About the job

Job summary

Want to work at the cutting edge of environmental science?  Passionate about making a difference and playing your part in tackling the climate and nature crisis?  Forest Research is all about giving top quality evidence and advice to policymakers and practitioners to make a positive impact on the ground. Internationally recognised, we need people who have the skills and passion to work on excellent science and provide practical solutions for nature.

We’re small enough that your voice is heard, yet large enough, as part of the Forestry Commission, that we have everything on hand to get the job done, as well as a variety of career pathways.  Our staff are dedicated to their work and sharing it with others to bring positive change for our planet.  And you will find us a flexible and inclusive employer, so you can have a work life balance that is tailor-made to your circumstances. So, whether it’s climate or carbon, pests or pathogens, behaviour or biodiversity that interests you, you can be assured of a warm welcome to the team. To find out more, visit forestresearch.gov.uk.

The GIS Team sits within the Centre for Inventory Forecasting & Operational Support (IFOS), an expert, customer-focused provider of forestry information, software, and service. The team is responsible for development and management of GIS and spatial data technologies, this includes an integrated spatial platform for forest and land management, ‘Forester’. ESRI ArcGIS Enterprise, ArcGIS Online and open-source technology are used to deliver services from the platform to 1500 users.

Job description

The GIS and Data Services Team are recruiting a GIS Data Delivery Lead to lead a team of GIS professionals in delivering our data as a service provision, known as “Geostore”, as well as data-related projects. Reporting to the Head of GIS and Data Services you will oversee the Data Delivery function and be responsible for the operational delivery and management of the spatial data and mapping services. This will require coordination of resource/expertise from within the team to provide effective delivery of project and service priorities whilst maintaining high performance standards. You will ensure data quality, accessibility and security and be the accountable owner for all spatial data products. Working across the wider team, you will be responsible for driving forwards our spatial data management and data delivery services using latest technologies. 

Key Work Areas:

•    Responsible for the spatial data service (Geostore) ensuring availability, scalability, performance, and resilience in a cloud-hosted environment
•    Responsible for delivery of high quality mapping and cartographic visualisation services
•    Responsibility for defining spatial data and mapping quality standards and ensuring conformance
•    Have full oversight of the data flows through acquisition, quality assurance, system integrations, delivery and maintenance
•    Create technical documentation to translate complex data/process workflows into user-friendly business documents
•    Responsible for ensuring that all spatial data has associated INSPIRE compliant metadata and that data within our catalogue meets FAIR data principles
•    Lead on implementing spatial data management best practices including writing guidance and governance documents as required
•    Lead on the continuous development of Geostore looking at ways to increase workflow efficiency through automation, implement new data flows and improve data quality
•    Act as a subject matter expert on spatial data governance, data licensing, and data accessibility
•    Manage and develop the team of GIS professionals in a highly dynamic environment
•    Develop customer relationships, undertake proposals, contract management and delivery
•    Drive strategic aspects of data and GIS services and be fundamental to the design and delivery of wider GIS objectives

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

• A relevant degree with substantial GIS, IT, remote sensing, or data management component or equivalent experience
• Proven substantial experience with developing, managing, and improving a spatial data service within ESRI Enterprise and/or ArcGIS online environments
• Significant experience and competence with spatial data management systems, preferably cloud based, such as Azure SQL or Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL
• An excellent working knowledge and proven track record in using a wide range of Esri technologies including ArcGIS Desktop, ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise
• Excellent knowledge of topographic and environmental spatial data within the UK context
• Experience of managing a team of GIS professionals within a customer focused environment
• Strong organisational or project management skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Desirable Criteria: 

• Experience of contract management and customer liaison
• Experience of budget and resource management
• Experience in the processing and management of remotely sensed data
• Experience of agile project management methodologies
• Experience of AWS or Azure tools
• Understanding of cloud and non-cloud based spatial ETL patterns and tools e.g. FME, python
• Understanding of cloud-based patterns for management and delivery of large datasets and services

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £45,260, Forestry Commission - Forest Research contributes £13,111 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

Sift will take place from 5th - 9th August 2024  

Interviews are planned to take place from 19th - 23rd August 2024.  

Applicants invited to attend for interview will be required to prepare a short presentation.  Details will be advised on confirmation of interview.

If we receive a large volume of applications, then we will sift on Experience/Technical Expertise and the Lead Behaviour, Leadership. However, candidates will be expected to answer questions on all behaviours listed at the interview stage.

Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be considered for other positions in Forest Research which may be at a lower grade but have a potential skills match.

Diverse perspectives and experiences are critical to our success and we welcome applications from all people from all backgrounds with the experience and skills needed to perform this role.

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.