Dear Applicant
GIS Services Team Leader – Salary £25,000 to £30,000 per annum
Thank you for your enquiry regarding our advertised vacancy. An application form is enclosed, together with a job description, person specification and other background information about the RSPB. If you have seen this vacancy advertised on our website, please refer to ‘Working for the RSPB’ which contains information about our benefits, and terms and conditions. This document can be downloaded if required.
If you require any further information about this post please contact: Elizabeth Hoffmann (email or telephone 01767 693149).
Please complete the enclosed application form in blue or black ink. Please refer to the person specification when completing the form. Your completed application form should clearly describe how you meet each of the criteria that have been identified as being necessary for this post as this will form the basis for short-listing candidates. If you enclose a CV, it may be referred to for supplementary information, however, please ensure that all the questions asked on the application form are fully answered.
We take all practicable steps to safeguard the safety and welfare of children or vulnerable adults while they are in contact with the RSPB and have a Child Safety and Welfare Policy that supports this. If the post you have applied for involves unsupervised access to children or vulnerable adults further checks will be carried out. We will also confirm your eligibility to work in the UK prior to appointment.
Completed forms should be returned to Elizabeth Hoffmann, Conservation Data Management, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19 2DL.Please check the postage required on your application as incorrect postage may lead to your application being delayed and missing the closing date. If you require an acknowledgement of receipt of your application, please enclose a stamped, addressed envelope. Alternatively, you can email your application to .
The closing date for receipt of completed application forms is 27th March 2015. Interviews will be held on the 8th April 2015.
If you are an external candidate, may we take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in employment with the RSPB. As a charity, we try to keep our administrative costs to a minimum and therefore you will only be contacted if we wish to progress your application. If you have not heard from us within four weeks of the closing date, you should assume that your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion. However, if you are able to supply us with an e-mail address, we will endeavour to advise you if you have not been shortlisted.
We look forward to receiving your application in due course.
ELizabeth Hoffmann
Elizabeth Hoffmann
Conservation Data Management Coordinator
This pack contains all the information you need to apply, including:
Useful Information
Details on our Diversity Policy statement, how we use CVs, shortlisting and employment checks and UK Identification requirements
Applicant letter
Details on how to apply plus closing date and interview date(s)
Job description
A breakdown of the vacancy, including the purpose of the job, requirements, duties and responsibilities
Person specification
A list of criteria that potential candidates should aim to meet
Department information*
Details of the department advertising the post
Application Form
PDF version
Please print out, complete and return to the address on the Applicant letter
Word version
Applicants are encouraged to complete electronically and return by e-mail
* This information will only be provided if it is relevant to this post
Applications from candidates requiring a certificate of sponsorship under the UK points-based immigration system will not be considered if there are suitable candidates who do not require sponsorship. This is because employers need to demonstrate that they are unable to recruit a resident worker, before they can recruit a non-resident worker*.
The resident worker rule does not prevent applicants requiring sponsorship from applying for our vacancies, but such applications should be made on the understanding that they can only be considered subject to the restrictions above.
For further information, please visit the Home Office UK Border Agency website.
*This rule does not apply to those applying for roles that require a bachelor, postgraduate degree or postgraduate certificate in education qualification. It is necessary for the qualification to be an essential requirement for the role and the applicant to prove that they possess such a qualification (or have completed a minimum of 12 months study in the UK towards a UK PhD), which is recognised in the UK.
Useful Information
The RSPB is currently going through a job evaluation review. We just wanted to let you know that all jobs are subject to this review, including our current job vacancies. The results of the job evaluation review and the new payband structure will be implemented across the RSPB later in 2015 and you will be kept fully informed of the outcomes.
Diversity Policy Statement
The RSPB is part of a global network that incorporates a diversity of traditions and cultures, and which represents different inheritances, backgrounds, influences, perspectives and experiences. A better understanding of people’s differences will help us to appreciate and value everyone’s contribution, and recognise that we are all an integral and invaluable part of the Society.
