The UK Hydrographic Office is a leading centre for hydrography, providing marine geospatial data to inform maritime decisions. We work with a wide range of data suppliers and partners to support maritime navigation, safety.
The Operations Division is made up of four key areas of activity that collectively provide the stewardship, governance, management, analysis and manipulation of our Marine data assets in a Marine Spatial Data Infrastructure, to support our evolution as a Marine Geospatial Information Agency and enable the provision of products and services to meet the needs of our core SOLAS, Defence and new business markets.
The Customer Division represents the external facing activities of the organisation, providing engagement with and delivery to our markets and Customers. The Division’s work is varied and includes determining and producing products and services, championing our brand and developing external marketing communications, building key strategic relationships and supporting our partners.
These roles are being advertised as development roles, where successful candidates will undertake a comprehensive training and development programme that will see them working across teams within their allocated functional “Group(s)”. Confirmation of substantive promotion to the B3/EO grade will be evidence based and subject to approval by a review panel. For new entrants it is anticipated that this will be undertaken over a 2-year period, with Temporary Promotion to the B3/EO grade likely after 12 to 18 months, dependent on achieving competency/behaviours milestones.
You will be directly involved in the flowline for the delivery of services or products for customers whose safety at sea relies on the accuracy and timeliness of the information the UK Hydrographic Office provides. Within these roles, and as you progress, you will develop a number of these analytical and geospatial skills:
- Geospatial Data Analysis & Manipulation
- Geospatial Data Management
- Geospatial Data Standards and Quality
- Cartography and Interactive mapping
- Geospatial Tools, Software and systems
You will have the opportunity, in whichever teams you are assigned to, to work alongside and learn from subject matter experts in fields such as geospatial data management, GIS, hydrography, cartography, oceanography and navigation. You will also have the experience of working in a modern, flexible and supportive working environment with great benefits, alongside colleagues who are passionate about what we deliver for our customers.
Please note, we are planning on cohort starts in May and then September/October – numbers on each will be dependent on business need.
Job description
Following introductory training, you will be deployed into either:
- An Operations Team, to support the analysis of marine geospatial data and the generation of products from GIS databases. Or:
- A Production Team, to support the delivery of navigational and situational products and services to the Mariner.
You will work within a team of approximately 10 – 12 staff of differing levels of experience and will be mentored on the job. GIS and other bespoke software and databases are used in all roles, so you will build hands-on, practical experience.
Day-to-day activities include database management, using GIS based production systems to complete rules-based editing of UKHO geospatial products, data sourcing, data capture and distribution and quality checking. Other tasks may include managing and maintaining records, archival research and job preparation.
As you progress to B3/EO level, and depending on your team, examples of tasks are as follows:
For Geospatial Information Specialists:
- Interpret and assess a full range of incoming analogue and digital data against product masters, databases and services and recommend subsequent actions.
- Assess impact of complex source data on databases and update accordingly.
- Update and deconflict data in databases from new and historical sources.
- Produce ENCs as a result of changes to the database.
- Compile Submarine bathymetric ENCs.
- Maintain authoritative, feature specific master data layers to enable the business transition to a Marine Geospatial Information Agency.
For Geospatial Product Specialists:
- Compile New Charts, New Edition, UNEs, Refresh SNCs as required
- Produce Third Party specifications
- Verify Third Party Support for simple and medium complexity charts
- Undertake V1 level verification of simple and medium complexity charts
- Complete Operations Workflow Portal (OWP) action steps for Notice to Mariner Updates
- Approve Notice to Mariners text, Blocks and Tracings. Approve Raster Base updates. Undertake Product Consistency Check
- Produce specialist analogue and digital products in support of RN deployments.
Responsibilities
On joining, the purpose of the role is to support the acquisition, analysis and management of hydrographic and marine information and subsequent processing into navigational products and services.
On progression, the purpose of the role is to contribute to key commercial and defence outputs through:
- The interpretation and assessment of incoming data for impact on UKHO products and services.
- The analysis of marine geospatial data, the maintenance of databases and the generation of products from such databases.
- The compilation and updating of Standard Nautical Charts and Thematic Charts in accordance with the Chart Production Plan, to specified quality and timeliness measures.
- The maintenance of products through verification and rework of all Notice to Mariners to meet our SOLAS commitments.
- The analysis of datasets and production of geospatial products and to meet MOD requirements.
Specific Technical/Functional Skills and Experience
- Good IT skills with experience of learning and applying new, non-MS software packages
- Good attention to detail
- Experience of analysing or manipulating data
- An understanding/awareness of the uses of geospatial information and Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
- Basic knowledge of the UKHO and our navigational products and services Behaviours
Application deadline: Sunday February 21, 2021
Salary: £20,171 rising to £26,737 on completion of competency period
Number of posts: 20
