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

Overview of the Senior Geospatial Specialist role

·    Job status: This is a permanent, full-time role.

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

·    Salary: The starting salary in the pay band for this post is £40,109

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 leading our technical delivery of our geospatial services.  This boils down to the management and development of geospatial data processes and mapping interfaces, management of the supply of incoming geospatial data and responsibility for engaging with stakeholders to modernise and provide new geospatial solutions.  

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: 

Leading on:

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

·        The internal geospatial development and advancement of Kingfisher services; ensuring the processes and management practices are streamlined, advanced, robust, and fit for purpose. 

·    The external (user facing) geospatial development and advancement of Kingfisher services; assess the mapping and geospatial methods used to supply data and ensure these are streamlined, advanced, robust, and fit for purpose. 

Engaging with: 

·    The fishing industry to assess geospatial issues; discuss, define appropriate and practicable solutions, and work with colleagues to deliver these to users with real impact. 

·    Seafish colleagues to assess their use of geospatial data and services, helping to deliver improvements and furthering the value of Kingfisher within Seafish. 

Key accountabilities for the role are: 

·    Developing and managing the day-to-day geospatial aspects of services, including spatial data management, workflow management [using Feature Manipulation Engine (FME)], delivery of web services and the broader maintenance of ESRI products and services. 

·    Managing the incoming supply of geospatial data - predominantly relating to oil & gas, subsea cables, renewable energy infrastructure and fishing restrictions - ensuring professional data management standards and the timely supply of data for related services. 

·    Managing the automation of geospatial data, developing and managing workflows using Feature Manipulation Engine (FME), ensuring a professional and joined-up approach to all processes and working with external contractors where needed. 

·    Managing the supply of geospatial data to external 'authorities', ensuring the timely and professional delivery of data, whilst assessing service enhancements.

·    Responsibility for assessing the use of 'Server or Enterprise' level geospatial software solutions for advancing our capabilities (ESRI and FME).

·    Liaising with external contractors to develop and update a range of 'Kingfisher Awareness Charts' for use within the European fishing industry, ensuring awareness and safe fishing interaction with offshore developments.

·    Engaging with internal and external stakeholders and co-manage the development and/or advancement of specialist geospatial services to deliver innovative and modern services.

·    Co-managing our relationship with ESRI and the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) 'Geographic Information User Group', developing strong relationships and options to make use of DEFRA software agreements. 

·    Acting as first point of contact for geospatial data enquiries from external project partners, ensuring enquiries from data suppliers and users are handled professionally and in a timely manner.  

·    Working with the marine industry and government organisations, representing and promoting the organisation, achieving an understanding into industry needs for geospatial information. 

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

You will be responsible for: 

·    Preparation and meticulous organisation due to the amount of specialist geospatial information being handled. 

·    Detailed planning up to 12 months in advance due to the rapidly changing geospatial and marine industries and needs to ensure systems/solutions are fit for purpose. 

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

·    Detailed planning, organisation and management of external contractors relating to the development of geospatial services, service advancement, etc.  

·    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. 

·    Working 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 the performance and effectiveness of Kingfisher systems, ensuring they are fit for purpose, innovative and delivering marine information to the needs of users. 

·    Extensive use of project management, budgeting, and reporting tools, to ensure professional management of services 

·    Reacting to requests from industry, government or Seafish colleagues, ensuring a timeous response whilst also ensuring the delivery of core Kingfisher 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 advancement and 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 (regional and national 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 devolved administrations and regulators to ensure awareness of Kingfisher services and excellent two-way communication.  

·    Managing relationships with external contractors, including geospatial contractors, website and systems developers, to ensure the successful operation and advancement of Kingfisher and Seafish services. 

·    Acting as a representative of Seafish at meetings or 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 define and deliver practical solutions for important stakeholders. 

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

·    Ability to innovate and drive change for the better, delivering effective and practical advancements in the use, delivery, or interpretation of geospatial data. 

·    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. 

·    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 post graduate degree level in a GIS based subject, or degree level in a GIS based subject with robust and demonstrable GIS industry experience. (Ideally at least 3 years). 

·    Advanced theoretical and practical experience of GIS and GIS software, including an extensive knowledge of ESRI products (ArcMap, ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Dashboards, ArcGIS Insights and ArcGIS Enterprise (desirable)). 

·    Extensive theoretical and practical experience of supporting and administering GIS systems (ESRI geodatabases, SQL, AGOL, web services, enterprise databases (desirable), etc). 

·    Solid 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. 

·    Strong and demonstrable experience of managing high profile projects, including planning, developing, reporting, testing and delivery. 

·    Strong and demonstrable experience of managing stakeholder relations and discussions (preferably in the marine environment). 

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 – Leads and Supports others through change 

·    Building Relationships – Builds effective teams to deliver corporate strategy 

·    Achieving Results – Leads the team to achieve 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 6 post and the starting salary on this band is £40,109.  

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 ‘Senior 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].