Job Description

Details

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Reference number

411983

Salary

36,530
A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
GBP

Job grade

Higher Executive Officer

Contract type

Permanent

Business area

MOD - Strategic Command - DI > NCGI

Type of role

Geography

Working pattern

Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time, Compressed hours

Number of jobs available

1

Contents

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Location About the job Benefits Things you need to know Apply and further information

Location

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Wyton, Feltham

About the job

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Job summary

The Defence Geographic Centre (DGC) is a unit within National Centre for Geospatial Intelligence (NCGI). DGC delivers GEOINT, Geospatial information, services and liaison to Defence, including deployed forces, and to other government departments and international partners, underpinning strategic to tactical level decision-making and action.

Would you like an interesting and responsible role?

As the lead for geographical names (geonames) and boundaries at Defence Geographic Centre (DGC), you will lead a team of up to 3 staff responsible for providing the geonames and boundary alignments for use on official products used by Defence. You will be responsible for the quality and accuracy of the research, advice and development of specialist source data products in accordance with UK Government policies provided by the section to support DGC production and wider Defence requirements. The Geographical Names and Boundaries Section (GNBS) will conduct research into the most appropriate sources (maps, documents, digital datasets, online geoportals, imagery etc) to use for geonames with location and international boundaries with alignment, and extract/collect data to update the datasets or advise customers. Key outputs are the Global International Boundaries Dataset (GIBD), ideally updated annually, and the MOD Gazetteer. The MOD Gazetteer is a database of geonames that conflates several other geonames datasets, with amendments where necessary to reflect UK government policy on geonames, essential for newly developed online data services. The primary functions of this post are to maintain and support the development of MOD Gazetteer and GIBD, supervise and support the research work carried out by the staff, and develop research skills. You would liaise with technical experts in NCGI to ensure that the data in the MOD Gazetteer and GIBD are used properly through the interfaces these teams develop and maintain.


Where appropriate the team of Subject Matter Experts are engaged as part of foundation production and finishing workflows where a deep specialist contribution is required.


The role requires close liaison and collaboration with other Subject Matter Experts in the Permanent Committee on Geographical Names (PCGN), the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the US National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA).


This role is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

Main Responsibilities:

Geonames Research:

Organise team resources to provide geonames advice required to support DGC map and data production. Keep a watching brief on geopolitical developments and anticipate future production requirements. Task research when needed to identify appropriate sources that will meet the policy for the areas covered, providing guidance on their use. Where no suitable source is readily available that meets the policy, investigate the feasibility of generating a suitable source. Produce country research papers (Geonames Research Files) to record the results of research into how to implement policy using the sources available. Liaise with PCGN over policy and assist them with sources or technical support, when required, to develop policy. Requires well developed source discovery, research and analysis skills. Requires experience of using GIS, particularly Esri ArcGIS software and other tools, and online search and discovery techniques.

MOD Gazetteer:

Maintenance of the MOD Gazetteer is the responsibility of GNBS Lead, providing an exciting opportunity to develop it for use within Defence. This requires large dataset management skills and solid knowledge of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) techniques, particularly Esri ArcGIS Pro and ideally QGIS. Good collaboration with technical experts in NGCI is required to make the data available through geospatial interfaces.

Boundaries Research:

Organise team resources to provide boundaries advice required to support DGC map and data production. Keep a watching brief on geopolitical developments and task boundary studies as necessary, to understand the nature of a dispute. Liaise with FCDO and US colleagues over policy and sources. Where improved sources allow a more accurate boundary alignment to be determined, task the production of a revised boundary vector.

Global International Boundaries Dataset

Organise the annual production of the Global International Boundaries Dataset to collate all the most up to date boundary vectors, polygons and documents into one product for use across Defence. Ensure the schema meets data standards, data attributes are checked and updated, and all geonames are correctly depicted in accordance with policy.

Develop Geo Research Expertise:

Coordinate research, production and metadata preparation tasks to ensure skills and subject matter expertise are developed and maintained. Plan, design and provide geonames and boundaries research training to wider DGC/NCGI as required. Engage with PCGN and US colleagues in NGA to develop skills and contribute to the regular US/UK geonames conference.


This post has line management responsibilities for 3 staff.


Travel to MOD Feltham will be required.

For external candidates this role will be based at RAF Wyton.

