Job Description

About usUniversity College London (UCL) is one of the world's top universities. Based in the heart of London, it is a dynamic, outward-looking institution. At its establishment in 1826, UCL was radical and responsive to the needs of society, and this ethos that excellence should go hand-in-hand with enriching society continues today.This role will be affiliated to the UCL Social Data Institute (SODA), which amplifies UCLs advanced research and teaching in social data and methods. SODA draws strength from the breadth of expertise and interests in the disciplines within the Faculty of Social and Historical Sciences and across UCL, uniquely placing it at the centre of both the practical and ethical challenges that come with the innovative uses of data to understand society, offering a pioneering programme of teaching and partnerships that have particular strengths in data science, visualisation and storytelling.The successful candidate will be based in UCL Department of Geography, which is a world-leading department, with a heritage of excellence in research across a broad range of research themes. The appointee will be a member of the Geospatial Analytics and Computing (GSAC) Group within the Department, which researches and develops best practice through assembling, linking, visualising and analysing diverse data sources, cognisant of relevant underpinning technologies and social processes; and developing substantive research applications in social and spatial mobility, housing market analysis, demography, disaster recovery, urban design, retailing and health.About the roleThis 2-year position is jointly funded by Esri UK and UCL Social Data Institute (SODA).Esri UK is committed to making a positive difference to our society and environment. With millions of users globally, they empower people to ask and answer their own questions through the application of spatial data science. Esri UK has an active Education Programme across schools and Higher Education. It is keen to expand on this by working with UCL to promote greater awareness and application of geospatial data science to benefit society.Working with researchers at UCL this post will aim to find projects that will benefit from a spatial approach and help researchers to use spatial data science in their own research domains. By creating a spatially literate world we can create a better place to live.We are seeking a highly motivated individual with a PhD/equivalent experience in geographic information science or a closely allied discipline and experience of developing and publishing research applications.Main purpose of the role
This is new role has been created to enable a greater use of geospatial data and technologies within UCLs research and impact activities and is an exciting opportunity to partner with UCL academics and Esri (UK). As Britain's single largest pool of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) expertise, Esri (UK) provides training, support and skills to a huge variety of commercial organisations as well as local and national government.The objective for this role is to lift UCLs foundational research to new levels, with a view to and to enhancing opportunities for connecting with industry, policy and civil society sectors. UCL and Esri (UK) are also ambitious to link the research into more senior level support and horizon scanning activities.Example projects might include using GIS platforms (not exclusively from Esri) to help collect data and to help communicate results to stakeholders. They may also include garnering partnerships with local and central government who may be users of GIS, but may wish to benefit from UCL academics insights and data. Or it may be more speculative and ambitious work looking to mobilise geospatial data in the hope of gaining additional funding and resources.You will work with your management to define a portfolio of responsibilities, a mixture of service delivery, research, and innovation appropriate to your level of seniority.This is a full time, fixed term post with funding available to 31 March 2027. The appointment is available to start as soon as possible.This role meets the eligibility requirements for a skilled worker certificate of sponsorship or a global talent visa under UK Visas and Immigration legislation. Therefore, UCL welcomes applications from international applicants who require a visa.This appointment is subject to UCL Terms and Conditions of Service for Research and Professional Services Staff. Please visit for more information.Further details of the department are at Informal enquiries may be made to Prof. James Cheshire ( ).If you need reasonable adjustments or a more accessible format to apply for this job online or have any queries about the application process, please contact the departments research administration team:About youThe successful candidate will have a PhD Degree in computer science, data science / AI, geographic information science, or allied discipline with a strong geospatial component, with awareness of quantitative methods and social science datasets OR equivalent professional expertise appropriate to the role.Substantial experience working either at post-doctoral level in relevant research areas such as but not limited to - geospatial analysis, data visualisation, web mapping, geographic information science (in which case, appropriate academic publications should be demonstrated) or respective consulting or analytic capacities within the geospatial industry (in which case, leadership of reports and/or substantial projects should be demonstrated) is also essential, along with the ability to define new research challenges and make substantial contributions to research funding proposals.We are also seeking someone with:

• Experience of the core tools of spatial data science and analytics, in a programmatic framework such as R or Python.
• Experience using GIS software such as ArcGIS Pro or QGIS
• Experience using geospatial toolstacks to extract, transfer and load data across platforms such as ArcGIS Online, CARTO and/or Mapbox.

Please see the full job description and person specification at the bottom of this page full more information.What we offerAs well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits some of which are below:

• 41 Days holiday (27 days annual leave plus 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days)
• Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan
• On-Site nursery
• On-site gym
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
• Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service
• Discounted medical insurance

Visit to find out more.Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and InclusionAs Londons Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the worlds talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCLs workforce. These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.The Department is committed to the values of equality, diversity and inclusion and we have an active Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, and networks for BME, LGBTQ, and disabled/neurodiverse staff and students. The Department recognises the importance of family-friendly working and we try, as far as possible, to organise meetings and events with staff responsibilities as parents and carers in mind. In 2022, the Department was awarded an Athena SWAN Silver award in recognition of our advancement of gender equality: representation, progression, and success. Above all the Department aims to be a supportive environment for both its staff and students. More information can be found here:Available documents

University College London