Environmental Data Scientist

Role Responsibilities

Join the Resource Stewardship Division at Environment and Protected Areas and turn complex environmental data into insights that guide sustainable land, water, and biodiversity decisions across Alberta.

As the Environmental Data Scientist, you will lead the development, integration, analysis and communication of environmental data systems that support evidence-based decision-making to achieve the desired outcomes of environmental and ecosystem health, and sustainable economic development.

In this role, you will contribute to ministry initiatives and collaborate with leadership across the organization to implement modern data solutions for improved data quality, data access, and data usability. The Environmental Data Scientist helps develop and implement a department-wide environmental knowledge and data stewardship strategy designed to facilitate data access and improvement by connecting communities and business processes with advanced tools.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and improve processes and tools designed to collect, integrate and disseminate data, thus advanced programming skills is a requirement as well as the ability to integrate data from different platforms to provide insights and relationships.
• Provide strategic advice to and ensure alignment with data management policies, vision, standards and guidelines.
• Lead the development of data products and applications, including interactive dashboards and tools, leveraging advanced data visualization and geospatial analysis techniques.
• Integrate and analyze large, complex, and multi-sourced datasets (including geospatial and time series data) to identify trends, detect anomalies and generate actionable insights.

About your Work Environment:
In this role, you will primarily be working in an office setting located in Edmonton. You will have regular and on-going contact with industry, consultants, other government staff and the public. Occasional travel may be required to support the priority work of the Branch.

Please click on this link to view the job description for this position.

APS Competencies

Competencies are behaviors that are essential to reach our goals in serving Albertans. We encourage you to have an in depth understanding of the competencies that are required for this opportunity and to be prepared to demonstrate them during the recruitment process.

This link will assist you with understanding competencies: https://www.alberta.ca/system/files/custom_downloaded_images/psc-alberta-public-service-competency-model.pdf.

The successful candidate will demonstrate following competencies:

• DRIVE FOR RESULTS: Ensures that issues brought forward by all stakeholders are addressed in a manner that meets the needs of the participating stakeholders and keeping within the context of governmental policy and department procedures.
• BUILD COLLABORATIVE ENVIRONMENTS: Interacts with stakeholders, the public, and the research community to identify needs and characterize problems: develop joint projects leading to issue resolution.
• SYSTEMS THINKING: Applies scientific principles, expertise, and technical knowledge in developing procedures and tools. Identify the data needs and priorities of the department and manage projects to meet these needs.

Qualifications

Required:

• PhD in a related field plus a minimum of two years progressively responsible related experience (or master’s degree with four years of progressively responsible related experience) is required.

Assets & Preferences:

• Strong programming skills (e.g. R, Python or equivalent), with demonstrated experience developing analytical tools or applications, ability to undertake customized statistical data analyses, advanced geospatial analysis skills and experience working with GIS tools and spatial data would be assets.
• Experience with data visualization tools and frameworks (e.g. Power BI, Plotly, Stream lit, Dash or equivalent), familiarity with machine learning concepts, and excellent communication skills, would be assets.
• Experience with database systems and querying languages (e.g., SQL), familiarity with data engineering concepts and data integration, familiarity with cloud platforms, version control and modern data development practices would be assets.
• Experience contributing to or implementing scientific, statistical, or data standards, protocols, or guidelines.
• Demonstrated experience communicating technical or scientific information to non‑technical audiences, evidenced by: Dashboards, reports, presentations, or training materials.

Equivalency will be considered on the basis of: Directly related education or experience considered on the basis of:

• 1 year of education for 1 year of experience, or
• 1 year of experience for 1 year of education.

Minimum recruitment standards outline the minimum education and experience required for appointment to a job classification. Refer to https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-public-service-minimum-recruitment-standards.

Notes

• This is a full-time permanent position, located in Edmonton.
• Work location: Oxbridge Place Building, 9820 106 Street NW, Edmonton, AB T5K 2J6.

Any costs associated with obtaining the required documents/checks as noted or interview travel expenses will be the responsibility of the candidate.

Out-of-province applicants can obtain the required documents/checks from the province they currently reside in.

Links and information on what the GoA have to offer to prospective employees.

• Working for the Alberta Public Service - https://www.alberta.ca/advantages-working-for-alberta-public-service.aspx.
• Public Service Pension Plan (PSPP) - https://www.pspp.ca.
• Alberta Public Service Benefit Information - https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-public-service-benefits.
• Professional learning and development - https://www.alberta.ca/professional-development-support-directive.
• Research Alberta Public Service Careers tool – https://researchapscareers.alberta.ca.
• Positive workplace culture and work-life balance.
• Leadership and mentorship programs.