Earth Observation Specialist 2026063

Post background:

The Ecosystems Analysis Team helps JNCC’s stakeholders meet the challenges of managing our environment and the benefits it provides.

This dynamic, multi-disciplinary team brings together 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 (EO) data processing and analytical capability with expertise in using EO to provide high-quality evidence on biodiversity and ecosystems to inform environmental decision making

As an EO Specialist, you will help JNCC deploy habitat and feature mapping methods, develop products to detect change in habitat condition or management, and provide biophysical parameters for environmental modelling. The post would contribute to projects across the work of the team, and to projects led by other teams in JNCC, bringing technical evidence skills and insight into integrating evidence on habitat extent and condition.

The post will focus on EO data analyses but will also work collaboratively with other analytical, data science and data infrastructure skills across the Ecosystems Analysis and Digital and Data Solutions Teams. Recent examples of EO applications developed by the team and our partners include national-scale habitat extent and change mapping, coastal habitat monitoring in a changing climate, developing indicators of urban blue and green space extent and type, and developing national indicators of woodland condition and young tree health. Whilst much of the work of the team is terrestrial, some work on marine environments is possible.

Post Duties:

The post will be managed by a Senior Earth Observation Specialist, and you will work with other EO specialists, as well as modellers, analysts, and surveillance experts. The main duties of the post are to:

• Carry out a variety of analyses where EO is needed as a significant input, working with JNCC colleagues with other technical or stakeholder-facing skills where appropriate

o Analysis will include developing new methods and adapting existing ones to analyse EO and other geospatial data.

o Extracting methods from EO research that can be deployed practically to help ensure EO data from a range of sensors can make a greater contribution to environmental applications

• Provide expert advice on suitability of analytical methods and appropriate use of EO data to aid delivery of programmes led by key stakeholders and other teams within JNCC, notably International, Marine and Digital and Data Solutions
• Contribute to the development and running of data management systems that will enable JNCC to provide EO based outputs over large geographic scales within the UK and elsewhere
• Collate and assess information from stakeholders to help identify their evidence needs and where EO approaches can provide effective solutions
• Manage work packages for the team or other teams in JNCC, focusing on projects that will require some EO analytical components, ensuring that staff resources are used effectively and that we work efficiently alongside external contractors
• Manage data effectively to JNCC standards and ensure effective quality control and quality assurance is carried out for analytical methods and products

The post-holder may be required to attend meetings and other fora at various localities in the UK and potentially internationally, involving overnight stays away from home.

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)

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

Applicants selected for interview will be required to undertake a short technical test as part of the selection process.

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