The Nature Conservancy | Applied Spatial Data Scientist, Global Science | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Bharat | BigDataKB.com | 2023-03-05

The work location for this position is flexible within locations where The Nature Conservancy has an established office. The headquarters of TNC is located in Arlington, Virginia.

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The Nature Conservancy’s mission is to tackle the twin crises of climate and biodiversity. As a science-based organization, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges in pursuit of a world in which people and nature thrive. We’re rooted in our Mission and guided by our Values, which includes a Commitment to Diversity and Respect for People, Communities, and Cultures. Whether it’s career development, flexible schedules, or a rewarding mission, there’s lots of reasons to love life #insideTNC. Want a better insight to TNC? Check out our TNC Talent playlist on YouTube or on Glassdoor.

Our goal is to cultivate an inclusive work environment so that all our colleagues around the globe feel a sense of belonging, and that their unique contributions to our mission are valued. We know we’ll only achieve our mission by hiring and engaging a diverse workforce that reflects the communities in which we work. In addition to the requirements in our postings, we recognize that people come with talent and experiences outside of a job. Diversity of experience and skills combined with passion is a key to innovation and a culture of inclusion! Please apply – we’d love to hear from you.

We are looking for an Applied Spatial Data Scientist to curate, develop, and integrate spatial data into our scientific and conservation work across the Conservancy. The ideal candidate will have a track record of research, publication and application of spatial data to conservation science; be familiar with the latest spatial data science advancements such as geospatial cloud computing tools; have expertise in quantitative spatial analyses and modelling that can tie ecological, land/water use, and climate dynamics with socio-economic data for conservation planning; and enjoy working across a variety of geographic regions and applications.

The Applied Spatial Data Scientist will provide technical and scientific leadership, coordination, and training on topics, including the appropriate use and application of geospatial data (land use/land change, biodiversity patterns, ecosystem services, climate projections) and other conservation prioritizations that consider threats, costs, connectivity, etc., in the design and implementation of conservation strategies across different environments (e.g., forests, grasslands, croplands, oceans). Their work will directly contribute to the Global Spatial Science agenda and the One Conservancy Science Plan, which are investing in spatial science methods, tools, and approaches across the organization to achieve TNC’s 2030 Goals for people and nature.

Are you looking for work you can believe in? At TNC, we strive to embody a philosophy of Work That You Can Believe In and where you can feel like you are making a difference every day. We’re looking for someone who can serve as a spatial science leader and technical subject matter resource for diverse conservation initiatives. Communication, managing complex science projects, working with diverse teams, and capacity-building are key in this role.

The Global Science Applied Spatial Data Scientist will collaborate with teams from across the Conservancy to collect, process, and analyze geospatial data; build models; interpret and synthesize results; lead and support the timely development of peer-reviewed publications; and provide technical training and capacity-building to support regional science capacity. They will work on a range of projects and topics that address pressing and evolving needs facing the Conservancy’s regional and global efforts. Projects may include contributing to connectivity modelling for conservation planning and monitoring; landscape /seascape planning to promote cost-effective conservation and sustainable development; measuring species and ecosystem responses to area-based interventions at landscape scales; and evaluating trade-offs to determine the optimal benefits of land protection, regenerative agriculture, natural climate solutions, among other conservation interventions.

The ideal candidate will be a savvy and creative geospatial analyst, adept in spatial statistics, and with experience in coding (R, Python, Java, etc.), cloud-computing and very large and complex data sets, as well as a committed and passionate team player. While this position is located within Global Science, the candidate will work closely (including travel) with regional or country teams where long-term support in the form of capacity-building and technical skills-transfer will help the Conservancy achieve its conservation goals and make manifest its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion by fostering scientific careers and cultivating scientific expertise locally within the region.

The Applied Spatial Data Scientist’s Responsibilities & Scope include:

• Work collaboratively to develop tractable geospatial analytical solutions to conservation problems.
• Acquisition, processing, modelling, quality control, integration, and management of spatial and tabular data, coordinating data delivery to and from collaborators.
• Conduct independent advanced spatial and statistical analyses of conservation data, interpret results, and synthesize findings.
• Provide technical training, capacity-building, and research expertise to regional and country teams, to foster scientific careers and build scientific expertise locally.
• Foster internal and external collaborations with TNC business units, universities, and project partners.
• Maintain scientific credibility through applied research, peer reviewed publications, and collaboration with diverse research partners/users.
• Report and communicate on project impact to TNC and project partners.
• Being self-motivated in ongoing learning so that skills remain current.
• Work in a complex matrix organization environment.
• Being willing to travel locally, regionally, and internationally as required to meet project and strategy needs.

