GIS Officer

The Role

This is an exciting opportunity to join our growing team, helping to manage and maintain key biological and environmental geospatial data that underpins the science of what we do. The ideal candidate will be highly numeric with excellent attention to detail and a passion for using spatial analysis to help create positive conservation gains.

The GIS Officer will be supporting with the management of the company’s operational geospatial data. You will be involved in all aspects of the data lifecycle, from sourcing, processing, quality assurance and maintenance, archiving and deletion as appropriate. A large part of the role will be maintaining key operational data, which is regularly updated and expanded through our work. This will involve strong communication skills and maintaining excellent relationships both internally, with our other teams, and externally, with our partners and stakeholders.

The successful candidate will sit within our Data Team, reporting to the Senior GIS Specialist. You will also be working with our statistical modelling specialists, ensuring accurate filing and dissemination of data. Outside of your key responsibilities there will be scope to broaden your experience in your areas of personal interest.

Key responsibilities

• Supporting the Senior GIS Specialist with operational GIS needs across the company.
• Maintain accurate, up-to-date datasets in both tabular and spatial formats and documentation.
• Liaise with internal teams to ensure understanding and adherence to data procedures and processes.
• Enable the timely and accurate exchange of data with our partners and local record centres.
• Provide first line GIS support to colleagues.
• Assisting with streamlining and automation of GIS workflows
• Support the organisations use of spatial data to improve performance internally.
• Collate, process and present data in an appropriate format for different audiences (e.g. map outputs).
• Respond efficiently to requests from other teams and external stakeholders.
• Assisting in GIS file management.
• Any other duties and functions as are deemed necessary.

Company background

Great crested newts have declined dramatically in the UK over the last 50 years, and although still widespread across lowland England they are no longer common. Despite protection under UK and European wildlife law, numbers are still declining, and habitat loss is their biggest threat.

In 2018, the NatureSpace District Licensing Scheme was launched – set up in partnership with the UK’s leading freshwater and amphibian non-governmental organisations as well as seven local planning authorities across the South Midlands. Since then, the scheme has expanded nationally and now covers 70 local planning authorities across Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, Staffordshire, Surrey and West Sussex.

The scheme allows planning authorities to authorise (under strictly defined terms) activities which affect great crested newts at the same time as they grant planning permission. The District Licensing Scheme has significant advantages for newt conservation and wider biodiversity benefits through a fully funded region-wide conservation strategy that creates high-quality habitat at a landscape scale and delivers long-term management and monitoring for newts, which is carried out via our partners at the Newt Conservation Partnership (a community benefit society formed of experts from Freshwater Habitats Trust and Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust). The scheme benefits developers because the licensing process for great crested newts is simplified and streamlined.

We also work with national infrastructure providers, such as Network Rail and National Highways, to help them secure and deliver 'Organisational Licences' for protected species with the same conservation deliverables. The schemes are administered by NatureSpace, are regulated, and approved by Natural England and are supported by the country’s leading amphibian and freshwater NGOs.

This is an exciting time for NatureSpace, as we advance new workstreams that build upon our successes; including our uniquely stacked high-integrity Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) offer and pioneering licensing schemes for other protected species.

Requirements

Essential skills, knowledge, and experience

• Degree in GIS, Geography, Environmental Science, or a related field; or the ability to demonstrate work-related experience
• Professional experience in using GIS software such as QGIS or ArcGIS.
• Experience of working with geospatial data sets (environmental would be an advantage).
• Proven understanding of GIS principles and applications.
• Meticulous attention to detail and consistency in data management and assure data quality.
• Ability to manage multiple competing priorities across a variety of work areas.
• Competent in the use of Microsoft packages such as Excel and Word.
• Demonstrable traits in attention to detail and conscientiousness.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, particularly when explaining numerical data.
• Self-motivated and independent – able to work flexibly with minimal supervision.
• Experience of working in deadline-driven work environments.

Applicants must have the legal right to live and work in the UK.

Desirable skills, knowledge, and experience

• Master's degree in a relevant field (Geographic Information Systems), would be beneficial but not essential.
• Familiarity with coding language such as R, Python or SQL, would be beneficial but not essential.
• Enthusiasm for and knowledge of wildlife conservation issues.
• Experience of analysing quantitative and qualitative data.

Benefits

Company benefits and culture

• 4-day working week (Monday-Thursday)
• Remote and flexible working
• Travel to meetings in England may be required a few times throughout the year, but we encourage the use of public transport, a car is not essential
• 20 days annual leave
• Plus bank holidays, weekday birthdays and additional holiday over the Christmas period
• Annual bonus scheme, up to 20% of your pay
• Company pension contributions
• Company private health and life insurance
• Individual employee development budget for relevant CPD

NatureSpace Partnership is a small (c.70 staff) but busy and rapidly growing company. Being a small organisation, everyone has a big say in what we do and how we do it. We are a forward-thinking company, working to high standards to deliver well-planned and meaningful outcomes. Our agility and size mean that your voice will be heard, and you will have the opportunity to directly see the results of your work.

Work/life balance is important to us. We actively support a flexible working arrangement so that our work fits in with our lives and we’re open to exploring how this role could best work for you.

The successful candidate will join a friendly, close-working team of home-workers as part of a dispersed national team. The role is mainly desk-based and can be based anywhere in the UK (there’s no central office), although occasional travel to meetings in central England will be required. You will be trusted to manage your own workload and work independently, so strong motivation, sound judgement and good self-management will be important.

To deliver better outcomes for nature, people and places, we need a team that brings different perspectives, experiences and ways of thinking to our work. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds with the relevant skills and experience for the role. We’re committed to building an inclusive workplace where everyone can contribute and develop, and we particularly encourage applications from people who are currently under-represented in the environment sector.

As summarised above, we offer a strong benefits package designed to support work/life balance and job satisfaction. Our 4-day working week means full-time team members work Monday to Thursday, with 20 days annual leave (which equates to 5-weeks off per year in light of the 4-day working week), plus bank holidays, weekday birthdays and additional holiday over the Christmas period. Where additional hours are agreed with your line manager, these can be recognised through time off in lieu (TOIL) or overtime pay. Employees also benefit from an annual performance bonus of up to 20% of your pay, company pension contributions, and company private health and life insurance.