Senior Earth Observation Specialist

Post Title: Senior Earth Observation Specialist
Team: Ecosystems Analysis
Ref No: 2026012
Grade: S (SEO)
Type of appointment: Fixed-term
Location: Peterborough, Aberdeen, or Cardiff

This post will have a base in either 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.

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 approx. 300 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.300 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 employees with the freedom and tools you will need, and our friendly team will assist you in your role.

JNCC is committed to maintaining employee health and wellbeing, whether it is physically, emotionally, financially or socially, and offers a range of benefits to support employees in this. Such benefits include the option to join the Civil Service Pension Scheme, professional and personal development opportunities as well as an exciting job in a unique environment.

Hours of work: Full-time

Normal minimum hours of attendance for the post are 36 hours per week over a 5-day period, Monday to Friday.

Flexi time is available. This post may also be suitable for job share.

Annual Leave:

The annual leave allowance is 25 days per year, rising to 30 days per year after 5 years’ service. There are also 12 days public and privilege leave. Part-time staff will receive this on a pro rata basis.

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 a member of an interdisciplinary team, you will have the opportunity to work across all three areas, advising on how EO can be used to provide insights into complex environmental issues. You will play a part in facilitating alignment and knowledge-sharing across the devolved governments of the UK, building an understanding of their needs and challenges, and working alongside them to develop evidence products that help inform decisions across a range of environmental outcomes.

We are looking for an experienced Earth Observation Specialist who shows aptitude and creativity in combining multiple information sources to support evidence-based conservation. You will be confident in leading the technical direction of EO projects, ideally drawing on existing applied experience in the ecological domain, although applicants from other backgrounds are also encouraged.

You will be a key member of a small team that has developed methods for habitat and feature mapping, established standardised processing of optical and radar satellite data for the UK, and combined spatial data from multiple sources to model environmental pressures, assess natural capital and identify change in habitat condition.

You will provide technical leadership in EO analysis, including machine learning/AI approaches, supported by strong geospatial and data science skills. You will be encouraged to undertake horizon scanning and strategic thinking to assess how new sensors, technologies and analytical techniques can transform our approaches to delivering impactful evidence.

Post Duties:

The post will lead JNCC’s development of analytical methods for the application of Earth observation (EO) data to meet our stakeholders’ evidence needs. This will include working closely with partners in Defra, the country nature conservation bodies, and the devolved governments of the UK. This includes harnessing EO-derived information for cost-effective mapping of habitats; using EO to assess habitat change and condition; and exploring how EO-derived variables can help us understand or predict the effect that changes in land use or pressures have on biodiversity.

The main duties of the post are:

• Provide technical input, advice and strategic steer to projects involving Earth observation, working alongside colleagues to ensure we use our resources effectively and situate EO data and methods appropriately alongside other approaches to developing ecological evidence bases.
• To lead the development of novel, cost-effective Earth observation-based outputs that meet stakeholder or customer priorities for evidence on habitat and ecosystem services.
• To develop and maintain an overview of the Earth observation sensors (including satellite, airborne and drone-based), technologies and techniques that are (or may become) cost-effective to deploy in meeting the evidence needs of our stakeholders and customers.
• To develop and maintain working relationships with stakeholders and partners, including Defra’s Earth Observation Centre of Excellence, Scottish Remote Sensing Group and Wales EO group, and strengthen collaboration via the JNCC coordinated public sector EO Implementation Group. Build relationships with academic or other partners that can aid our delivery.
• Provide line management, guidance and staff development for a small number of team members.
• Manage projects to ensure delivery to time, cost and quality elements, including liaison with contractors and other agencies. Provide quality control and assurance for analytical projects in line with JNCC evidence quality assurance policy.

Technical:

To be a successful candidate you will be/have:

• Degree or equivalent experience in an appropriate subject and relevant post-graduate experience demonstrating understanding of underlying fundamental principles specific to EO data, and analysing Earth observation and other remotely sensed data (e.g. optical, radar, LiDAR)
• Experience in applying recognised EO modelling and classification approaches to meet environmentally related evidence requirements
• Experience of efficiently manipulating and analysing large EO and geospatial datasets and integrating these with models
• Proficient in code development (ideally R or Python) within EO and GIS analytical workflows, including statistical analysis

Experience (Responsibilities)

To be a successful candidate you will have:

• Confident communication skills, ability to build successful stakeholder partnerships and work collaboratively to share knowledge and insights
• Ability to synthesise complex information and to communicate complex concepts to technical and non-technical audiences across multiple modes of communication and presentation
• Experience of project management
• Good understanding of the relationship between biodiversity, ecosystems, services, sustainable development and benefits to society (desirable)

Behaviours:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving
• Making Effective Decisions

In the event that we receive a large volume of applications we reserve the right to conduct the sift based on the Lead Behaviour of Seeing the Big Picture

Please see the CS Behaviours framework for more details at this grade:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles/success-profiles-civil-service-behaviours

Artificial Intelligence Guidance

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application. However, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism is identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own), applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Artificial intelligence and Recruitment /Civil Service Careers

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
• certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals

JNCC do not provide sponsorship.

Closing date and interview date

The closing date for this post is 23:55 on Sunday, 17 May 2026

The anticipated interview date is week commencing Monday, 01 June 2026