Wildfire Data Scientist

Role Responsibilities

Are you a highly energetic and motivated individual who wants to support meaningful initiatives through data, research, and tool building? Alberta Wildfire is looking to add a wildfire data scientist to its predictive services team. Working in wildfire is part of emergency response, this means our work at times can be highly dynamic, fast paced and requires flexibility and adapting to change as it arises. If you think this job is for you, please consider joining the predictive services team within the intelligence unit of Alberta wildfire. 

Predictive services is a team within Alberta wildfire that supports the forestry branch through intelligence related to fire behaviour, fire science, data analytics and technology. 

Reporting to the Wildfire Intelligence Program Lead, your role is responsible for advancing the organization’s business intelligence and developing innovative solutions that address complex, high impact emergency response and strategic planning needs. 

Your main focus will explore large data sets (ex. weather, wildfire, and lightning data to name a few) to ensure data cleaning and quality control, while also assisting in coding to develop small tools or products for the entire branch. Examples of these tools include automating FWI calculations, wildfire occurrence prediction modeling, creating our weather database, completing a weather station optimization analysis etc. You will need to collaborate in a team environment while providing data visualization, and analysis to effectively convey data and findings in a unique way, creating opportunities for storytelling to a broad audience of internal and external partners. You will provide support to all the wildfire managers by use of data linking and complete statistical analysis and system-based models. Working with wildfire models, geospatial data, and other programs like Python, you will create new processes and or tools, data layers, as well as present figures, trends, and statistics for requested reports.

A strong understanding of natural resources data is important. Your ability to communicate clearly using data graphs, dashboards, and reports is essential. You can automate data visualizations that take complex information and make it more accessible, understandable, and usable to derive insights and enable better business decisions.
 

Please Note:
Alberta Wildfire is an Emergency Response Agency. This means our work at times can be highly dynamic, fast paced and requires flexibility and adapting to change as it arises. 

•    The successful candidate will be requested to work overtime, evening, and weekends on a shift schedule during the fire season (March 1st – Oct 31st) due to the emergency nature of wildfires.
•    The successful candidate might be required to work consistently out of the Edmonton office in the Alberta Wildfire Coordination Center (AWCC) for a short period of time during the fire season due to the emergency nature of wildfires. 
•    Travel within the area and throughout the province will be required as part of your responsibilities to coordinate with Ministry staff and colleagues, other government departments, clients, and other external stakeholders. This could include travel to one of the 10 forest areas for a limited time to attend stakeholder collaboration meetings. 
•    This position requires work from the office, a hybrid option may be available, please see the “what we offer” section below for more information. 

Role Continued

As a Wildfire Data Scientist, you will be responsible for incorporating knowledge of data science and technical skills into the predictive services unit by:

•    Supporting predictive services in a way that meets the business needs for wildfire suppression and pre-suppression activities. 
•    Programming (ex. Python, etc.) to create small-scale tools, processes, or automation of data to enhance Predictive Services capacity to provide information to multiple stakeholders (internal and external partners). 
•    Data analytics and analysis using point and geospatial data.
•    Visualization of data in various formats (ex. Power Bi dashboards). 
•    Building strong relationships and collaboration with the key pillar of Predictive Services (weather, fire behaviour and geospatial services) to build streamlined services in supporting wildfire management. 

Preference may be given to candidates with:
•    Familiarity or experience using geospatial datasets.
•    Experience or familiarity with project management and working in a team environment. 
•    Advanced studies in sciences and research, with a focus on forestry, wildfire, or a related environmental field is an asset. 
•    Intermediate skills to code in Python, the preferred language (other languages may be considered). 
•    Experience in GitHub.
•    Any exposure to wildfire operations or prevention.

Please click this link to view the job description.

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.

Creative Problem Solving: Assess options and implications in new ways to achieve outcomes and solutions.

Systems Thinking: The work done within the APS is part of a larger integrated and inter-related environment. It is important to know that work done in one part of the APS impacts a variety of other groups/projects inside and outside the APS. Systems Thinking allows us to keep broader impacts and connections in mind.

Agility: Anticipate, assess, and readily adapt to changing priorities while managing resilience in times of uncertainty and effectively working in a changing environment.

Build Collaborative Environments: Lead and contribute to the conditions and environments that allow people to work collaboratively and productively to achieve outcomes. 

Develop Self and Others: Commitment to lifelong learning and the desire to invest in the development of the long-term capability of yourself and others. 

Qualifications

Minimum Requirements:
A University 4-year degree in a related field, plus 2 years progressively responsible related experience or a Diploma with 4 years of experience or equivalent as described below. 

Equivalency: Directly related education or experience considered based on: 
•    1 year of education for 1 year of experience; or 
•    1 year of experience for 1 year of education. 

Additional Requirements:
•    Intermediate skills with Python (other comparable software languages might be considered such as R, SQL, etc) to complete work. 
•    Experience with data sets. 
•    Experience with scientific principles, research, and statistical analysis. 
•    Experience in building small models, tools and or small programs (ex. Pulling data from the cloud and displaying it on a dashboard, statistical model to determine trends in the data etc.)  
•    Excellent communication skills. This role required interaction with a wide range of stakeholders by participating on working groups and project teams, delivering presentations, and producing written guidelines, visualizations, procedures, and technical documents. 
•    Excellent documentation skills (ex. Creating metadata/data dictionary or using Github or related software). 
 

Assets: 
•    Familiarity with geospatial data.
•    Familiarity with remote sensing and or satellite data. 
•    Advanced studies in wildfire sciences and research.
•    Any exposure to wildfire operations or prevention.
•    Familiar with project management.
 

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 position is a permanent, full-time role, with the standard weekly work hours of 36.25, Monday to Friday. 

Candidates with fewer years of experience could be considered for this position at a lower classification level.

In your resume include dates (including months and years) associated with all education and work experience. Indicate whether your work experience is casual, part time, or full time.

As part of our thorough selection process, shortlisted candidates may be required to undergo a written test in addition to the interview.

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. 

What We Offer:
•    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.
•    Opportunity to participate in flexible work arrangements such as working from home up to two days per week and modified work schedule agreement.
•    Leadership and mentorship programs.