For candidates who are currently employed at MOD Feltham, the role could be located temporarily at Feltham before permanently relocating to RAF Wyton in line with the scheduled site closure. MOD Feltham based staff may be eligible for a relocation package when the post relocates to RAF Wyton subject to MOD policy. This role will be permanently based at RAF Wyton from Autumn 2025. Should the successful candidate take up at the appointment at RAF Wyton, there will also be a requirement for detached duty between sites until the permanent closure of MOD Feltham.

In Defence Intelligence (DI) our people solve problems, create understanding and give perspective to the diverse and complex Defence threats and challenges in a rapidly changing world. Together our civilians and military personnel inform decision making in Defence, manage complex finance programmes and develop new technology.



In DI we believe your unique experiences, view and understanding of the world could provide a vital perspective and contribution to our work. We recognise that great minds do not think alike and are striving to increase our diversity representation at all levels. As an equal opportunities employer we hire, train and promote people based on merit and inspire to create an inclusive workplace free of discrimination. We also offer flexible working arrangements such as flexi-time, job share and compressed hours.



All jobs advertised in DI are subject to fair and open competition.

Person specification

Essential criteria:

Excellent IT skills, including use of GIS (especially ArcPro), manipulation and maintenance of large datasets and use of MS Excel. Good research and evaluation skills, search for and find relevant sources and supporting material (eg documents, maps, data, imagery) and advise on their use, and to identify and mitigate against information deficiencies. Good communication and collaboration skills to work with a range of customers, technical experts in NCGI and Partners Across Government. Produce clear documentation to customers and record knowledge gained for future users.

Desirable criteria:

Interest in geography, cartography and geopolitics. Ability to read other languages and identify characters in non-Roman scripts.

Desirable Qualifications:

Chartered Geographer Register for Cross-Government Geography Profession

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:


Working Together

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:


DG.4 Conducting Geospatial Research -Senior Practitioner DG 1 Understanding Foundation GEOINT- Practitioner

Benefits

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Alongside your salary of 36,530, Ministry of Defence contributes 10,582 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
We offer a range of excellent benefits including but not limited to the following:

o All successful candidates will be eligible to join the Civil Service Pension Scheme with an average employer contribution of 28%.

o Leave entitlement - 25-day annual leave allowance per year increasing by 1 day per year (maximum 30 days per year). In addition, 8 statutory Bank Holidays and 1 privilege day per year.

o Complementing our generous annual leave allowance, we also have a flexible working scheme.

o Additional working pattern options - we have a strong culture of flexible working and encourage all employees to have a healthy work/life balance. We offer a wide range of potential working patterns, including part time, job share and compressed hours. These need to be balanced with business needs so they will vary from job to job. If you would like to know more, please speak to the Recruiting Line Manager.

o Professional Development - We are committed to your continued professional and personal development with learning as one of our core values.

o Health and Wellbeing - for a small fee we offer the staff the use of the exceptional site gymnasium facilities.

o We also offer an excellent range of family-friendly benefits, for example, enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave.

o Special Paid Leave to volunteer up to 6 days a year

o RAF Wyton has free car parking; and other facilities such as a Sports & Social Club, Gym and onsite shop.


Discover My Benefits


Please follow the link to visit the Discover My Benefits site which showcases the benefits and discounts offered when working as a civilian for the MOD.


https://discovermybenefits.mod.gov.uk/civilian/


The post does not offer relocation expenses.


External recruits who join the MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all office-based employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to capacity and any required workplace adjustments. Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or work in another MOD office, will also count towards this level of attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details). Defence Business Services cannot respond to any questions about working arrangements.


Please Note: Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed.



Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.


Any move to MOD from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.


The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment however some exemptions are in place, please refer to local guidance. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.


MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey - We may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Policy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.

Things you need to know

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Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.
Applicants should apply for this role online, via the website.


Assessment at sift and interview will be based on meeting any defined skill/qualification requirements along with a Success Profile element assessment, as detailed in the job advert. The Success Profile elements to be assessed will be outlined within the job advert. The Civil Service Success Profile Framework is available here:


https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles


At

sift,

applicants will be sifted against the following:

Experience:

Candidates will also be sifted against the following experience criteria:


All applicants will need to provide a personal statement, of no more than 500 words, including evidence of the essential and desirable criteria requested within the job advert.


The CV will be used to assess previous experience in geospatial work, working with others, use of GIS and databases, and involvement in research projects. The personal statement will be used to assess how you have gone about research activity, including evidence of the essential and desirable criteria requested within the job advert, where possible.


When completing your personal statement, please read and understand the requirements described in the Person Specification section thoroughly, as this is what your written evidence will be assessed against.


