Marine Data Specialist

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.

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 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.

 As the marine data specialist, you will be responsible for the quality assurance and management of our marine benthic data resources, taking a lead role in the collation, cataloguing, interpretation, management and dissemination of existing UK benthic data, both as raw data, in biodiversity databases and habitat maps. You will provide support to all of the marine teams across JNCC ensuring data flows into the products required to provide advice on Marine Protected Areas and statutory casework advice to offshore industries.

There will be an opportunity to join offshore data collection surveys as data manager, to ensure all of the data collection in the field meets the necessary standards we require to publish our data via the Marine Environmental Data and Information Network (MEDIN) and the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet)

Post Duties

 You will be an essential member of the marine evidence team and work across all of JNCC’s marine teams to ensure data management processes and procedures are fit for purpose and as efficient as possible. The main duties of this role are:

•  Ongoing improvement of data management and quality assurance 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;

• 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;

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

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

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.
• Relevant experience of using GIS packages, including manipulation, interpretation and mapping of datasets and spatial databases; and establishing links to databases
• Ability to use manipulate data and automate processes using programming languages (e.g. R, Python) and/or within relational databases.