GIS/Spatial Analyst - Researcher
This is a Permanent, Full Time vacancy that will close in {x} days at {xx:xx} BST.
The Vacancy
This is an exciting opportunity for someone with GIS skills to apply these to critical and policy-relevant environmental and sustainability issues. The successful candidate will be involved in work that aims to characterise the state of ecosystems, and to model benefits flowing from them, with focus on land use change, woodland expansion and water quality.
Main Purpose of Job
This is a GIS and data science role that combines spatial modelling, methodological development, interpretation and visualisation of results, as well as contributions to research proposals, papers and reports.
Key activities include:
Writing code (in R or Python) to carry out spatial and statistical functions, building complex workflows to integrate a range of different data, including remote sensing and ground-based data.
Running and interpreting multiple existing spatial models and maintaining and further developing R−Shiny apps and ArcGIS StoryMaps will also be part of the frequent tasks.
To provide more general technical and analytical support to a range of work areas within the Geoinformatics Group of ICS. The work involves setting up of complex workflows, integrating Google Earth Engine data with other spatial data and with modelling tools, advanced spatial statistics (preferably using R) and geographic information software, manipulation of large spatial data sets, modelling and visualization of results. Supervision will be provided for overall direction of work, with the ideal candidate being able to apply this training and transfer it to different applications and domains.
Initially, this post will be primarily involved with Scottish Government-funded work on land use change modelling, woodland expansion, and ecosystem services modelling and mapping.
Main Duties of Postholder
- Working within the supportive environment of the Geoinformatics team to ensure high quality of research outputs.
- Identifying and implementing solutions to research challenges within wider projects.
- Developing and implementing solutions to create complex workflows and to manipulate and prepare large spatial datasets.
- Developing and implementing automated workflows including spatial models, and developing meta-models for interpretation of run outputs.
- Maintaining, modifying and improving existing R-shiny apps and ArcGIS StoryMaps.
- Parametrizing and validating models and identifying models to be used to tackle specific research challenges.
- Developing reports, papers and datasets for peer-review and stakeholder-relevant publication.
- Preparing presentation-standard maps, and on-line story maps to communicate results.
Person Specification
Education/Experience/Skills
Essential
- M.Sc. in geoinformatics, computational geography or equivalent experience
- Advanced knowledge of R or Python - demonstrable ability to develop and run complex spatial workflows
- Advanced knowledge of data requirements for spatial statistics. Ability to write scripts and run and interpret spatial statistical analyses in R or Python
- 2 years of experience of using Google Earth Engine
- Ability to work in a Linux environment
- Advanced knowledge of manipulation and visualization of spatial data
- Demonstrable ability to prepare presentation-quality maps and web story maps
- Up-to-date familiarity with commercial and open-source GIS and related software
- Experience in managing large numbers of datasets
- Experience of working in teams and contributing to a range of projects
- Experience in contributing to research papers and reports
- Evidence of flexible and adaptable working style
- Good interpersonal skills
Desirable
- A PhD with a strong spatial analysis component
- An interest in environmental sciences
- Experience of working in an interdisciplinary environment
- Effective communication across disciplinary boundaries
- Ability to use skills flexibly and apply them to a range of project areas
- Ability to adapt deliverables to feedback from stakeholders
Our Commitment to Equality and Diversity
We will not consider the use of 3rd party recruitment agencies for the sourcing of candidates for this position.
The James Hutton Institute is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
The James Hutton Institute is a: Stonewall Diversity Champion; Athena SWAN Silver Status Holder; Disability Confident Committed Employer and a Living Wage Employer.
The James Hutton Institute is Happy to Talk Flexible Working.
The Company
The James Hutton Institute combines strengths in crops, soils and land use and environmental research, and makes a major contribution to the understanding of key global issues, such as food, energy and environmental security, and developing and promoting effective technological and management solutions to these.
James Hutton (1726 – 1797) was a leading figure of the Scottish Enlightenment, an eighteenth century golden age of intellectual and scientific achievements centred on Edinburgh. He is internationally regarded as the founder of modern geology and one of the first scientists to describe the Earth as a living system. His thinking on natural selection influenced Charles Darwin in developing his theory of evolution.
Our Values
Documents
Alternatively, please sign in with...
Published
Not PublishedClosing
in X daysClosing
{Closing}