Location
Central London with national responsibilities

Hours
Full Time - Standard Civil Service working hours with flexible working options. Office attendance required at least 20% of working time (approximately one day per week), subject to reasonable adjustments.

Salary
£32,240 per annum plus Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme with employer contribution of 28.97%

About the Role
Natural England's Data Science Services (DSS) team is seeking a Higher Data Scientist to lead advanced data analyses and implement improvements across a range of marine-related projects. You will play a key role in applying advanced analytical and machine learning techniques to complex environmental data, supporting nature recovery initiatives.

The role focuses on the development of the Natural England Seabed Spatial Sensitivity Tool (NESSST), an R-scripted tool supported by a PostgreSQL/PostGIS database and an RShiny front end. NESSST spatially presents seabed habitat sensitivity by integrating marine evidence bases to analyse impacts from fishing activities and offshore wind installations, aiding sustainable seabed use advice in English waters.

You will also contribute to the Benthic Impact Fisheries Programme, focusing on fisheries activity data science and benthic indicator development. The role involves ensuring reproducible analytical pipelines, automated quality assurance, and collaboration with senior data scientists to manage development plans and deployment.

This position offers the opportunity to work within a large, national team passionate about quality technical delivery and continuous improvement, using novel data science approaches to support nature recovery at local and national levels.

Experience
- Strong coding skills in R (essential)
- Experience in data extraction, ingestion, preparation, exploratory data analysis, and visualization
- Working knowledge of spatial and non-spatial data types
- Familiarity with data and metadata standards
- Experience with Git and GitHub for version control and collaborative development
- Knowledge of good practice, ethics, and quality assurance in data analysis
- Desirable: Experience with database management systems such as PostgreSQL and Access, including query writing
- Desirable: Understanding of UK marine habitat and sensitivity data, including EUNIS codes and MarESA sensitivity data

About You
- Motivated to apply advanced data science techniques to environmental and marine data
- Able to communicate effectively with internal customers and team members
- Comfortable working collaboratively in a national team environment
- Committed to continuous improvement and quality assurance standards
- Willing to engage with stakeholders to scope projects and communicate progress

Qualifications
- Relevant degree or equivalent experience in data science, statistics, environmental science, or related field preferred
- Competency in technical skills including R programming, data analysis, and version control is essential
- Understanding of professional competencies including technical skills and knowledge, personal effectiveness, and work delivery as outlined in the job description