Conservation Data Scientist Full Time

Role: Conservation Data Scientist

Location: Hybrid, Cambridge – two to four days per month.

Salary: up to £36K + 12% pension, private healthcare and life insurance.

Data is great, but without frameworks, algorithms or detailed analysis and visualisations, it doesn’t hold much value.

When it comes to climate and the impact our activities are having it’s clear we need a much better understanding not only of our actions and their impacts, but solutions and how, when or where to implement them for maximum effect.

This role will be a little more varied than a traditional data science position as you’ll contribute to making data accessible, networking and supporting other conservation orgs to maximise their impact.

Alongside that you’ll do the stuff you’re possibly more excited by, qualitative analysis, advancing modelling capabilities and contribute toward strategy for futures modelling and support the growth of global biodiversity and conservation projects from a data perspective.

So, you’ll literally be getting stuck in with modelling of biodiversity and ecosystem scenarios, considering factors that contribute to environmental change, whether they’re big factors right now or simply need monitoring to understand cascade effects of knock-ons elsewhere across nature.

There are some essential skills required for this role; An understanding of (or experience with) ecological models in terrestrial or marine environments or exp. with statistical biodiversity models. Experience in land-use modelling or ecological modelling and analysis in relation to global changes.

With the above, technically you’ll need to show familiarity or experience with R, Python, C++, Matlab or other tools and tech used for data analysis. Spoken languages are super helpful because of the diverse international nature of the teams and organisations you’ll support.

Now, these skills or experience may have come to you in pretty varied ways.

Maybe you’ve worked in conservation or have studied, at a high level, environmental sciences focusing on nature, wildlife or the environment. They will be open to people with commercial experience working in relevant fields, so long as you can demonstrate understanding of how human activities are impacting species, regions or specific environments.

You’ll help to build accurate predictions of outcomes and build valuable data insights into the critical databases the organisation manage, that include areas of high scientific value, unique biodiversity, species and resource trafficking and more.

Ideally there’s a genuine passion for addressing biodiversity decline. Your colleagues will be dedicated and highly qualified. Eager to share their knowledge and absorb yours. The organisation love people with great initiative and desire to forge careers on their own terms.

They’ll support you in learning new skills, pay for resources whether that be books, online courses or conference tickets, but they need people who are driven and can make suggestions based on self-learning or networks and events. Those aren’t essential, but folks who can contribute in many ways will always stand out.