Job Description

Join us as a GIS Technical Lead and make an invaluable contribution to our Food Safety & Biosecurity!
As a GIS Technical Lead, you will work within the Land Use and Sustainability Team alongside other GIS, remote sensing, and spatial data experts. You will be responsible for working across spatial data disciplines and integrating the teams' workflows and processes with Fera IT to drive efficiency and scaling of the commercial lines. You will take the lead on working directly with Fera IT to implement best practices for internal (servers/individual machines) and external (MS Azure/AWS) workflows to help projects be delivered at scale. These multiple workflows require standardising and streamlining to deliver our projects at scale, and this role will take the lead on guiding other team members through workflow optimisation. Alongside leading on technical optimisation there will be opportunities to work extensively with key government clients, and on early-stage research with our extensive collaborator network, to help us strengthen our research acumen and build future commercial services.
What you'll be doing:

• Lead on working directly with Fera IT to implement robust IT infrastructure for the team. Including streamlining and optimising the way Fera uses Esri Software.
• Provide support to other GIS experts within the team to drive efficiencies and the timely delivery of commercial and scientific research projects.
• Tender for, lead, manage and support GIS/Spatial Data projects for internal and external customers.
• Collaborate with different teams to support integration of geospatial technologies for internal and external customers.
• Develop and maintain GIS databases.
• Create tools to automate routine geospatial workflows.
• Train and mentor team members on geospatial tools and techniques, identify CPD
• requirements for other team members career progression, working directly with the team leader
• Stay updated on geospatial technologies and best practices.

What we're looking for:

• Highly proficient in Esri GIS desktop software: ArcGIS Pro, Field Maps, Survey123
• In depth knowledge of using and administering Esri web technologies; ArcGIS Enterprise, ArcGIS Server, ArcGIS Online, Portal for ArcGIS
• Experience documenting processes and using version control tools.
• Experience with other software, QGIS, FME etc.
• Experience of working in a fast passed spatial data team with multiple projects
• Experience of managing projects and customers, delivering to time and budget
• Knowledge of remote sensing and remote sensing technologies
• Knowledge of drones and how they can be used to support projects
• UK driving licence and the willingness to travel when required, travel requirements minimal

What's in it for you?

• ?25 days' holiday (rising to 29) with the opportunity to buy & sell extra leave.
• Flexible working hours, on-site gym, restaurant, and free parking
• The opportunity to take a paid day out of the office, volunteering for our charity partners or a cause of your choice
• Company matched pension, life assurance, a cycle2work scheme, 15 weeks' fully paid maternity, adoption and shared parental leave, paternity pay of two weeks...and plenty more.
• Voluntary benefits designed to suit your lifestyle - from discounts on retail and socialising, to health & wellbeing, travel and technology
• Fera operates a LTIP ( Long Term Incentive Plan) under which all employees are awarded points towards shares in the Employee Benefits Trust on an annual basis. The Employee Benefits Trust holds shares on behalf of our employee, at the point of an equity event the shares will realise a cash value.

What we hope you'll do next:
Choose 'Apply now' to fill out our short application, so that we can find out more about you. If you have any questions you'd like to ask before applying, you can contact
We're an equal opportunity employer, which means we recruit and develop people based on their merit and passion. We're committed to providing an inclusive, barrier-free recruitment process and working environment for everyone. If you need the job description or application form in an alternative format or if you'd like to discuss other changes or support you might need going forward, please email at and we'll get back to you.
At Fera, we're making the world a better, healthier and safer place. We're a joint venture partnership between Bridgepoint and Defra and we're working proactively to protect the world we live in and the food we eat. Our teams are investigating plant and bee health, crop protection and sustainable agriculture. Join us and discover better as you deliver world-class science for the future.

Skills Required