Evidence Advisor, Data Analysis and Statistics - 31273

The Environment Agency is committed to fostering an inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We value diversity and aim to create an environment where everyone can thrive.

Are you passionate about utilizing data to make a tangible impact and eager to analyze complex environmental data to craft compelling stories about our water environment?

Join our Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment (NCEA) Programme as an Evidence Advisor, focusing on designing and analyzing data from water monitoring networks across rivers, streams, groundwater, lakes, estuaries, and coasts. The NCEA programme is part of the broader Defra-led initiative, gathering extensive ecosystem data to highlight their benefits for society and the economy. Your analyses will provide crucial evidence to inform policy and decision-making, helping the UK meet its environmental, net zero, and biodiversity goals.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide statistical input into network design and implementation, with expertise in hydrogeology, freshwater ecology, or estuarine and coastal environments.
• Collaborate with network designers to ensure data collection is unbiased and representative.
• Apply robust analysis techniques to evaluate network performance, assess statistical power, and interpret environmental monitoring data.
• Develop reproducible analytical pipelines.
• Conduct exploratory data analyses to identify key environmental relationships, leveraging your domain knowledge and systems mapping where appropriate.
• Integrate various datasets to support regional and trend analyses.
• Contribute to developing metrics and indicators, advising on future reporting needs.

The Team:

You will be part of the Data Analysis and Statistics work package within the NCEA programme, supported by the Strategic Evidence Design and Assessment (SEDA) team, which ensures evidence-based decision-making. Our team values a friendly, engaging work environment, staff development, and diversity. Training and support will be provided.

Experience and Skills Required:

Background & Knowledge:

• Degree or higher qualification in environmental science, hydrogeology, freshwater ecology, with data analysis and statistics training.
• Understanding of freshwater, coastal, estuarine, or groundwater management and monitoring.
• Experience analyzing environmental or ecological data, including statistical modeling and understanding data complexities, dependencies, interactions, and biases.
• Familiarity with current and emerging environmental data science practices.
• Experience with statistical model fitting and robustness testing is advantageous.

Key Skills:

• Self-motivated with the ability to work independently.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency in coding with R.
• Attention to detail and passion for data analysis and problem-solving.
• Ability to collaborate with internal and external stakeholders.
• Excellent organizational skills to manage workloads, deadlines, and priorities.
• Strong interpersonal skills to build trust and gain buy-in.

Additional Information:

This is a national role with remote working options. Travel to face-to-face team meetings in Birmingham or Bristol is expected quarterly, with flexibility in location and frequency. All staff are required to undertake training and participate in incident response duties as needed, supporting communities and environmental protection. Further details are in the candidate pack.

Contacts:

• Eleanor D'Arcy: eleanor.d'arcy@environment-agency.gov.uk
• Lesley Rippon: lesley.rippon@environment-agency.gov.uk
• Elena Armenise: elena.armenise@environment-agency.gov.uk

Interview Process:

Interviews will be conducted via Teams.