We’re looking for a Geospatial Specialist to support on the delivery of geospatial data services & solutions within our Kingfisher team.

Overview of the Geospatial Specialist

·    Job status: This is a full-time role with a 24-month fixed term contract.  

·    Location: Homebased (should be based in the UK)  

·    Salary: The starting salary in the pay band for this post is £35,843 

Life in the Kingfisher team at Seafish 

We are here to give the UK seafood sector the support it needs to thrive. Our work makes a huge difference to the seafood industry and the communities and people who rely on it. As a public body, we collaborate with a wide range of partners – from seafood businesses and trade bodies to government, regulators and environmental organisations. Our work includes research, advice and guidance, campaigns and training and we cover topics like sustainability and climate change. 

The Kingfisher team in Seafish works with a broad range of fishing and marine focused organisations to provide geospatial services, predominantly for the UK catching sector. We have a range of high profile ‘fishing safety’ services that we deliver with industry partners to improve safety at sea. We also have a desire to advance and develop new services, broadening our reach and helping the UK fishing and seafood industry with geospatial issues.  

We operate a Results Only Work Environment (ROWE) which focuses on performance not presence. Working with ROWE means having autonomy and accountability in equal parts so you can work in a way that is most effective for you, as long as you deliver your work to the expected standards. You’ll have a personal development plan which clearly outlines the objectives and competencies for your role and learning and development goals. You’ll have regular catch ups with your line manager, along with mid-year and end of year reviews to discuss your work and performance.  

Job role, responsibilities and relationships 

The person in this role will be responsible for providing specialist geospatial input for the development of a range of new and existing services, engage with stakeholders and system developers to design and deliver service advancements and assist in providing new geospatial solutions, over an initial 24-month fixed term period. 

You will work as part of our Kingfisher team to assess, develop and deliver practical solutions for the collection, management and supply of spatial data for use within the UK seafood industry. Fishing is a dangerous and often complex occupation. High quality spatial data, presented in the most user-friendly way, is essential to keep fishers safe and improve understanding. 

The main dimensions of the role are: 

·    Engaging with fishing regulators and the wider fishing industry to assess Kingfisher’s current ‘fishing restrictions’ service; discussing and defining service enhancements and developing a costed proposal for long-term service delivery. 

·    Supporting the collection, update and management of Kingfisher’s geospatial data – including offshore infrastructure, fishing restrictions and other marine data – ensuring data held is up to date, accurate and fit for purpose. 

·    Support the internal and external geospatial development and advancement of Kingfisher services; ensuring practices/services are professional, streamlined, advanced, robust, and fit for purpose. 

·    Support the further development of geospatial services that Kingfisher offer; engaging with Seafish colleagues to improve internal use of geospatial data/services and with the fishing industry to help deliver solutions to geospatial issues. 

Key accountabilities for the role are: 

·    Offering specialist input for geospatial aspects of services including ESRI ArcGIS Online (AGOL), ESRI ArcPro, Feature Manipulation Engine (FME) and associated mapping and geospatial management practices. 

·    Working with high-level UK fisheries regulators, fishing stakeholder contacts and system developers, to deliver further service advancements and technical innovations to the current service. 

·    Liaising with fishing industry stakeholders to assess challenges and spatial data service needs, co-defining solutions, proposals and solutions. 

·    Utilising ESRI ArcPro, ESRI AGOL, FME and other spatial conversion software to ensure data is of the highest standard, appropriately quality checked and assured and delivered in a streamlined and useable format for end users. 

·    Co-managing external contractors to deliver project outputs and enhancements to services. 

·    Working with colleagues across Seafish to better understand their interactions/use of spatial data to enable the development of options/solutions to improve GIS use. 

·    Developing a network of high-level cross sector contacts and utilise this expertise to develop project enhancements and ensure project updates/releases are fit for purpose.  

·    Contributing to regular team meetings, report on project progress, participate in other projects as appropriate and contribute to the strategic planning of the department. 

You will be responsible for: 

·    Preparation and organisation relating to the large number of geospatial data updates being handled. 

·    Detailed planning up to 6 months in advance due to the rapidly changing fishing and geospatial industries and the need to deliver within a short timeframe. 

·    Awareness of the timescales imposed from within Seafish and by external clients, in relation to Kingfisher data collection, processing and supply. 

·    Organisation and management of external contacts and contractors relating current Kingfisher services and service advancement. 

·    React to requests from industry or Seafish colleagues, ensuring a timeous response without jeopardising the core delivery Kingfisher services. 

·    Assessing complex fishing and seafood industry geospatial problems and define the most appropriate course of action to deliver value added solutions. 

·    Working with the marine industry (subsea cables, renewable energy, oil & gas, marine aggregates, etc.) to assess their needs, whilst considering the potential impact to the fishing industry before agreeing upon a geospatial solution. 

·    Collaborating with specialist geospatial contractors to deliver advanced solutions, whilst ensuring the needs of users are paramount.  

·    Exercising rational judgement and cautious attitude to ensure critical information is delivered to users that is fit for purpose. 

·    Assessing Kingfisher systems, ensuring they are operating appropriately and suggesting options to innovate and deliver improvements. 

·    Using project management, budgeting, and reporting tools, to ensure professional management of services. 

Essential working relationships for the role are: 

Internal relationships: 

·    Reporting to the Kingfisher Manager and working closely with colleagues in Kingfisher, ensuring the successful delivery of Kingfisher services. 

