The team
Do you have a passion for nature and the environment? Do you want to make a real difference and secure significant environmental gains in the present and the future? Do you enjoy working in a team? Can you see yourself advising communities and customers to maximise gains for the Natural Environment?
If this appeals to you, a career at Natural England offers rewarding opportunities to secure environmental improvements and play your part in creating a better future for people and nature.
The Priority Work Natural England Is Delivering Includes
- Establishing a Nature Recovery Network to help wildlife thrive.
- Monitoring environmental changes to identify and help reduce the effects of climate change.
- Working with farmers and landowners to develop greener food production methods.
- Advising on plans for new developments to maximise gains for nature.
- Providing ways for people to better connect with nature, including green social prescribing.
We are the Government’s advisor for the natural environment, playing a vital role in delivering the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan, an ambitious vision which brings new opportunities to protect and enhance and to achieve real outcomes for the environment.
Find out more about the work of Natural England at: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/natural-england
The Team
Based in the Thames Solent Area Team, you will be working as a warden in our wardening team in the Strategic Access Management & Monitoring (SAMM) project, providing an on-the-ground wardening service on the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area (TBHSPA). Working closely with the Special Protection Area (SPA) landowners and managers and other key partners (including local authorities, Wildlife Trusts, the RSPB, Ministry of Defence, Forestry Commission, and The Crown Estate), you will be engaging directly with the public to raise awareness amongst visitors of the importance and sensitivity of this internationally important heathland site.
The Role
We are looking to fill a Data Analyst role within the Thames Solent team specifically to work within the Strategic Access Management & Monitoring (SAMM) Project. This is an externally funded project working across the Thames Basin Heaths SPA in Berkshire, Hampshire & Surrey, and is one of the measures being used to mitigate against the impacts of housing development on the TBH SPA. You will be responsible for overseeing the collection, management, and analysis of a range of data relevant to the project and using it to help report progress against project objectives as well as inform project activities. The data collected in house includes people counter data on the SPA and visitor survey data on the SPA and Strategic Alternative Natural Greenspaces (SANGS) whilst bird monitoring data and academic research will be collated and analysed. You will be expected to be flexible, sometimes working outdoors.
As Data Analyst You Will
- Provide analysis of survey data collected by the SAMM team – producing written reports including tabulated data, charts and diagrams using Microsoft Office and ArcView GIS to clearly show and compare categorical, ordinal and numerical data
- Organise the collection of data within team, including logistics, review of methodology, technical support using PC and mobile device apps and data storage.
- Draw conclusions on the results of survey data and suggesting further analysis work to be undertaken or improvements to methodology for the future.
- Draw conclusions on the results of data to help focus the work of the SAMM team to ensure we are being as effective as possible.
- Organising/overseeing/supervising collection of data and relevant permissions from third parties such as university students or volunteers in order to produce collaborative reports.
- Present data to a range of audiences including project partners and partnership board.
- Have experience of gathering and processing environmental and/or social data and handling it responsibly. Have experience of interrogating, processing and presenting data and explaining its implications.
- Have confident presentation skills to present findings to a range of internal and external recipients, i.e., the partnership board and project partners, in order to maximise the impact of the data.
- Have a good understanding of the importance of people accessing and engaging with the natural environment, and how to balance their needs with nature conservation objectives. Knowledge of heathland, urban environments, associated habitats and species and threats to the habitat would be an advantage.
- Be self-motivated, enthusiastic with excellent organisational skills and used to working without direct supervision, having a confident and innovative approach to developing ideas and projects and have a very good personal performance record.
- Have experience of Excel and expert GIS skills which are essential for this role. This will include liaison with Data Services unit for download and upload of data layers. Experience of data use, metadata creation, permissions, restrictions on use, file backup, file naming protocols and storage/transfer are also essential. Previous experience of using Microsoft Power would be desirable.
- Be able to commute to the Thames Basin Heaths daily and be willing to undertake some early morning, evening, and weekend work.
- Have a full UK driving license.
Benefits
Wherever possible Natural England accommodates requests for both full-time and part-time hours and other flexible working patterns to help employees achieve a good work/life balance and maintain their health and wellbeing.
Natural England provides excellent opportunities for career progression, training and development tailored to your role. From induction to ongoing learning and development, everyone in Natural England is supported to develop their skills and capabilities. Everyone has 10 days to devote to personal learning and development, as well as an additional 3 days to volunteer.
You will have access to Civil Service Pension and benefits arrangements and generous leave allowances (33 day per year pro rata), as well as flexible working, to help you achieve a work-life balance that works for you and us.
