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Title

Marine Data Specialist 2021-141 (Peterborough or Aberdeen)

Posted
Reference   (Please mention Stopdodo/Environment Jobs in your application)
Sectors Hydrology, Hydrogeology, Water Resources
Location Scotland (East) - UK
Town/City Aberdeen
Salary Additional Information £28,390
Salary (Minimum)
28390
Salary (Maximum)
28390
Type Fixed Term and Permanent Roles
Status Full Time
Level Mid Level
Deadline 09/01/2022
Company Name Joint Nature Conservation Committee
Contact Name
Telephone 01733 562626
Joint Nature Conservation Committee logo
Directory Entry : The Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) is the public body that advises the UK Government and devolved administrations on UK-wide and international nature conservation. Originally established under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. For Careers with the JNCC visit the Civil Service Career Portal.
Also Listing:
Description
We’re the environment’s best kept secret. Established in 1991, we’re the UK’s statutory adviser on issues affecting the natural environment across the UK and internationally. Our primary role is advising all four Governments of the UK. With most of our work being within Government, our public profile is low but our impact is high.

Post background

The Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) is the statutory adviser to Government on UK and international nature conservation. Through its advisory responsibilities, JNCC supports 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.

Working in the Marine Evidence team, the Marine Data Specialist will play a key role in ensuring that data for the UK’s Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) is comprehensively collated and disseminated to internal colleagues and external stakeholders. The postholder will work closely with the other JNCC marine teams and the Digital and Data Solutions team to develop a smooth and efficient flow of MPA data from its initial receipt (e.g. from offshore survey) through to its end-use in JNCC’s MPA conservation and management advice.

The Marine Data Specialist will also deliver JNCC’s public-facing MPA data products and services (such as the MPA mapper) and conduct spatial analyses of MPAs and their designated features to inform the needs of Defra, the Devolved Administrations and the Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies.

Job description


Post Duties

• Work across JNCC’s marine teams to improve how offshore Marine Protected Area (MPA) data are managed, updated and disseminated, developing an efficient and robust data service to meet the needs of JNCC’s internal evidence users

• Assist colleagues in the Marine Protected Areas and Marine Management teams to understand the latest extent/distribution of designated features in offshore MPAs and how this can be mapped to inform their advice work

• Maintain and improve JNCC’s MPA mapper to ensure that biological evidence underpinning the designation and management of offshore MPAs is easily discoverable, accessible and downloadable by external stakeholders

• Develop a database, repository or catalogue to collate, manage and audit changes to the offshore MPA network and the results of MPA condition assessments

• Oversee updates and improvements to JNCC’s other public-facing MPA data products, such as MPA boundary datasets and tabulated MPA feature data

• Analyse the status of the UK MPA network (e.g. spatial area calculations) and address statistical queries from colleagues, Government and external stakeholders

• Assist with updates to environmental indicators assessing the status of Protected Areas in the UK Overseas Territories, to inform the 25 Year Environment Plan

• Support other teams in the reporting of MPAs to meet national and international reporting obligations, including submitting MPA data to international PA databases

• Support teammates and the wider marine teams with a range of data handling and analysis tasks (as required) to improve our flexibility and resilience

• Line manage other staff within the team (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
  • Making Effective Decisions
  • Managing a Quality Service
  • Working Together

Technical skills

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

  • Knowledge of UK benthic marine biodiversity and the UK’s work and progress in establishing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), especially in UK offshore waters.
  • The ability to manage large and complex data sets, create metadata and audit trails, maintain version control, understand licensing principles and establish and review processes for updating and archiving data.
  • The ability to use GIS software for manipulating, processing and mapping spatial datasets and managing attribute information. Experience in creating and maintaining a web GIS is preferred.
  • The ability to use R, Python, or a similar scripting language to manipulate data and automate processes.
  • 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

Benefits

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

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.

Apply and further information

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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