Everyone has the right to be treated with consideration and respect. The Society is committed to achieving a truly inclusive environment for all, by developing better working relationships that release the full potential, creativity and productivity of each individual, and an atmosphere where everyone can learn, work and live free from prejudice, discrimination, harassment and violence.
The Society aims to ensure that all staff, volunteers, partners, clients, contractors, members and the general public are treated fairly. Unless it can be shown to be justified, this will be regardless of sex, sexual orientation, gender re-assignment, marital or civil partnership status, race (including colour, nationality, ethnicity, or national origin), disability, medical status, age, religion or belief, political opinion, social or economic status, or ex-offender status.
Use of Curriculum Vitae (CVs)
Our policy is to recruit and employ our employees on the basis of their suitability for the work to be done. An application form allows us to compare individuals based on like for like information and as such we do not accept a CV unless accompanied by a fully completed application.
Shortlisting
The RSPB is an equal opportunities employer and we are committed to ensuring all applications are treated fairly. Applications are sought only from those eligible to work in the UK in the first instance.
All applications are subject to our shortlisting process where we only assess information provided against the Person Specification. If you are shortlisted we will contact you and invite you to attend an interview. You will also be advised at this point if there will be any skills test, presentations etc.
As a charity, we lack the resources to advise all candidates if their application is unsuccessful. If you do not hear from us within four weeks of the closing date, we will have decided not to take your application any further. However, if you are able to supply us with an e-mail address, we will endeavour to advise you if you have not been shortlisted. If this is the case, please do not be discouraged from re-applying as your skills and experience may be just what we need for our next vacancy. We also have a number of volunteering opportunities across the organisation.
Employment Checks
All offers of employment are made subject to the following criteria:
Proof of eligibility to work in the UK, Proof of Residency, Satisfactory Employment Health Check, Two references satisfactory to the Society and where required a Satisfactory Criminal Records Bureau Check.
/ Job DescriptionJob Title:GIS Services Team Leader
Department:Conservation Data ManagementUnit
Location Of Job: The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire
Post holder reports to:Head of Conservation Data Management Unit (Data Unit)
Reporting To Post holder:GIS Analyst and Assistant GIS Analysts
Overall Purpose Of The Job:Leadership of the Data Unit’s technical systems and services for GIS, keeping pace with new opportunities, encouraging innovation and managing supplier relationships, data licencing and service lifecycle.
Main Duties:
The main duties of the GIS Services Team Leader are:
- To lead the GIS Services Team in providing GIS services within RSPB, managing its team members, continually improving our services and leading technical GIS skill development within the Data Unit so that we develop as a centre of excellence for GIS.
- To provide technical support for Merlin (our web-based in-house GIS) and ArcGIS products, overseeing the day to day administration of ArcGIS for Server, developing and deploying web map services, developing and testing geo-processing scripts using Python, extracting and managing data in held in underlying databases in SQL Server, and providing expert advice on the tools and techniques available for complex spatial analyses.
- To maintain the base maps, geographic datasets and web map services in use in ArcGIS and Merlin, discovering and promoting new datasets of interest that are available externally, and updating the data and services held so that these are fit for purpose, well-documented and available to all users.
- To manage the digital data licences for all externally-supplied geographic data held by the Data Unit, leading on all aspects of data acquisition and licencing, and liaising with external account managers for our accounts with ESRI and Ordnance Survey in particular, so that RSPB staff have access to core geographic information from Ordnance Survey and the Statutory Agencies to underpin all of our work in the UK and beyond.
- To manage the user licences for use of ArcGIS software at RSPB, ensuring that users have the skills to make competent use of ArcGIS through the support and training offered by the Data Unit and ESRI UK.
- To establish, document and support the use of ArcGIS Online, configuring the ArcGIS Online environment and managing the lifecycle of ArcGIS Online applications, introducing new uses and decommissioning those that are no longer required.
