Senior Quantitative Analyst (Nature Recovery)

Environmental Standards Scotlands (ESS) role is to monitor, investigate and secure public authorities compliance with environmental law in Scotland. We also scrutinise the effectiveness of environmental law and policy in Scotland and how it is implemented and applied. In our investigative and analytical reports, we may also identify instances where we consider there to be gaps in environmental protection legislation.

ESS is an independent non-ministerial office, accountable to the Scottish Parliament and overseen by a non-executive board. It is part of the Scottish Administration and its employees are civil servants. Full details are available on the ESS website.

Our Strategy 2026-2031 sets out how we will work as an organisation to deliver our vision that by holding public authorities to account, we will ensure that Scotlands people and nature benefit from a high-quality, healthy environment through improved compliance with and better implementation of effective environmental law.

ESS role is expanding to take on two new roles:

• scrutinising the Scottish Governments delivery against the new statutory biodiversity and nature restoration targets which will be set under the Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2026

• scrutinising local authorities reporting against climate change duties as set out in the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009

To deliver these duties and to manage this significant organisational change, ESS will be recruiting new posts over the next twelve months to establish a new team within the organisation to lead the development of work to deliver these roles, alongside related corporate services requirements.

We are recruiting a Senior Quantitative Analyst to support the development of our new scrutiny function for the statutory biodiversity and nature restoration targets which will be set under the Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2026.

This post will be managed by the new Principal Scrutiny Officer (nature recovery) and will play a crucial role in development of a new area of work for ESS. Professional guidance and support will be provided by the Head of Data and Quantitative Analysis.

Key responsibilities include:

The post holder will support the new Principal Scrutiny Officer and the Head of Data and Quantitative Analysis by:

• developing our organisational understanding of proposed indicators and the data underpinning them for the biodiversity and nature restoration targets to be set under the Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2026
• support the new Principal Scrutiny Officer (Nature Recovery) to build effective relationships with analysts and statisticians in public authorities and NGOs within the new departments remit, to ensure that ESS is abreast of, and able to access, the latest data and evidence
• undertake policy-facing statistical work, including ad hoc analysis and interpretation of Scottish environmental data, independent analysis of progress towards the biodiversity and nature restoration targets and preparing briefing for senior officials and the ESS Chair and Board
• work with the existing data team (C1 Head of Data and Quantitative Analysis and B3 Senior Analyst) to embed good analytical practices across the organisation, including strong processes for quality assurance, data management and intelligent transparency
• be an active advocate for ESS Voluntary Application of the Code of Practice for Statistics by guiding others in appropriate practices for preparing, managing and using data
• engage with stakeholders and share statistical and analytical techniques to increase understanding and trust in ESS scrutiny work

• identify opportunities to develop statistical insights and reports that support wider organisational objectives

• excellent statistical and analytical skills. Experience in delivering high-quality quantitative analysis and ensuring that evidence is at the heart of decision making. This should include proven experience of:
  • acquiring appropriate data from a range of sources, quality assurance of data sources and analysis, appropriate data management, performing high quality analysis appropriate to the analytical task, and ensuring conclusions are trustworthy and credible
  • using statistical packages including R (or equivalent)
• excellent communications skills to align statistical analysis with policy needs. Ability to clearly present (including data visualisation)and explain the outcomes, strengths and limitations of data and analysis
• excellent networking and influencing skills with the ability to establish strong working relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders
• excellent organisational and prioritisation skills with the ability to work independently to deliver at pace, without sacrificing quality

Essential criteria

• excellent statistical and analytical skills. Delivery of high-quality quantitative analysis and ability to ensure that evidence is at the heart of decision making
• strong planning and organisational skills, with the ability to work on projects independently or as part of a multi-disciplinary team, manage workloads and competing priorities and clearly identify policy needs.
• excellent communications skills to align statistical analysis with policy needs and clearly present (including data visualisation) and explain the outcomes, strengths and limitations of data and analysis
• ability to build strong relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders

Desirable criteria

• experience of working with environmental data
• experience and skills utilising scientific and data analysis to inform policy development and delivery

Qualifications/experience required

Applicants should either

• a degree or post-graduate qualification containing formal training on statistics or data, or
• have a minimum three years experience in a statistics or data-related field