You will have access to a range of benefits including discounts on shopping vouchers, cycle to work scheme, and childcare vouchers. You can also join the Civil Service Sport club which offer discounts on a range of sports and leisure opportunities as well as social events.
Natural England is a fantastic place to work, where difference is celebrated.
We’re committed to fairness and equality for all, so you feel valued for who you are and what you do. Our shared values help us work together to benefit the communities we serve. Our thriving employee-led diversity networks support our inclusive culture and contribute to our Diversity Action Plan.
Locations
Natural England is adopting hybrid working – which means our staff work from a flexible range of locations, encompassing home, offices (ours and our partners) and relevant sites. All new staff will be formally linked to one of our 25 offices across England and the expectation is that all new staff will be able to access their local office to be part of the community of staff in their geographical area. Full time staff are expected to attend their associated office for a minimum of one day a week.
Staff members are required to carry out all their duties working in this way and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time. Travel expenses will be paid if work related travel is required but does not apply to travel between home and your associated office.
National team roles can be linked with any Natural England office while Area Team roles will be linked with an office in the relevant geographic area.
View a map of our office locations here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/natural-england-office-locations
You must be able to travel to the Thames Basin Heaths SPA on a daily basis, with the role requiring some weekend/ early morning and evening work. The TBH SPA and local partners fall within parts of Berkshire, Hampshire and Surrey.
As part of the role you will be required to regularly travel to our office which is located at Heather Farm, Woking GU21 4XY.
The role will be a combination of computer work and working on the SPA often in a variety of weathers. The work will involve regular liaison with the SAMM wardening team, SPA rangers and other land management staff, and will include some lone working.
It should be noted that as the role involves engaging directly with the public, the work may involve potentially challenging conversations. The safety and wellbeing of our staff is of paramount importance to Natural England and we are committed to ensuring our staff undertake their roles in a healthy and safe working environment.
To Find Out More About The Project Visit
https://www.facebook.com/thamesbasinheathspartnership
https://twitter.com/TBHPartnership
Pay
It is Natural England policy to employ at the entry point of the salary range.
How To Apply
We welcome and encourage applications from all communities. Natural England is accredited to the Disability Confident Scheme, which denotes organisations which have a positive attitude towards disabled people. Disabled applicants who meet the minimum requirements for the role at the shortlisting stage are guaranteed an invitation to interview.
If you require a reasonable adjustment at interview, or there is anything else you would like the panel to take into consideration, you should notify us of this at application stage where possible, or well in advance of your interview.
This vacancy uses competency-based assessment. We'll assess you against the competencies below during the selection process:
- Work Delivery
- Personal Effectiveness
- Putting People at the Heart of the Environment
- Working Safely
- Technical Skills & Knowledge
When completing the application form you should present relevant examples using the STAR format. Give us an example of how you have demonstrated the competency (which can be work related or from another area of your life) and tell us about the Situation, the specific Task you had to undertake, the specific Actions you took, and the Result (both immediate and in a wider context) of your doing so. Examples should be given in no more than 250 words for each competency.
Competencies
Competence 1
Professional competency
Work Delivery – Practitioner
- Apply the relevant methodologies for collecting and collating data/evidence including metadata.
- Identify and apply the most appropriate data and methodologies for your analysis, utilising reproducible analytical pipelines and data science approaches where appropriate.
Competence 2
Professional competency
Personal Effectiveness – Practitioner
- Proactively communicate and present your data, evidence and analyses in ways that meet people’s needs so they can understand its implications and use it effectively to deliver positive outcomes for the environment.
- Be ambitious, identify and adopt ways to make improvements in your team and Natural England and inspire others to act.
Competence 3
Professional competency
Putting People at the Heart of the Environment – Practitioner
- Nurture trusting partnerships and collaborate to achieve pragmatic outcomes that help deliver Natural England’s vision, mission and aims.
- Build relationships and effective networks both externally and internally to bring in fresh perspectives, approaches and evidence to raise the profile of both your individual specialist work and that of Natural England.
Competence 4
Professional competency
Working Safely – Practitioner
- Understand the duty of care owed to all visitors, contractors or others and adhere to appropriate legislation and Natural England policies and procedures.
- Apply the principles of risk management and adopt safe working practices for yourself and the people you work with in everything you do.
Competence 5
Professional competency
Technical Skills & Knowledge – Essential (STAR format not needed for this competency)
- Be familiar with data storage and transfer procedures, data use restrictions and permissions and use of metadata.
- Be familiar with interrogating, processing, and presenting data in different formats and explaining its implications: Have experience of producing reports using Microsoft Word, Excel, and ArcGIS and presenting these in Microsoft Power and PowerPoint to a range of audiences.
- Have experience of collection of data – methodologies, replication, comparability, and validity of data sets.