Defence Geographer

Job summary

Looking for a career, or to improve and use your existing skills, to make a difference? Then join us at the highly regarded Defence Geographic Centre (DGC). We are looking for people across a variety of roles, from GIS users to collection officers, data provisioners to human geography experts.

We are the primary provider of geospatial intelligence advice and expertise, comprising imagery intelligence, geospatial analysis, geospatial services, foundation data, military mapping and, in partnership with the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) and the Meteorological Office, assured data for safety of navigation. We are a national capability, recognisably operating alongside other national intelligence agencies and is the primary interface between the UK and international geospatial intelligence partners.

DGC supplies geographical information services that enable defence to plan, navigate and operate anywhere in the world. This involves the production and management of geospatial products, from traditional paper maps to digital data provided as web services to customers across UK Defence and the Intelligence and Security community.

We employ many Civil Servants who play a pivotal role in Defence, nationally and internationally, and we are proud to be part of a diverse, forward thinking, broad organisation.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week (unless part time)

Job description

Main Responsibilities:

All roles sit within the Defence Geographer competence framework (see attached).

Collection

• Keep geospatial information up to date.
• Identify and fill gaps using data from international partners and commercial suppliers.

Information Management

• Evaluate, manage and preserve global geospatial information holdings.
• Ensure information meets research, production and distribution needs.

Provisioning

• Lead all activity supporting requests for information.
• Work closely with teams across the organisation.
• Provide accurate, trusted geospatial information to Defence, government departments and international partners.

Human Geography

• Carry out specialist research focused on human geography.
• Produce datasets, reports and related outputs using trusted data sources.

Production

• Create and validate geospatial datasets to agreed standards.
• Deliver products that support user needs, from maps to terrain models that aid understanding and visualisation.

Practical experience in the use of Geospatial Information Systems (GIS) is highly desirable, but training can be given.

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.

Please note: DGC, MOD Feltham is permanently closing and relocating to RAF Wyton, in line with the scheduled site closure, 31 October 2026. Existing DGC MOD Feltham candidates that currently have a permanent duty station at MOD Feltham applying on level transfer or promotion will be entitled to relocation allowances. If the successful candidate is non-mobile, a request must be submitted to the PRIDE2 Change Panel before accepting any provisional offer made.

This position does not come with relocation allowances / support for any non-DGC, MOD Feltham based candidates, or Cross Government candidates or External candidates.

Please be advised that the permanent duty station for this role is RAF Wyton. As part of the PRIDE 2 initiative, MOD Feltham is relocating to RAF Wyton, with the relocation process ongoing until 31 October 2026. All successful candidates are expected to start their positions at RAF Wyton on their agreed start date. For those from DGC MOD Feltham who are successful and eligible for relocation allowances, the business will agree on a start date with you between now and 31 October 2026. However, please note that you must complete your relocation to RAF Wyton by 31 October 2026.

Person specification

Are you curious about the world and passionate about geography? We’re looking for enthusiastic individuals to join our friendly team and provide cartographic support to the UK Armed Forces.

No experience? No problem. We’ll support you every step of the way with a mix of hands-on training, mentoring, and formal courses to help you grow your skills and confidence.

You might be a great fit if you have:

• A background or interest in geography
• Meticulous attention to detail
• A positive attitude with enthusiasm to learn and adapt
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team to meet deadlines
• Excels in team-based environments and communicates clearly and confidently
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (e.g. Excel, Word, Teams).
• Some familiarity with Geospatial Information Systems (but don’t worry if you don’t — we’ll teach you!)

Whether you're just starting out or looking for a fresh challenge, this is a fantastic opportunity to learn, grow, and make a real impact.

Behaviours

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

• Changing and Improving
• Delivering at Pace
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together

Technical skills

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

• Defence Geographer 1: Understanding Foundation GeoINT - Awareness

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £30,740, Ministry of Defence contributes £8,905 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).

We offer a range of excellent benefits including but not limited to the following:
• All successful candidates will be eligible to join the Civil Service Pension Scheme with an average employer contribution of 28.97%.
• 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.
• Complementing our generous annual leave allowance, we also have a flexible working scheme.
• 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.
• Professional Development - We are committed to your continued professional and personal development with learning as one of our core values.
• Health and Wellbeing – for a small fee we offer the staff the use of the exceptional site gymnasium facilities.
• We also offer an excellent range of family-friendly benefits, for example, enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave.
• Special Paid Leave to volunteer up to 6 days a year
• RAF Wyton has free car parking; and other facilities such as a Sports & Social Club, Gym and onsite shop.

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.

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

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

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

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 their experience and skills criteria defined in the Person Specification by way of a personal statement. It will explain how your knowledge, experience and skills are relevant to the purpose and main objectives of the roles identified, and how they have been applied to achieve outcomes. The selection panel will use your Personal Statement to assess your potential suitability for the roles identified in this advert.

All applicants will need to provide a personal statement, of no more than (750) words, including evidence of the essential and desirable criteria requested within the job advert.

At interview, applicants will be sifted against the following Civil Service Behaviours (Level 2 – EO or equivalent) and Technical Skills:

• Changing and Improving
• Delivering at Pace
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Defence Geographer 1: Understanding Foundation GeoINT - Awareness

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

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.

There may be occasions where it is not practicable or appropriate to interview all DCS candidates that meet the minimum criteria for the job. For example, in certain recruitment situations such as a high volume of applications, seasonal demand, or peak periods, the employer may wish to limit the overall number of interviews offered to both DCS and non-DCS applicants.

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into 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.

Cyber & Specialist Operations Command (CSOC) generates and operates specialist capabilities, ready to fight across all domains to make the UK secure at home and strong abroad.

Always on, we are across every UK operation, delivering the capabilities you don’t usually see - or those you can’t.

From cyber warriors and medics to intelligence analysts, special forces, educators, and Defence attachés, our collective expertise delivers the warfighting edge Defence needs to deter threats and secure the nation today and prepare for tomorrow.

CSOC unites Defence’s cyber and specialist capabilities under a single, military command alongside the Royal Navy, British Army, and the Royal Air Force - acting as the UK’s fourth Military Command. For more information, please see here.’

Cyber and Specialist Operations Command (CSOC) is going through a significant transformation programme which aims to design the way in which the new Military Command conducts its business and delivers for Defence and the nation. As a consequence of this, posts within CSOC are/or may become 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.

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 (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).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 (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window).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 theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) 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

Job contact :

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

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.

Attachments

Defence Geography Competence Framework 2019 (1) Opens in new window (pdf, 3394kB)NCGI Candidate Information Pack DGC Opens in new window (pdf, 441kB)Defence Civil Service Offer Opens in new window (pdf, 1562kB)Defence Internal Brief notice Opens in new window (docx, 43kB)