Your layout is entirely your preference; you may choose narrative, bullets, etc. You may choose to address each criteria separately or have examples that cover and evidence several criteria. Please ensure you evidence the requirements and what you have done that relates to the requirements. You don't have to explain the whole process, focus on what you have done and the skills and experience you have used. Share with us what makes you suited to this role and why, what you can do and the technical and behavioural skills you have that correspond to the requirements, and life experience or passion you have that are linked to this role.


At

interview

, applicants will be sifted against the following Civil Service Behaviour, Technical skills and Experience:

Behaviour:

Working Together

Technical skills:

DG.4 Conducting Geospatial Research -Senior Practitioner


DG 1 Understanding Foundation GEOINT- Practitioner


At interview candidates will be required to give a presentation lasting no more than 10 minutes on the importance of geographical names and boundaries information on geospatial products, and where the information should come from. This presentation will used to assess against Geospatial Analyst Competence Framework competence DG.1 Understanding Foundation GEOINT and communicating in a clear and concise manner.

Experience:

You will be assessed for DG6.4 Processing Foundation GEOINT (Practitioner) which will include elements of DG9.3 Databases (Awareness) and DG3.3 Integrity (Awareness).


Please see the selection criteria document for more information.


Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be helpful in generating ideas, improving writing style, and increasing efficiency. However, it is essential that any content submitted as part of a job application is truthful, accurate, and a genuine reflection of the applicant's qualifications and experiences. Any use of AI should be supplementary to your own knowledge and abilities. Ultimately, the application should demonstrate your unique skills and suitability for the role. Whilst technology may help to enhance your written submission, presenting the ideas of others or those generated by technology, could result in your application being rejected.


A CV will be required for this position, this cannot be uploaded to the advert. You will submit using the CV template provided on the CS Jobs dashboard in part two of your application, detailing job history, previous experience, and skills.


We would generally expect Behaviour examples to follow the STAR structure and encourage candidates to use this throughout their application.


Application/Interview Scoring System


NCGI adopts a scoring system of 1-7 for Behaviours, Technical skills, and Experience.


7- The evidence provided wholly exceeds expectation at this level


6 - Substantial positive evidence; includes some evidence of exceeding expectations at this level


5 - Substantial positive evidence of the competency or behaviour


4 - Adequate positive evidence and any negative evidence would not cause concern


3 - Moderate positive evidence but some negative evidence demonstrated


2 - Limited positive evidence and/or mainly negative evidence demonstrated


1 - No positive evidence and/or substantial negative evidence demonstrated


The sift should take place within two weeks of the job closing and candidates will be informed of the results, at all stages, via the website. Interview dates are to be confirmed.


Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.




If the successful candidate does not hold the necessary clearances, they will be made a provisional job offer and asked to undergo our vetting procedures. Once the relevant clearances have been obtained a formal job offer will be made and start dates can be discussed. Should the candidate fail to obtain the relevant clearances the provisional job offer will be rescinded. It should be noted that this process can take several months.

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

for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.


Strategic Command is going through a significant transformation programme which aims to improve the way the Command conducts its business and delivers for Defence and the nation. As a consequence of this, all posts within Strategic Command Headquarters and in time the wider organisation, are/will be subject to review and potential changes as we continuously improve across the period of the transformation programme. These changes may be minor or could be more substantive and will generate new opportunities. Throughout, the Command's transformation programme is committed to following the MOD's framework on managing and supporting people through the change process and places an emphasis on early and open consultation and engagement with the Command's personnel and Trade Unions.


The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact: DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk .


As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came in to effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points based system.


Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.


The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigations can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.


The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out



Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting .



See our vetting charter .
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK nationals only.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.



We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles .
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .

Apply and further information

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This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

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Job contact :

Name : NCGI Recruitment Email : UKStratCom-DI-NCGI-Recruitment@mod.gov.uk
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Recruitment team

Email : DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk

Further information

Please ensure you read the attached candidate information document prior to completing your application. If you are dissatisfied with the service you have received from DBS, or believe that DBS has failed to follow the recruitment process in line with the Civil Service Commission principles of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of Fair and Open competition, you can raise a formal complaint by writing to DBS at the following address: Defence Business Services, Scanning Hub, Room 6124, Tomlinson House, Norcross Lane, Blackpool, FY5 3WP. If after raising your complaint with DBS you remain dissatisfied you can complain directly to the Civil Service Commission at the following address: Civil Service commission, Room G/8, 1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ Or by email: info@csc.gov.uk.