·    Working closely with colleagues in wider Seafish teams, assessing geospatial needs and delivering value added geospatial solutions. 

·    Working closely with colleagues in the safety, training and services team, sharing knowledge and gaining a wider understanding of fishing safety matters. 

·    Liaising with colleagues in the communications and web teams to deliver period promotional campaigns. 

External relationships: 

·    Liaising with fishing industry stakeholders (national and regional contacts) assessing geospatial issues and discussing and developing solutions. 

·    Liaising with marine industry stakeholders (subsea cables, renewable energy, oil & gas, marine aggregates, etc.) to ensure understanding and support for Kingfisher services, including the supply of geospatial data. 

·    Liaising with UK fishing regulators to ensure awareness of Kingfisher services and essential feedback into the ‘fishing restrictions’ service.  

·    Supporting the management of external contractors, including geospatial contractors and website developers, to ensure the successful operation and advancement of Kingfisher and Seafish services. 

·    Acting as a representative of Seafish at meetings or supporting team members at events. 

Knowledge, skills and experience required 

To be a suitable candidate for this role you should have: 

Skills 

·    Ability to assess real world geospatial problems and suggest practical ways to improve the situation to team members and important stakeholders. 

·    Meticulous attention to detail, with a sharp focus on delivering excellence in geospatial data and geospatial data solutions. 

·    Ability to take onboard feedback, define priorities and present innovative geospatial options to deliver effective and practical service advancements. 

·    Ability to build strong and effective relationships with clients and customers, discussing technical matters, determining their needs, and proposing suitable solutions in a professional manner. 

·    Ability to work proactively and collaboratively, identifying new work areas and adding value or addressing issues with current services.  

·    Well-developed time management skills to work to tight deadlines demanded by external customers/users, allowing successful completion of both individual and team goals. 

·    Advanced and well-developed literacy skills with the ability to write technical information in simple language for a range of audiences, presenting these to industry where necessary. 

·    Good financial management and budgeting skills required to manage project budgets effectively. 

Experience and knowledge 

·    Educated to at least degree level in a GIS based subject (or with significant GIS elements). 

·    Extensive theoretical and practical experience of GIS and GIS software (ESRI suite of software), with demonstrable skills of dealing with large and complex data and delivering innovative GIS solutions. (At least 3 years). 

·    Demonstrable advanced theoretical and practical experience of working with Feature Manipulation Engine (FME) or similar Extract, Transform and Load (ETL) software and developing complex workflows of your own. 

·    Solid and demonstrable experience of liaising with high level contacts and managing and successfully delivering a high profile, multidimensional, cross industry project. 

·    Strong and demonstrable experience to research, review and produce a detailed, technical and fully costed GIS project proposal, assessing issues from multiple diverse industries. 

·    The ability to communicate effectively in person and in writing with high level industry personnel at an advanced level. 

·    Advanced computer literacy skills with working knowledge of how to use of common office software packages such as Microsoft Office for the purpose of presentations and report writing. 

·    Demonstrable experience of working within the Marine Protected Area, commercial fishing, or marine electronics industries is advantageous. 

·    Advanced and well-developed time management and interpersonal skills are essential in order to work to tight deadlines on an individual level and effectively contribute to the success of meeting deadlines for the purpose of team goals. 

Every role is Seafish is linked to our bespoke competency framework. The competency levels for this role are: 

·    Growing Expertise – Creates a Learning and Development environment 

·    Embracing Change – Shows the ability to adapt to change 

·    Building Relationships – Builds effective teams to deliver corporate strategy 

·    Achieving Results – Overcomes challenging circumstances to achieve high-quality results 

·    Influencing with Impact – Calculates personal impact and adapts communication 

Salary and benefits

All roles within Seafish are graded and have defined salary bands. This role is a grade 5 post and the starting salary on this band is £35,843. 

A new recruit’s appointment on the pay band is dependent on the experience they bring to the role when they start. New recruits normally start at the lower end of the range unless they can demonstrate considerable experience in the requirements of the role. 

Additional benefits include: 

·    25 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays and Christmas office closure. Optional 5 days per year paid volunteering leave for an activity of your choice. 

·    Flexible working – with ROWE you get your work done to the expected standard in a way that suits you. 

·    A generous employer pension scheme – Seafish will double your contribution, up to a maximum employer contribution of 10%. 

·    A range of health and wellbeing benefits including the Cycle to Work scheme, Tech Scheme, private medical insurance, gym discounts and free eye tests. 

·    Our unlimited employee assistance scheme is a support service available 24/7 – it offers confidential, impartial advice on anything you need such as work, family, finance support or anything else personal to you.  

·    We have a professional development culture with plenty of learning opportunities. 

·    We have a high performing culture and reward those that do well each year. 

Special features of the role: 

·    Working and managing stakeholders remotely  

·    Periodic travel for Seafish staff and industry events 

Application process 

To apply for the post you should email your application to [email protected]. Please include ‘Geospatial Specialist’ in the subject line of your email.  

Your application should include: 

·    A covering letter or a short video explaining why you are a suitable candidate. 

·    A recent copy of your CV so we can find out more about your skills and experience.  

·    A completed copy of our recruitment consent form. 

The deadline for applications is 31st May 2023.  

Candidates invited to interview will be given at least one weeks’ notice of proposed interview date to allow you to prepare. At this stage you may be asked to complete a short task in advance of interview and then answer some competency-based questions during interview.  

Further information

For any queries about the job description or the salary and benefits on offer, please email [email protected].