Senior Geospatial Technologist
- Public sector
- 07/02/2025
- £41364.00 /yearly
- Full Time & Permanent
Job expired!
Job Overview
Additional Detail
Job Description
ONS operates a flexible hybrid working model across the UK, with colleagues linked to one of our contractual locations in Newport, Titchfield (Fareham), Manchester, or Darlington and working between office and remote throughout the week.
As part of the hybrid working arrangement there is a 40% minimum office attendance requirement. Attendance is typically at your contractual office, with occasional travel to alternative locations. Due to estates constraints, there are currently temporary exceptions to this for colleagues based at Manchester and Darlington who are required to attend the office for a minimum of 20% of their work time
Job summary
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is the UKs largest producer of official statistics, covering a range of key economic, social and demographic topics. These include measuring changes in the value of the UK economy, estimating the size, geographic distribution and characteristics of the population, and providing indicators of price inflation, employment, earnings, crime and migration.
We are transforming how we use data to better understand and measure the UKs economy and society, to drive better decision making, and to improve the lives of citizens. A core part of this work is the development of our geospatial capability, driving the effective use of geospatial methods across the organisation to add maximum value to ONS statistics.
The ONS Geography team provides geospatial expertise and guidance to ONS and across government. The team is dynamic and undertakes a mixture of work aimed at improving the use and integration of geospatial data with statistics.
We are seeking a highly skilled geospatial technologist to join our team and support the provision of a fit-for-purpose and up-to-date geospatial service and infrastructure. This role is pivotal in delivering the geospatial technology strategy within ONS ensuring our geospatial users can find, use, and unlock the potential and the availability of geospatial data. The successful candidate will oversee the maintenance, update, and delivery of geospatial tools and technology platforms, in alignment with our strategic objectives.
Job description
As the successful candidate, you will provide technical expertise with regards to geospatial databases, solutions and infrastructure. You will be responsible for the maintenance and updates of the geospatial assets, ensuring compliance with relevant standards, and keep infrastructure designs current. You will gather user requirements and feedback and develop technical solutions while leading user acceptance testing.
You will be working collaboratively and build positive relationships with all relevant stakeholders associated with the projects you own.
We believe in continuous development, and you will be expected to develop your skills relevant to the post, through keeping abreast of new geospatial technologies, and data.
Key Responsibilities
The following responsibilities cover the types of activities which can or will be carried out by the successful candidate:
- Ensure geospatial databases, tools and technology platforms are maintained and updated
- Apply and ensure compliance with international and national geospatial standards for format, infrastructure, interoperability, metadata, APIs, etc.
- Support and advise on geospatial standards
- Maintain up-to-date the geospatial infrastructure designs in use with ONS
- Collate, analyse information relevant to the role (e.g. usage, issues, etc) and communicate to senior stakeholders
- Gather user requirements and feedback to continuously improve of geospatial services and inform the geospatial strategy.
- Develop, when required, technical solutions and applications to support user requirements, using prototyping and testing
- Lead user acceptance testing frameworks for geospatial applications and infrastructure
- Work with other business areas in ONS (e.g. Digital Services, Integrated Data Service) to review and update the design and structure of geospatial data and solutions.
- Keep abreast of new technology, commercial products, and solution architecture to support a state-of-the-art geospatial tool deployment.
- Engage in activities to support the geography community across ONS and Government
Person specification
Essential Criteria
Geospatial Software and Systems - Practitioner: The candidates can use desktop, database and web-based geospatial tools (e.g. ArcGIS or open source), ETL software and have experience of enterprise GIS environments and deployments. As practitioners, they can show a thorough understanding of the technical concepts required for the role and can explain how these fit into the wider technical landscape. They can translate user requirements into geospatial technical needs and support users with the use of geospatial tools.
Geospatial Architecture - Practitioner: The candidates can gather user requirements for geospatial data and its use and apply them to the design of platform architectures, solutions or policies for governance. As practitioners, they can track and identify relevant information that can inform the geospatial architectural work such as strategies, roadmaps, policies and technical trends; they create and use different architecture representations to communicate effectively, achieving agreement with technical and non-technical stakeholders; and they can work with others to make architectural design decisions characterised by managed levels of risk relevant to the geospatial domain and complexity.
Geospatial Data Standards - Practitioner: The candidates can demonstrate knowledge and application of established and recognised practices for geospatial data standards and technology to maximise interoperability. As practitioners, they can apply, create and explain data standards for different subjects (e.g. formats, metadata, APIs, etc.); they can work with subject matter experts across organisations to introduce data standards best practice; they monitor compliance with policies and standards of the organisations geospatial systems; and they make recommendations about how the organisation should resolve breaches of standards.
