About the job

Job summary

You will work in an exciting and specialised MoD organisation which develops navigation products for the Royal Navy and the worlds commercial merchant fleet. Our office is a new state of the art modern office in Taunton, Somerset, reflecting our values as a centre of excellence for hydrographic and marine geospatial data. At this level, you will be expected to be and experienced practitioner in GIS Development always working to deliver best practice in geospatial tools, techniques, analysis, data, standards, coding and scripting and data visualisation and transformation.

You will create business impact through the delivery of product and service prototypes and Proof of Concept (PoCs) ideas in line with the UKHO’s corporate objectives.  You will translate high-level requirements into working geospatial prototypes both front end and back end, to be tested and validated between the business and the consumer, ensuring all products and services meet end user expectations.

You will use your specialist geographic knowledge and skills to contextualise and analyse data that will support decision making and the development, delivery, and evaluation of future product development in order to inform corporate and business planning. You will also keep abreast of emerging geospatial standards, applications, technologies and trends in the maritime and wider related markets to ensure you are able to exploit these in the development of UKHOs PoCs ensuring UKHO is at the forefront of new developments.

 

Hybrid Working

There will be a minimum of an initial 2 weeks of training in the office, after which more training may be required depending on the team you are placed in. There may also be further in-office training required when you change teams as part of your role rotation.

The office is currently moving to 60% office attendance in the Taunton Office.

[Please note our Policy on informal hybrid working (arrangements available as agreed with the line manager) does not extend to working overseas].  

Job description

A practitioner in geographic research, you have extensive knowledge of different sources of geographic evidence and research and the ability to synthesise these to make product and technology based decisions and recommendations. A practitioner in geospatial data capture and modelling, you understand and apply techniques to measure the physical and human world and abstract information about the world using geospatial models.  A practitioner in geospatial data manipulation, you are able to geo-reference, correct, calibrate, project and transform geospatial data.  A practitioner in geospatial data analysis, you will integrate and aggregate data based on its spatial reference. You understand and apply techniques for analysing spatial relations and modelling surfaces and terrain.  A practitioner in delivering business impact through the application of geospatial data to present, communicate and disseminate geospatial products to achieve and measure impact whilst maintaining user focus. A practitioner in cartography and interactive mapping, you understand and apply techniques for mapping geospatial data ineffective and engaging ways. A practitioner in geospatial software and systems, you are able to apply desktop and online tools for managing, analysing and displaying geospatial data, interactively or in workflows. You are able to employ specialised software or libraries in the analysis of geospatial data, interactively and in coded analysis pipelines. A working level of Earth Observation techniques, you are able to use specialist techniques to classify and extract information from imagery and other remotely sensed sources. A practitioner in geospatial data innovation, you identify efficient and effective ways to use geospatial data to tackle business and organisational challenges, applying innovative techniques A practitioner in geospatial data management, you can collate and manage datasets within a workflow and architecture for geospatial data. You understand legal and ethical issues around geospatial data including rights, liability, privacy and access. A practitioner in geospatial coding, you have strong programming experience using a range of coding practices to build scalable geospatial products for a range of users. You are able to uses Agile/Waterfall techniques and are able to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team. Present results, work-in-progress and developed demonstrators to illustrate new concepts to stakeholders and senior management and external partners such as SMEs, industry or academia

Person specification

Practitioner Level - Geospatial data capture and modelling - Understand and apply techniques to measure the physical and human world. Abstracts information about the world using geospatial models.

Practitioner Level - Geospatial data manipulation - Able to geo-reference, correct, calibrate, project and transform geospatial data.

Practitioner Level – Geospatial software and systems -  Able to apply desktop and online tools for managing, analysing and displaying geospatial data, interactively or in workflows.

Practitioner Level – Geospatial data management - Collates and manages datasets within a workflow and architecture for geospatial data.

Practitioner Level – Geospatial data standards and quality - Knowledge and application of standards and formats for geospatial data and technology interoperability. Understands different quality components of geospatial data, and the use of metadata.

Practitioner Level – Geospatial data analysis - Integrates and aggregates data based on its spatial reference. Understands and applies techniques for analysing spatial relations and modelling surfaces and terrain.

Practitioner Level – Cartography and interactive mapping - Understand and apply techniques for mapping geospatial data in effective and engaging ways.

Practitioner Level – Geospatial coding - Strong programming experience using a range of coding practices to build scalable geospatial data products for a range of users within a technology context.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £45,645, UK Hydrographic Office contributes £12,324 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, Experience and Technical skills.

How to Apply:  

When you click "Apply Now" you will be asked to input your CV and a 1250 word personal statement on how you meet the person specification, as well as the shortlist criteria listed below.

Timeline:  

• Advert Closes for applications: 2nd January 2023
• Shortlisting: week commencing: 1st/ 8th January 2023
• Interviews: week commencing:  8th/ 15th January 2023

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates. 

Sift/Shortlist Criteria:  

Applications are processed anonymously, your application will be short-listed against the following criteria. Please note, if we receive a high volume of applicants, we may first assess applications on the Lead Criteria outlined below:

• Lead Criteria: Assessed against a personal statement (1250 word max): How you meet the 8 points in the above person specification.
• Assessed against your CV: Experience and understanding of the navigation requirements, limitations and constraints of Defence users (i.e. the Royal Navy) and the Commercial Merchant users and how hydrographic and marine geospatial data could be used in satisfying those requirements. 
  
  

Interview Criteria:  

You will be interviewed against the following criteria: 

Civil Service Behaviours (Level 3): 

• Working Together

• Communicating and Influencing

• Changing and Improving

Technical Skills: 

• Geospatial Software and Systems

• Geospatial coding

• Geospatial data manipulation

See here for further information: Success Profiles - Civil Service Behaviours (publishing.service.gov.uk)  

Interview Process:   

• Single Stage Interview via MS TEAMS. You will be contacted to book a suitable slot if you are shortlisted (see our Candidate Pack for further information) 
• Interview will be with a panel of 2 people and will last approx. 45 mins 

Onboarding Checks:  

In the event you are offered a role with us, you will be required to go through Basic Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks which will include Employment and Right to Work Checks.  Please see our attached Candidate Pack for further details and Terms. 

Please note, we are unable to offer visa sponsorship.

Residency Requirements:

BPSS – non reserved: This is a Ministry of Defence non-reserved post and is open to UK, British Commonwealth, and European Economic Area nationals. Successful applicants will be required to pass the Basic Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) and will therefore need to provide evidence if they have resided outside of the UK for a period of 6 months or longer within the last 3 years. This is not a bar to employment, but a successful applicant will be required to provide sufficient evidence to allow the UKHO to conduct meaningful background checks. Please contact the recruitment team on the email address below if you have any concerns regarding this. 

Eligibility 

Due to the secure nature of our work, there may be eligibility restrictions if you hold dual nationality or are not a British Citizen. We will consider each application on a case-by-case basis. We will ask you in our application form to confirm your place of birth and details of any dual or previous nationalities. 

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.