Early-career Natural Hazards Data Scientist

Are you interested in natural hazards and data science? Would you like to join a multidisciplinary team and help develop innovative approaches to risk modelling? We are looking for individuals with an inquisitive mind and a collaborative attitude. If this describes you, we encourage you to get in touch!

You will be joining an award-winning environmental and engineering consultancy which puts innovation, sustainability and resilience at the heart of its work.

We are independent and staff-owned under a stewardship model which drives long term decision making and investment. We have offices in the UK, Ireland, Romania, India, Singapore and Australia. Our people are all important and we invest heavily in life-long learning and skills development.

Your role

JBA Risk Management’s Global Flood Event Set is an industry-leading dataset of simulated flood events, used by insurers, reinsurers, disaster risk reduction professionals and international development projects to assess natural hazard risk. We are now upgrading this data with innovative modelling methodologies and expanding coverage to more weather- and climate-related hazards.

You will use data science and modelling to help develop datasets and tools that estimate impacts of extreme weather events, such as flooding. This is an exciting opportunity to work on real-world environmental problems and the datasets that underpin JBA’s leadership in flood risk estimation. You will work in an interdisciplinary team of experts in natural sciences, statistics, and software engineering. Key responsibilities include:

- Support the development of extreme event datasets
- Contribute to the development of reproducible data workflows
- Participate in quality assurance of data outputs
- Explore new data sources and methods under guidance
- Work with environmental and geospatial datasets
- Assist in presenting results to internal stakeholders, collaborators and occasionally clients
- Grow your understanding of JBA’s data and methods

At JBA, you will receive ongoing training, have opportunities to attend relevant conferences, and learn from industry leaders—helping you build skills and prepare for greater responsibilities as your expertise grows.

The team member we’re looking for

We are looking for a motivated individual early in their career to become a Data Scientist in our product development team. You hold a degree in a numerate science and take responsibility for your own work. You enjoy working as part of a team and communicate clearly. We value inquisitive individuals who are eager to learn, contribute to solving complex problems, and grow professionally—these are key qualities for success in this role.

Qualifications

A graduate degree (Bachelor’s, Master’s, or equivalent) in a scientific subject with a strong numerical component, or equivalent professional experience.

Essential attributes for the role

- Strong numerical and analytical skills
- Working knowledge of Python or R (coursework, projects or internships are fine)
- Knowledge of data analysis techniques and models
- Attention to detail
- Ability to work collaboratively within a team
- Good time management skills
- Clear communication, including explaining technical work to non-technical audiences
- Self-motivated, with an appetite for learning on the job
- Interest in real-world environmental and natural hazard problems
- Proficiency in English

Desirable attributes for the role

- Experience working with geospatial or environmental datasets
- Knowledge of natural hazard risks, particularly flooding

Location and contact

JBA supports hybrid working which provides for greater flexibility with the way that we work.
The full-time role will be located in our modern, eco-friendly offices at Broughton Park, near Skipton, North Yorkshire. Our team has adopted a hybrid working approach with some requirement to work both from home and in the office. We supply basic equipment to support this. You will need to be in the Skipton office a minimum of 3 days a week.
This unique work setting sits on the boundary of the Yorkshire Dales National Park and offers easy access to stunning countryside. Skipton is a bustling market town with great schools, services and leisure facilities, and is within easy reach of Leeds, Bradford, Manchester and the Lake District. Find out more at https://www.welcometoskipton.com

We are proud to be a B Corp and recognised for our commitment to transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement for a more inclusive and sustainable future, by meeting high standards in many areas.

For further information or an informal discussion about this position, please contact Barbara Nix on Barbara.Nix@jbarisk.com