Geospatial Asset and Configuration management - Practitioner: The candidates can manage the life cycle of geospatial assets (such as hardware, software, intellectual property, licences and warranties), and the configuration of their components. Consideration is given to the usage, disposal, compliance, inventory, sustainability, cost optimisation and protection of the geospatial asset portfolio. As practitioners, they can track, log and correct information to protect assets and components; maintain and manage secure configuration and accurate information; verify the health state of IT assets; and manage service compliance and risk.
Prototyping - Practitioner: The candidates can test and share different concepts (e.g. systems configuration, web map development) before committing to the final design. As practitioners, they understand the need for prototyping, using a variety of prototyping methods and choose the most appropriate, by establishing design patterns and iterating them.
Qualifications
An undergraduate degree (at least), or equivalent, with relevance to the job description or at least 2 years experience in a role/study relevant to the job description.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Developing Self and Others
- Delivering at Pace
- Making Effective Decisions
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Geospatial Software and Systems
- Geospatial Standards
Alongside your salary of £41,364, Office for National Statistics contributes £11,983 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
The Office for National Statistics is part of the Civil Service, and as such we share a number of key benefits with other departments, whilst also having our own unique offerings to support our 5400 valued colleagues across the business.
Whether you are hearing about us for the first time or already know a bit about our organisation, we hope that the benefits pack attached (bottom of page) will give you a great insight into the benefits and facilities available to our colleagues, and our fantastic working culture.
Inclusion & Accessibility
At ONS we are always looking to attract the very best people from the widest possible talent pool, and we are proud to be an inclusive, equal opportunities employer. As a Disability Confident Leader were committed to ensuring that all candidates are treated fairly throughout the recruitment process.
As part of our application process, you will be prompted to provide details of any reasonable adjustments to our recruitment process that you need. If you would like to discuss any reasonable adjustments before applying, please contact the recruitment team in the first instance.
If you would like an accessible version of any of the attachments or recruitment documents below or linked to in this advert, please contact the recruitment team who will be happy to assist.
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.
Security Clearance
For ONS the requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for 3 consecutive years immediately prior to applying and the department will consider eligibility by exception on a case-by-case basis. You will be asked to provide information regarding your UK residency during your application, and failure to provide this will result in your application being rejected.
If you are unsure that you meet the eligibility above, please read the information available on Gov.uk on this link, or contact the recruitment email on the advert before applying to discuss, as failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your security clearance application being rejected and any offer of employment being withdrawn.
At the point of SC application, you will need to provide or give access to the following evidence:
Departmental or company records (personnel files, staff reports, sick leave reports and security records)
UK criminal records covering both spent and unspent criminal records
Your credit and financial history with a credit reference agency
Security Services records
All applicants will have access to AI resources, it is therefore important to remember these tools, although helpful in streamlining the writing process, cannot fully understand the organisational context, or requirements for the role you are applying for.
To maintain authenticity and credibility of the application process, should you choose to use generative AI tools, you need to ensure the information you provide in your supporting evidence accurately reflects your skills, knowledge, and experience.
ONS does not advocate relying solely on generative AI to write your application. Doing so may negatively impact your chances of success during the selection process.
If you are invited to interview, please be aware the use of AI tools is prohibited and any suspected use may result in the termination of your interview and subsequent withdrawal from the campaign.
Please note that all campaigns may be subject to withdrawal at any stage if the internal resource position changes.
Application Process
Number of Stages: 2 stage process
Stage 1: Application
Stage 2: Interview
Stage 1 Application
The assessment process at the application stage will be based on your work history, skills, experience, CV, and personal statement. It is important that your application is tailored to highlight the skills, knowledge, and experience relevant to the role.
If a personal statement is required at application state, it will state the maximum wordcount allowed, which should not be exceeded. Where it is a requirement to make a personal statement, you should provide evidence for each essential skill criterion listed in the person specification. As these criteria are scored, it is advisable to give clear examples for each one, including the impact of your actions, ideally utilising the STAR technique (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
Please note that Success Profiles Behaviour examples are not required at this stage of the application process.
In instances where a high number of applications are received, the sift pass mark may be adjusted, and candidates will be invited to interview based on merit order, i.e., those with the highest scores.
Stage 2 Interview
If invited to interview, you will be assessed using techniques aligned with the Civil Service Success Profiles framework, covering all behaviours listed in the job advert and any required technical skills.
A presentation will be required at interview.
Interviews may be in person or via Microsoft Teams.
Our main locations are Newport (South Wales), Titchfield, Darlington & Manchester
A reserve list may be held for a period up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made.
The Sift will be conducted from wc 03/03/2025
Interviews will be conducted from wc 17/03/2025
For the full terms and conditions of the post, please see attachment.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).
See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Nationality requirements
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).
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.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Olive Powell
- Email : [email protected]
Recruitment team
- Email : [email protected]
Further information
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact [email protected]. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission
