Reproducible Analytical Pipelines Specialist

Team / Directorate: Monitoring Analysis Team / Evidence, Policy and Permitting

Starting salary:  £41,132 rising to £44,988 per annum through annual increments being paid each year (pro rata for part time applicants)

Contract type: Fixed Term Appointment until 31 March 2027

Work pattern: Full time, 37 hours per week (Part time, annualised hours, compressed hours or term time working considered - discussions at interview stage welcome)

Interview date: To be confirmed

Post number: 203933

The role

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is the principal adviser to Welsh Government on the environment.  We aim to underpin our advice and actions with robust evidence.  In addition to making use of evidence generated by others, NRW itself gathers evidence, notably through the environmental monitoring we carry out.

This is a fantastic opportunity to make a difference with your expertise on reproducible analytical pipelines and enhance NRWs capability to turn data from its environmental monitoring programmes into actionable evidence.

You will join an enthusiastic team of nine data analysts, data managers and remote sensing specialists, working within the field of environmental monitoring. You will also work closely with colleagues in our Data, Digital and Technology department, as well as with subject matter experts on relevant environmental science.

You will play a pivotal role in scoping the potential of existing IT frameworks and applications to support reproducible analytical pipelines, and make recommendations for innovation and future investment to enable this way of working, considering data quality, scheduling, documentation, code reviews, version control and dependency management. You will design and develop new pipelines incorporating statistical analysis in R or Python using environmental monitoring data from a range of subject areas to demonstrate the potential of the approach and contribute to relevant strategy and guidance documents.

As an organisation we support flexible working. You will be contracted to the nearest NRW office to your home and a suitable hybrid working pattern will be agreed on appointment. Any regular face to face meetings or training will be planned in advance.

To make an informal enquiry about this role, please contact Irina Nicholas at irina.nicholas@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk

If after 31st May 2025 please contact Jenny Hoyle at jenny.hoyle@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk

Interviews will be conducted via Microsoft Teams.

Successful external applicants will be subject to a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service Check (DBS) check. We aim to make offers of appointment within 4 to 8 weeks of the closing date.

About us

The Monitoring Analysis Team sits within the NRW’s Evidence, Policy and Permitting Directorate. Comprising technical specialists in data management, remote sensing and data analysis, many with natural sciences backgrounds, the team provides expertise across the whole of NRW on management and analysis of data from our environmental monitoring programmes. Environmental monitoring yields important evidence to support our mission to ensure nature’s recovery and resilience to climate change through the sustainable management of our natural resources.

 

What you will do

• Carry out complex data analysis and solution scoping to inform and influence NRW’s strategic direction for the implementation of automated, reproducible analytical workflows to quality assure and analyse data from its environmental monitoring programmes.
• Contribute to the development of new and innovative analytical and monitoring methods to increase efficiency, data quality and evidence value of NRW’s monitoring and environmental reporting.
• Manage complex technical projects across a broad range of environmental themes, working with specialists and technical staff from across the organisation, and with external contractors and partners.
• Interact with a range of government, agency and partner bodies working on analytical projects and best practice relating to monitoring and environmental reporting at Wales and UK levels.
• Provide specialist advice and guidance on monitoring analysis to staff across the organisation and contribute to strategy and guidance documents relevant to reproducible analytical pipelines.
• Mentor less experienced colleagues within your team.
• Undertake health and safety duties and responsibilities appropriate to the post
• Be committed to Natural Resources Wales Equal Opportunities and Diversity Policy, together with an understanding of how it operates within the responsibilities of the post
• Be committed to your own development through the effective use of your personal development plan (known as Sgwrs).
• Any other reasonable duties requested commensurate with the grade of this role.

Your qualifications, experience, knowledge and skills

In your application and interview you will be asked to demonstrate the following skills and experience using the STAR method.

1. You will have significant experience and knowledge in one or more areas of data analysis, statistical modelling, and data validation, and a sound understanding of reproducible analytical pipelines and relevant software applications (such as R, Python, Git, AzureDevOps, GitHub, MSFabric, FME Flow).
2. You will have previous experience of leading and managing technical projects.
3. You will be a good communicator, with the ability to tailor the presentation of both technical and strategic aspects effectively to audiences with different levels of technical knowledge.
4. You will have well-developed problem-solving skills, with the ability to extract key information and present this in a clear and concise manner to a range of audiences and in both written and oral forms.

Welsh language level requirements

     Desirable:  Level A1 – able to pronounce Welsh and use basic phrases

Please note if you do not meet the A1 requirement i.e., ability to understand basic phrases and ability to pronounce Welsh names correctly, then NRW offers a variety of learning options and staff support to help you meet these minimal requirements during the course of your employment with us.

Benefits 

This role will offer a range of benefits, including:

• Civil Service Pension Scheme offering employer contributions of 28.97% (successful internal staff will remain in their current pension scheme)
• 28 days annual leave, rising to 33 days
• generous leave entitlements for all your life needs
• commitment to professional development
• health and wellbeing benefits and support
• weekly wellbeing hour to use as you choose

See full details for all the employee benefits you will receive.

Please keep reading

If you think you have what it takes to do this role, but don’t necessarily meet every single point on the job description, please still get in touch and we will be happy to discuss the role with you in more detail.

We’re passionate about creating a diverse workforce and positively encourage applications from under-represented communities. We embrace equality of opportunity irrespective of disability, neurodivergence, ethnic origin, colour, nationality, gender expression and gender identity, marital status, sexual orientation, culture, or religion.   We put the principles of human rights, equality, fairness, dignity and respect at the heart of our values.

We are committed to equal opportunities and we guarantee interviews for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

We want to attract and retain talented and highly skilled staff, so we make sure that our pay scales remain competitive. We advertise the full pay scale on our job descriptions. Appointed candidates start at the first point of the pay scale and annual increments are paid each year.

We want our staff to grow professionally and personally. From leadership development to access to further and higher education courses, our staff have opportunities to expand their knowledge on variety of topics, stay current in their field and continue to learn as their career progresses.  

We are a Bilingual organisation which complies with the Welsh Language Standards.  Welsh language skills are considered an asset to NRW, and we encourage and support staff to learn, develop and use their Welsh language skills. 

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