- To manage the user support services provided by the Data Unit, overseeing the smooth running of our GIS HelpDesk, ensuring that users of ArcGIS and Merlin at our head quarters, in our regional offices and on our reserves receive a high standard of customer care in response to their requests for GIS advice or analysis. To record and manage all GIS-related requests, incidents or problems in SupportWorks, liaising with colleagues in our Information Systems Department to resolve shared issues.
- To lead the development of ready-to-use apps from ESRI, such as Story Maps, Operations Dashboard and Collector App, so that these are integrated for use with Merlin and mobile devices used to collect conservation information in the field and to underpin interactive mapping and public engagement opportunities on the RSPB’s website.
- To liaise with our ESRI Account Manager and our own Information Systems Department to plan and manage upgrades to the latest version of ESRI software tools, working with developers in our Information Systems Department to plan and manage the upgrading of ESRI products used within Merlin.
Other Duties:
- Be part of the Data Unit’s leadership team, working together to develop our GIS and conservation data management strategies and system roadmaps, continually improving our ways of working and realising the value of GIS for RSPB through aligning our GIS services with business needs.
- To monitor and report customer satisfaction with the systems and services supplied by the Data Unit through an annual questionnaire and review of day to day user feedback, prioritising any matters for attention by Data Unit colleagues or Information Systems’ development team.
- Attendance at Full Team meetings and the reporting of progress and achievements to immediate colleagues and across the Society.
- Other duties as required by the Head of Conservation Data Management.
We expect you to carry out your job responsibilities in an environmentally aware manner, ensuring as little damage to the environment as possible. Our aim is to ensure all resources are utilised effectively and efficiently. You will be expected to apply ‘sound value for money’ principles in undertaking purchasing or supply of goods and services.
In the RSPB volunteers are a major resource and make a vital contribution to the RSPB’s aim to take action for the conservation of wild birds and the environment. You will be expected to encourage, develop and support volunteer involvement in our work.
The RSPB’s Conservation Data Management Unit was established in the early 1990s and is based at the RSPB’s UK Headquarters in Sandy where the surrounding gardens and nature reserve provide a beautiful setting to work in. Our remit is to provide services in GIS, data management and information management to support the RSPB’ conservation activities across the UK. The team lead the development and operation of our in-house GIS called Merlin and over the past decade have developed Merlin to be a hugely successful web-based system supporting all our conservation activities, underpinning RSPB science and data management.
The Data Unit is itself one of six departments within our Conservation Directorate, lead by Ellen Wilson and supported by our Administrator, Liz Hoffmann. It has five core teams and 21 members of staff:
Our GIS Services Team (with 3 FTE staff), to be lead by the successful applicant for this role, focuses on providing technical GIS expertise through delivery of GIS services and user support. In particular, the team administers our web map services and the acquisition, maintenance and licencing of base maps and other geographic data. It also manages and prioritises requests for user support, collaborating with colleagues in the GIS OutreachTeam to fulfil requests for advanced GIS analyses, training and data supply. During 2015, the team is looking to establish the use of ArcGIS Online and use of ESRI’s Collector App to support the use of mobile GIS. It will also work closely with our Digital Web Team to establish the use of interactive mapping on our public website to engage more people with conservation.
Our GIS Outreach Team (with 5 FTE staff), lead by Colin Campbell, focuses on delivering GIS training and GIS consultancy, embedding and developing the skills and uses of GIS by users of Merlin and ArcGIS across RSPB. During 2015, the team is leading a major rollout of new functionality in Merlin, establishing its use on all our reserves and in all our offices. With over 200 reserves and 10 regional offices, coordinating the development of training materials, course bookings and outreach visits, it is a very busy team! The team is also migrating data into Merlin as they go so that some old systems can be decommissioned. It is a case of all hands on deck (staff in all five core teams are involved) for 2015 to complete the roll out and transform our systems and ways of working to realise the full benefit of our in-house GIS.
Our Data and System Management Team (with 6 FTE staff), lead by Will George, focuses on managing our conservation data in Merlin, overseeing both the data management involved and the day to day system management for Merlin itself. The team is also closely involved in the redevelopment of Merlin during 2015 and onwards, working with Developers in our Information Systems Department to design and build new functionality in Merlin. This team in particular has a strong interest and expertise in species recording (it leads our involvement with the National Biodiversity Network) and the way in which GIS can make information available through GIS and reporting tools to best inform conservation decision making.
