GIS Manager

Job summary

The Forestry England IT Team provide systems, services and capabilities to over 2000 staff, across a broad range of business functions. The team consists of highly-skilled IT professionals, with the GIS Team (part of Applications and Solutions) providing expert knowledge to the wider organisation in fulfilling their IT ambitions.

This is a hands-on role responsible for:

• Supporting the business as GIS Subject matter expert.
• Managing and leading the GIS Team.
• Managing Forestry GIS Application service
• Management of Solution Design / Product Roadmap
• Management of datasets and layers within the GIS Platform.
• 3rd Line GIS Support You will champion maximising use and adoption of existing and emerging technologies.

Help us foster a culture of innovation, bridging the gap between technical teams and business stakeholders. You will identify insights on emerging technology trends and lead experiments to evaluate the feasibility and potential impact of integration, automation, and technologies for our business.

Job description

Key responsibilities & accountabilities

• Key work area 1: Managing and leading the GIS Team, establishing resource requirements, develop product Roadmap to embrace improvements from our system supplier (Esri). Understanding of existing Applications, Datasets, Layers, and their relevance to the organisation.

• Key work area 2: Managing and supporting colleagues within your area, the IT Team, and from wider business to help deliver a valued data platform across the organisation, with a focus on improving and tailoring end-user application functionality within core productivity systems and applications to meet specific business needs.

• Key work area 3: Guiding and advising other areas of the Forestry Commission with their planning, development, implementation and delivery of IT systems and services specific to their requirements. Managing implementation from an IT perspective to enable successful delivery of new systems either in house developed or externally procured.

• Key work area 4: Playing an active role concerning incident response, disaster recovery and Business Continuity efforts.

Person specification

Skills, knowledge & experience

Essential professional and technical experience

• Good experience working with cloud services and infrastructure, in particular: o Esri Products (ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online, Experience Builder, Hub) o Microsoft enterprise technologies (365, Cloud, server, client)
• Application service provision & development, linking of bespoke applications and services; experience of APIs, integration/connector tools/services, scripting tools an advantage.
• Data analysis, experience working with broad and varied datasets, maintaining data stores. Reporting and dashboard tools, SharePoint.
• Knowledge of spatial data structures and formats.
• Managing 3rd party application development.
• Undertake structured analysis of business problems and challenges, translating into technical designs and solutions. Provide technical and financial estimate input into proposal documents. Guiding/advising procurement activities as required.
• Technologies lifecycles standards and delivery best practices, e.g. Agile, SDLC, project management.
• Forge relationships and demonstrate teamwork with colleagues, business functions, IT and non-IT stakeholders, and 3rd parties (suppliers, vendors, partners). Able to work with other Solutions, System, Security, Service Delivery, and Business Partnership colleagues to work to positive outcomes.
• Work with IT colleagues on the resolution of escalated IT technical issues to timely and positive outcomes to required standards.
• Playing an active role within Disaster Recovery and incident response including supporting resolution of IT/Cyber Security incidents.

Desirable professional and technical experience

• Client-side peripherals and devices (Dell, Apple mobile devices).
• Knowledge and Experience in providing solutions across the Esri family of technologies.
• ITIL, ITSM.
• Experience of working with and supporting GIS Users of varying knowledge levels. • Networking technologies.
• Familiarity with HM Government security and assurance frameworks and standards such as GovAssure, Government Functional Standards, SecureByDesign.
• Understanding and experience of data, knowledge and information management principles and concepts.
• Track-record of the ability to influence and guide senior leadership on strategy direction and delivery.
• Ownership of personal development.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £40,388, Forestry Commission contributes £11,700 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

We cannot accept applications via email. Please follow the steps outlined below. Any CVs and/or personal statements sent outside the system will not be considered for shortlisting.

You will be asked to write a 200 word statement on your relevant experience and career history, along with a personal statement of no more than 500 words. You will be assessed on both during sifting. More details about how to apply are listed on the application form.

The Behaviours being assessed at interview are –

• Changing and Improving
• Seeing the Bigger Picture
• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service

You may also be assessed on Experience, Strength based questions, and/or the Technical Success Profile at the interview. The technical element could include a presentation, practical or written task.

Successful candidates will undergo a criminal record check and the government baseline personnel security standard check.

If you require any reasonable adjustments, please email [email removed].

If you're planning to use AI to support your application, please ensure you've read our guidelines here first.<