist Directorate (CSD) provides scientific and evidence leadership services and support to help Natural England operate as an evidence-led organisation. The Data Science Services (DSS) Team, within the Analysis Team of CSD, provides access to evidence through the provision and management of data and digital systems, and through provision of analytical services.
Job description
The post holder will support delivery of our statistics and non-spatial analysis team, which underpin and provide access to the evidence used by Natural England and partners in delivery, advice and decision making.
The post holder will:
- Lead, manage, develop, and deliver projects to maintain and improve our evidence base using spatial and non-spatial data and various analytical techniques.
- Drive improvement and innovation, providing technical expertise and advice, and building capability in others.
- Work with colleagues to ensure our data, spatial information and evidence products are managed appropriately, quality assured, and made available and accessible to staff across Natural England, and external stakeholders, including through analysis and interpretation.
- Mentor and support colleagues across Natural England to develop our analytical capability and support the increased application of evidence data in decision making.
Benefits
Wherever possible Natural England accommodates requests for both full-time and part-time hours and other flexible working patterns to help employees achieve a good work/life balance and maintain their health and wellbeing.
Natural England provides excellent opportunities for career progression, training and development tailored to your role. From induction to ongoing learning and development, everyone in Natural England is supported to develop their skills and capabilities. Everyone has 10 days to devote to personal learning and development, as well as an additional 3 days to volunteer.
You will have access to Civil Service Pension and benefits arrangements and generous leave allowances (33 day per year pro rata), as well as flexible working, to help you achieve a work-life balance that works for you and us.
You will have access to a range of benefits including discounts on shopping vouchers, cycle to work scheme, and childcare vouchers. You can also join the Civil Service Sport club which offer discounts on a range of sports and leisure opportunities as well as social events.
Natural England is a fantastic place to work, where difference is celebrated.
We’re committed to fairness and equality for all, so you feel valued for who you are and what you do. Our shared values help us work together to benefit the communities we serve. Our thriving employee-led diversity networks support our inclusive culture and contribute to our Diversity Action Plan.
Locations
Natural England is adopting hybrid working – which means our staff work from a flexible range of locations, encompassing home, offices (ours and our partners) and relevant sites. All new staff will be formally linked to one of our 25 offices across England and the expectation is that all new staff will be able to access their local office to be part of the community of staff in their geographical area. Full time staff are expected to attend their associated office for a minimum of one day a week.
Staff members are required to carry out all their duties working in this way and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time. Travel expenses will be paid if work related travel is required but does not apply to travel between home and your associated office.
This role is a national team role and can be linked with any Natural England office.
View a map of our office locations here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/natural-england-office-locations
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, 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 specialist knowledge
Description
- Experience creating and sharing digital mapping and geo-spatial products
- GIS software such as ArcGIS/ArcMap/QGIS
- Spatial analysis and data interpretation
- Development and application of Geoprocessing models.
- Spatial analysis and data interpretation, Data management (spatial and non-spatial, internal and external)
- Coding skills such as SQL, Python, R etc
- Data sourcing
- Metadata / data licensing
Desirable:
- Knowledge of Protected Sites and Natural History
- AGOL /story maps
- Creation of maps and reports
- Working collaboratively across projects
Competence 2
Professional competency
Detail
Work Delivery
Description
- Handle data responsibly, understand your role in good governance, and comply with delegations, policies and procedures (Practitioner)
- Manage and deliver your work to meet agreed targets and deadlines (Practitioner)
Competence 3
Professional competency
Detail
Personal Effectiveness
Description
- Be ambitious, identify and adopt ways to make improvements in your team and organisation and inspire other to act (Practitioner)
- Make and explain objective decisions which combine your professional judgement and evidence (Practitioner)
Person specification
Benefits
- 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 average employer contribution of 27%
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
- certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals
Working for the Civil Service
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).
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Further information
https://networkrecruitment.tal.net/vx/appcentre-7/brand-4/candidate/so/pm/1/pl/8/opp/5102-5102-Data-Science-Services-Lead-Advisor/en-GB
About Natural England
CEO: Marian Spain
Revenue: Unknown / Non-Applicable
Size: 1001 to 5000 Employees
Type: Government
Website: www.naturalengland.org.uk