2 x Ecosystems Evidence Specialist

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

JNCC provides advice and technical support to stakeholders in the UK, including the Government (as well as to the Overseas Territories and other international partners). We assist with capacity building, and project implementation, to manage and enhance biodiversity and nature recovery. Key aspects of JNCC’s advisory and implementation roles are to develop and implement the concepts of ‘nature-based solutions’ and ‘natural capital’ in the UK, and to deploy UK science and technology to build effective partnerships to enhance the understanding of the value of biodiversity to all sectors of society.

JNCC’s Ecosystems Analysis Team is inter-disciplinary, bringing together skills in citizen science monitoring, rapid analysis and model deployment, and Earth observation applications to make up 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. These include a range of models focussed on predicting outcomes from changing land uses and environmental pressures.

An Earth observation data processing and analytical capability which is migrating from an initial focus on spatial mapping of habitats to detecting change within spatial frameworks of habitats.

As a member of an interdisciplinary team, you will be expected to work across all three areas as required. Our work involves devising practical evidence solutions to complex problems including targeting investment for multiple ecosystem service outcomes, detecting the response of biodiversity to interventions at the local scale, understanding the impact of consumption on the environment, and devising workable indicators for soil health and biodiversity indicators for Overseas Development Aid projects.

JNCC is looking for an Evidence Specialist with experience synthesising evidence from diverse sources to devise approaches to complex problems. You will use your skills in research, analysis and facilitation to help ensure that environmental decision making is based on the best possible evidence. The team predominantly work on terrestrial projects, and you will be expected to support on a range of dynamic topics such as soil health, the potential for DNA monitoring, and supporting land use and spatial prioritisation within the UK.

The precise duties and responsibilities will be determined depending on the skills of the successful candidate. The post holder will be expected to be highly flexible, willing to work with terrestrial advice and project implementation roles, to engage in long-term and short-term projects and at times, work to tight and demanding deadlines.

Job description

Post Duties

• Establish the current state of knowledge and produce reviews on the tools and techniques available to quantify environmental pressures, activities or responses.
• Manage projects or work packages with support from senior staff, including contributing to work planning, scoping of potential future work, liaising with customers, staff and contractors, coordinating quality assurance processes for project outputs, and completing relevant project documentation.
• Collate and analyse information from stakeholders to help identify their evidence needs and to research options for tackling these needs. Deliver stakeholder engagement activities including workshops and briefings.
• Design and produce outputs from the evidence-base, including proofs of concept, tools, protocols, case studies, evidence for policy summaries, research reports, and published research, working collaboratively with others.
• Contribute to design of mechanisms for producing, integrating, and analysing local data such that it adds value to local and national scale assessments of the state of nature.

Person specification

Please use the STARR technique where applicable

• 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:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Managing a Quality Service

Technical skills

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

• A good understanding of the main ways in which terrestrial species and habitats can be monitored, and how data can be interpreted for multiple purposes including relating results to ecosystem service delivery and natural capital values.
• Good writing skills with an ability to synthesise complex information and communicate concepts to technical and non-technical audiences through a variety of means.
• An ability to engage with stakeholders and partners, determine their priorities and work collaboratively with them.
• A logical analytical approach?to?understand complex scientific or societal issues and to identify the data and models likely to help inform them