Ocean Environment Scientist

Ocean Environment Scientist

Location: Taunton, Somerset

Salary: £33,287 per annum

Hours: Full time/ Part time / Flexible

Contract: Permanent

Being a Marine Scientist at the UK Hydrographic Office offers a career defining opportunity to apply your scientific expertise across a range of marine environmental data (e.g. tidal, marine biological, oceanographic, geological, acoustic and ocean climatological). Your scientific input will support the development of world leading commercial, defence and Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) products and services.

About UKHO

UKHO is an executive agency, sponsored by the Ministry of Defence. We work with a wide range of data partners to chart the world's oceans in order to develop and serve world leading software and data solutions to commercial shipping companies, navies and maritime organisations. Our products ensure safe navigation and global trade efficiency and support other marine activities including economic development, environmental protection, resource exploration and utilisation, scientific research and security and defence.

The role

Our customers require professional advice and a range of situational awareness products providing information about the marine environment to assist in their planning. To support this, the Ocean Environment Team within the Scientific Analysis Group, acquires data from a variety of sources and analyses this data for subsequent use.

The purpose of this post is to provide the expertise necessary to advise on the use of environmental data and development to provide an assessment of the environmental conditions likely to be encountered. This will be achieved through:

• Collaborations with NGO/scientific communities;
• Undertaking analysis of ocean environmental data to derive representative visualisations of the expected marine environmental conditions;
• Developing a good understanding of customer needs;
• Continuously reviewing methodology and working practices in order to provide a better service, more efficiently.

What we are looking for

We are looking for a well-connected and enthusiastic Marine Geologist and/or Underwater Acoustician who is able to apply scientific concepts and advances to meet real world customer needs. The ability to apply skills in data programming/data analysis to meet the evolving needs of our customers is key to success in the role, as is a genuine desire to work collaboratively as part of a small, dynamic team. Ideal attributes include the ability to problem solve and work independently with a positive can-do attitude.

To be successful in your application you will need to evidence the following essential criteria:

• › Postgraduate qualification in marine geology/underwater acoustics including experience of working within these fields (e.g. Marine Geology, Geophysics, Underwater Acoustics).
• › Be confident in spatial data analysis as applied to marine environmental data, including demonstrable experience of computer programming skills in either one or more of the following: R, Python, Matlab, and are able to adapt to other programming languages.
• › The ability to apply data presentation and visualisation techniques to marine environmental data.

And in return?

UKHO is a great place in which to explore your career potential and offers a wealth of training and development opportunities. While our projects are career-defining, the work/life balance that we can offer you is equally exceptional. From flexitime, flexible working, an award-winning office environment, wellbeing schemes, a generous annual leave allowance, and access to MOD and Civil service discounts, the opportunities open to you here are hard to beat.

For a full job description, including the competencies you will be assessed on in your application, please click the apply button.  

Please note this is a MOD reserved post and therefore applications will only be accepted from UK Nationals (those with dual nationality are also ineligible to apply).  Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check BEFORE being able to take up the post.

Closing date: 10:55 pm on Monday 29th March 2021.

Selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit, on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.