Post background:
The UK Overseas Territories have long been acknowledged as being rich in biodiversity and geodiversity. Many of the UK’s inhabited Overseas Territories are small, remote islands. They provide a home to 220,000 people who are reliant on their natural environment, and the benefits that it provides, for their economic welfare and their security. Despite the remoteness of the islands, these natural environments are threatened, often as a result of development, but also from the natural disasters that the islands’ natural environments can help protect against.
JNCC has been working with the UK’s Overseas Territories for over 25 years. We provide technical assistance to support their biodiversity and wider environmental management strategies. We also provide scientific advice to the UK Government, which provides support to the Overseas Territories to manage their environment and enhance economic security and disaster resilience through a variety of policy initiatives and funding programmes.
JNCC’s International Implementation Team is seeking an experienced biodiversity professional to support the development and delivery of conservation and biodiversity projects work with the UK Overseas Territories, and internationally. The team implements a wide variety of projects on the ground with territory governments and local partners, supporting marine, terrestrial and coastal environment nature conversation action and initiatives. We co-create and design projects to meet the needs of the governments of the territories which can include everything from: stakeholder consultations, designing technical projects involving data and evidence, to training, and science to policy advice.
As an International Biodiversity Officer, you will collaborate closely with territory governments and administrations, external partners, members of the International Implementation Team, and colleagues across JNCC to deliver robust evidence and expert advice that underpins JNCC’s international conservation work.
In this role, you will lead the technical delivery of the Darwin Plus–funded project “Building Capacity for Habitat Mapping and Condition Monitoring: Cayman Islands”. You will support the Cayman Islands Department of Environment (DoE) in developing the skills, tools, and approaches needed to map and monitor the extent and condition of terrestrial habitats using advanced Earth Observation (EO) techniques. You will also contribute to the development of biodiversity condition indicators for protected areas across the UK Overseas Territories as part of the UK Government’s Environmental Indicator Framework (EIF).
We are seeking a candidate with strong experience in knowledge sharing and geospatial analysis, capable of producing high-quality outputs at pace. You will be an effective communicator and relationship-builder, confident working with partners and stakeholders from diverse cultural, scientific, and policy backgrounds.
Post Duties:
The post will be line managed by a Senior International Biodiversity Officer and will work closely with Earth Observation (EO) specialists and analysts within JNCC and across the UK Overseas Territories.
Key duties include:
- Contribute to the development and delivery of overseas nature recovery projects and proposals, supporting JNCC’s work with the UK Overseas Territories.
- Collate, process and analyse geospatial datasets, working with colleagues and partners to develop workflows, indicators and tools for analysing EO and other spatial data.
- Engage with stakeholders to gather information on their evidence needs and identify where EO approaches can offer effective and practical solutions.
- Manage data to JNCC standards, ensuring robust quality control and quality assurance of analytical methods, outputs and products.
- Work collaboratively with Governments, Administrations, local communities and other stakeholders to support the delivery of nature conservation outcomes.
- Provide and contribute to training and training materials to build the capacity of stakeholders in geospatial analysis.
- Assist on projects, across the team, providing technical input, undertaking research synthesis, and devising communications activities to gain input from our users and stakeholders or to stimulate uptake of outputs
- Undertake a JNCC liaison role with up to two UK Overseas Territories governments, strengthening relationships and enabling effective communication.
- Assist in drafting briefings, reports, implementation plans and other outputs, working closely with partners and stakeholders.
- Contribute to project communications, including social media content and updates to the JNCC website.
- Manage project work packages, ensuring staff resources are used effectively and work is coordinated with external contractors and partners.
- Support essential administrative tasks that contribute to the smooth and effective running of projects.
- Contribute to the wider work of the team and JNCC, including providing technical input and supporting delivery of analytical or field-based work as required.
The post-holder may be required to attend meetings and other fora at various localities in the UK and internationally, involving overnight stays away from home.