Environmental Spatial Data Manager

UKCEH is looking for an experienced Environmental Spatial Data Manager to join our team of talented individuals, contributing to scientific discovery and generating the data, insights and solutions that researchers, businesses and governments need to solve complex environmental challenges. 

Working at UKCEH is rewarding. Our science makes a real difference, enabling people and the environment to prosper, and enriching society. We are the custodians of a wealth of environmental data, collected by UKCEH and its predecessors over the course of more than 60 years. 

As a valued member of our team, you’ll get: 

• 27 days annual leave, plus 3 days for our Christmas closure 

• 10% employer pension contribution 

• Enhanced maternity and paternity leave (subject to qualifying requirements) 

• 24 hour, 365-day access to support with physical, mental, social, health or financial issues plus access to our trained Welfare Officers 

• Flexible working opportunities 

And much more... 

You’ll be providing much needed additional support for the Catchment to Coast group, whose long-term monitoring and experiments improve understanding of how environmental change impacts land, soil, freshwater and coastal ecosystems  

Your environmental spatial data management expertise will be used to support the Environment and Rural affairs Monitoring and Modelling Programme (ERAMMP). The programme is one of the highest income projects in UKCEH’s science portfolio, encompassing three main components: 

• annual national field survey of Wales 

• integrated land-use modelling platform 

• a series of rapid evidence provision reports 

Your main focus will be to support the ERAMMP field teams and data analysts. Working together, you'll help us to deliver our integrated national field survey of Wales, which the Welsh Government use to help develop future environmental policy. 

You’ll be joining a leading independent, not-for-profit research institute that’s committed to recruiting talented people like you, progressing your career and giving you the support you need to thrive at UKCEH. 

Your main responsibilities will include: 

• Managing, processing and analysing spatial data, including data collected by field surveyors and derived from Earth Observation, as well as proof-reading metadata 

• Managing a breadth of baseline and newly collected data, including sensitive data from Welsh Government, and using UKCEH’s extensive datasets for the UK 

• Developing tools to automate data processing and analysis scripts, particularly for interrogation and analysis of environmental spatial data 

• Liaising with scientists and project management staff to manage diverse data flows, data cataloguing, including documentation of metadata, and disseminating data via UKCEH’s Environmental Information Data Centre 

• Overseeing secure transfers of project documents, data and other files to the Welsh Government 

• Contributing to reports and data publications   

For the role of Environmental Spatial Data Manager, we need somebody who has: 

• A postgraduate degree (or multiple years of relevant professional experience) in GIS, physical or environmental sciences, maths or computer science 

• Proficiency in ESRI’s ArcGISPro or ArcMap, QGIS or similar GIS software, as well as Python to process spatial data workflows in an automated and reproducible manner 

• Experience in relational database design and management such as ESRI’s Enterprise GIS, Oracle, Microsoft Access or SQL 

• Competency in data munging to prepare unstructured data into analysis-ready formats 

• Experience managing personal and other sensitive data in compliance with regulations such as UK GDPR requirements 

• Practical experience of data quality management, particularly quality control 

• A clear awareness of requirements for publishing scientific data including structuring metadata and supporting documentation, and FAIR principles for data stewardship 

• An aptitude for learning new technologies and techniques to improve capability in analysing, processing and disseminating environmental data 

• The ability to seek advice and guidance when solving problems 

• The ability to work independently and manage time effectively, with the ability to work to strict deadlines and show a flexible attitude to teamwork 

• The capability to contribute effectively to the team and support others 

• Effective verbal and written communication skills 

Desirable skills or experience: 

• A PhD in a relevant research area 

• Any of the following: Machine learning, statistical analysis, environmental modelling or ecology 

• Familiarity with popular online data repositories such as GitHub and Zenodo 

• Practical experience of code version control in Git, SVN or similar 

• Previous use of secure external file sharing facilities (e.g. Objective Connect) 

• Willingness to occasionally travel in the UK (up to a week at a time) 

If we’ve just described you, we’d love to meet. Apply now.