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Title  

Marine Data Specialist (x2) 2022- 98 & 104

Reference     (Please mention Stopdodo/Environment Jobs in your application)
Sectors   Hydrology, Hydrogeology, Water Resources
Location   Scotland (East) - UK
Town/City   This post will have a base in either Peterborough or Aberdeen.
Salary   £28,958
Type   Fixed Term and Permanent Roles
Status   Full Time
Level   First Level
Deadline   31/10/2022
Company Name   Joint Nature Conservation Committee
Contact Name  
Also Listing:
Description  
Whilst this role will be contractually based in a JNCC workplace/office (Peterborough/Aberdeen) and the successful candidates are required to carry out all their duties from a UK location, JNCC will be adopting a more flexible approach to working options. More detail can be provided at the interview and offer stages.

Summary

Who are JNCC?

Established in 1991, we’re the UK’s statutory advisor on issues affecting the natural environment across the UK and internationally. Our primary role is advising all four Governments of the UK. We also work with private sector organisations to support decision making on the sustainable use of marine waters and natural resources around the UK. JNCC is led by the Joint Committee, which brings together members from the nature conservation bodies for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and independent members appointed by the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs under an independent Chair. Support is provided to the Committee by almost 200 people who bring together scientific and technical expertise, extensive knowledge of policy at global, European and national levels, and skills in working with other organisations. Staff are based in two main offices in Peterborough and Aberdeen.

Why JNCC?

We’re small enough (c.270 staff) that your voice is heard by everyone including the CEO, but big enough that we have all the skills, resources and people you’ll need to get the job done. All our staff are passionate about conservation and making a difference to the world we live in. We have a very flexible, inclusive and welcoming organisational culture. Our Executive Management provides advisers with the freedom and tools you will need, and our friendly team will assist you in your role. You will benefit from our supportive workplace culture, excellent holiday and pension benefits, as well as an exciting job in a unique environment.

The Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) is the statutory adviser to Government on UK and international nature conservation. Through its advisory responsibilities, JNCC supports UK governments to achieve their vision of clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse oceans and seas through piloting and demonstrating improved use of evidence and analysis in decision making. 

The Marine Evidence team covers a range of activities to develop our knowledge of the UK marine environment, including: mapping of marine habitats; understanding human impacts through the mapping of human activity footprints and their pressures; assessing the sensitivity of habitats and species; and maintaining the national benthic marine database (Marine Recorder) and the national marine habitat classification. Managing and improving access to marine environmental and human activity data is a vital function of the team. 

Mapping of marine habitats is core to JNCC’s marine work, supporting the monitoring, assessment, protected sites, marine advice and natural capital programmes of work as well as the work of other organisations and industry. 

There are 2 data specialist vacancies, one permanent and one fixed term for 1 year. You will be given various data management and technical duties depending on your experience, but will largely take a lead role in the collation, cataloguing, interpretation and management of existing UK benthic data, both biodiversity data and habitat maps. You will provide support to our national and international projects to collate data, map and model seabed habitats, and will therefore be exposed to the full range of marine benthic data work undertaken by JNCC

Job description

Post Duties

•    Ongoing improvement of data management processes for marine benthic data in JNCC;
•    Coordinating the collation, quality control, storage and dissemination of UK offshore benthic data and seabed habitat maps, including the online publication of marine geospatial habitat data;
•    Coordinating the maintenance of JNCC’s Marine Recorder database, and updates of offshore survey data;
•    Assisting with habitat suitability modelling for key seabed habitats to underpin the development of marine indicators;
•    Building relationships and liaison with colleagues in the Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies, UK Government, Devolved Administrations and research organisations to promote and       coordinate the preparation and acquisition of quality assured marine habitat data products.
•    Support the wider Marine Evidence team with a range of data engineering and analysis tasks, as required;

Responsibilities

Please demonstrate in your statement of suitability your reasons for applying. You will then be asked later in this application to provide a short statement against how you meet each of the technical and experience requirements

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

  • Changing and Improving
  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Managing a Quality Service
  • Working Together

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

  • Education to degree level or equivalent qualification in a relevant subject and/or relevant recent practical work experience that provides the knowledge, experience and behaviours outlined in this job description. Note that marine ecological/ other enviro
  • Relevant experience in the management and transformation of large or complex data, including the ability to create metadata, audit trails and establish processes/rules for changing and archiving them.
  • Either relevant experience of using GIS packages, including manipulation, interpretation and mapping of datasets and spatial databases; and establishing links to databases.
  • Or relevant experience of applying analytical techniques to spatial problems, including automation of functions. In addition, experience of modelling or machine learning methods would be useful
  • Ability to use manipulate data and automate processes using programming languages (e.g. R, Python) and/or within relational databases.
Hybrid Working (occasional travel) + 25 Days Leave + 12 Public & Privilege days + Civil Service Pension.

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 will be adopting a more flexible approach to working options and, once we are able to return to working in our office locations, our people will have more flexibility about where they choose to work. The expectation is that we will be expected to work from our office base for 1 – 2 days a month as a minimum. We can provide more details at the interview and offer stages.

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

Security

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.
People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and a statement of suitability. In your statement, refer to the responsibilities and experience section of this advert to show how you’re suitable for the role. Make your statement no longer than 1250 words.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

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)
  • 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
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.
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment.
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 :recruitment@jncc.gov.uk

Recruitment team :

  • Email :recruitment@jncc.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 Commission’s 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 recruitment@jncc.gov.uk in the first instance.
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