• A minimum of a master’s degree in science-related field and at least 6 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience using code-driven analytical tools (e.g., R, Python, Julia, etc.) to manipulate and analyze both spatial and tabular data.
• Broad expertise in scientific computing, and demonstrated ability to leverage cutting-edge tools (e.g., high-performance and cloud computing; parallelization and distributed computing; code optimization) when needed to solve problems.
• Experience using a variety of GIS, both proprietary (e.g., ArcGIS Pro, Google Earth Engine) and open source (e.g., QGIS, Python, R, Julia, PostGIS, GRASS) to maintain data repositories and complete geospatial analyses.
• Experience appropriately applying and interpreting a variety of statistical methods, to rigorously assess and validate research results, including spatial statistics, hierarchical modeling, connectivity modeling, time-series analysis, permutation testing, and/or ML and AI methods.
• Record of peer-reviewed publications in scientific journals and technical reports that include advanced quantitative analysis of spatial data for conservation applications.
• Experience directing a major program of strategic importance and working with a multi-disciplinary team.
• Excellent organizational skills and communication skills, written, spoken and graphical.
• Experience fundraising and/or writing grants and research proposals.
• Fluency in English, written and spoken.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• PhD in natural resources, environmental sciences, landscape ecology, or other spatial science-related field and at least 1 year of experience in a professional, scientific setting or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Demonstrated use and promotion of best practices for open, reproducible research (e.g., use of Git and GitHub to store and share analyses and tools; use of online repositories to archive open data; use of executable documents, such as R Markdown or Jupyter Notebooks to share and explain results; publication of open-source software packages).
• Working knowledge of analysis of remotely sensed data and image processing using software packages, such as ERDAS or ENVI and Google Earth Engine a plus.
• At least 3 years of experience providing technical training and research consulting to diverse audiences and skill levels.
• Experience and eagerness to work in a transdisciplinary environment, developing collaborative approaches and valuing knowledge plurality (natural sciences, social sciences, Indigenous and local knowledge).
• Independent and self-motivated with the ability to participate effectively in a remote team environment.
• Professional network in geospatial data science.
• Supervisory experience.
• Multilingual skills and multicultural or cross-cultural experience appreciated.

Since 1951, The Nature Conservancy has been doing work you can believe in protecting the lands and waters that all life depends on. Through grassroots action, TNC has grown to become one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the world. Thanks to more than 1 million members, over 700 scientists, and the dedicated efforts of our diverse staff, we impact conservation throughout the world!

The Nature Conservancy offers a competitive, comprehensive benefits package including: health care benefits, flexible spending accounts, 401(k) plan including employer match, parental leave, accrued paid time off, life insurance, disability coverage, employee assistance program, other life and work wellbeing benefits. Learn more about our benefits at in the Culture Tab on nature.org/careers.

We’re proud to offer a work environment that is supportive of the health, well-being, and flexibility needs of the people we employ!

This description is not designed to be a complete list of all duties and responsibilities required for this job.

To apply for job ID 53089, submit your cover letter and resume online by 11:59 p.m. EST on March 31, 2023 by using the Apply Now button at https://careers.nature.org. Need help applying? Visit our recruitment page or contact applyhelp@tnc.org.

Due to this position’s location being flexible within countries where The Nature Conservancy is a registered NGO and has an already established office, we are unable to provide an accurate salary range as our salary ranges are based on geographic locations. However, if you provide your city, state/province, and country in your cover letter we will inform you of the salary range for this position based on your location if you are selected to proceed into the initial selection round.

The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our commitment to diversity includes the recognition that our conservation mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of people of diverse backgrounds, beliefs, and cultures. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization that reflects our global character is a priority and we encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientations, gender identities, military, protected veteran status or other status protected by law.

TNC is committed to offering accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application process. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please send a note to applyhelp@tnc.org with Request for Accommodation in the subject line.