Our Reserves Information Team (with 3FTE staff), lead by Steve Blain, focuses on supporting the spatial information we hold on reserves including our land holdings, the built assets on our estate, risk-related information (such as asbestos and tree safety inspection details), and ecological management plans and associated species and habitats datasets. The team is closely involved in introducing a new Property Management System (called Horizon) during 2015 to support the work of the land agents managing the RSPB’s estate. The team is also closely involved in developing a new site management system in Merlin which will go live across our reserves in early 2016.
Our Information Management Team (with 1.6 FTE staff), lead by Martin Kidds, focuses on improving the way we manage the documents and images associated with our conservation projects and datasets. Over the last three years the small team has worked with colleagues in our Information Systems Department to establish the use of SharePoint workspaces and their integration with Merlin. The team is closely involved in developing new workspaces to support the use of Merlin for reserve management purposes in 2015. It also provides considerable support to our Conservation Science and Conservation Policy departments and many other teams across RSPB, improving information management tools and ways of working.
Person Specification / Job Title: GIS Services Team LeaderRegion /Dept: Conservation Data Management Unit
How criteria will be tested : A = Application Form, T = Test, I = Interview, P = Personality test, O = Other
Essential / Desirable
Qualifications / A / T / I / P / O / Qualifications / A / T / I / P / O
1 / Masters degree in GIS, geography, conservation or similar. / y
Experience / Experience
2 / Experience of using ArcGIS products, geo-databases and online services to create, manage, analyse and present geographic information / y / y / y / a / Experience of day to day system and server administration to support use of web map services and ArcGIS Online. / y / y
3 / Experience of developing geo-processing and data extraction scripts in Python and SQL. / y / y / y / b / Experience of configuring and using GPS devices and mobile data collection applications such as ESRI’s Collector App. / y / y
4 / Experience of supporting the use of GIS and providing customer care and technical support for both novice and expert GIS users. / y / y / c / Experience of using SupportWorks (or similar) to log and manage requests for support. / y / y
Skills/Abilities / Skills/Abilities
5 / Able to use ArcGIS for Desktop and Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and formulae with a high level of expertise. / y / y / d / Able to discover and learn new GIS tools and approaches to support innovation and knowledge transfer to others. / y / y
6 / Excellent problem-solving, design, development and de-bugging skills. / y / y / y / e / Able to provide leadership to a small team of GIS experts and to the wider organisation to develop our excellence in GIS. / y / y
8 / A flair for presenting spatial information in a very clear and engaging way. / y / f / Able to support the use, processing and interpretation of satellite and aerial imagery. / y / y
9 / Able to manage licences and geographic data methodically, ensuring compliance with licencing requirements and good practice. / y / y / g / Able to network with other GI professionals, building contacts and opportunities for working in partnership. / y / y
Knowledge / Knowledge
10 / Knowledge of Open Data principles, initiatives and datasets. / y / y / h / Knowledge of the licencing, pricing and hosting of digital datasets available from suppliers such as Ordnance Survey. / y / y
11 / Knowledge of ready-to-use ESRI tools such as ArcGIS Online, Operations Dashboard, ESRI Maps for Office, Web App Builder for ArcGIS and Story Maps, or equivalents. / y / y / y / i / Knowledge of web mapping and its administration (for example, using ArcGIS for Server). / y / y
12 / Knowledge of relational databases such as SQL Server and the principles of good database design. / y / y / j / Knowledge of current conservation issues. / y / y
Behaviours/Circumstances / Behaviours/Circumstances
13 / Friendly, approachable, positive thinker and team player. / y / k / Interested in wildlife, conservation and environmental matters. / y / y
14 / Able to be based at our UK Headquarters in Sandy, Bedfordshire / y / l / Keen attention to detail and the drive to resolve any issues encountered. / y / y