Georeferencing Assistant

Job summary

Exciting new fixed term posts within the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales.

The Royal Commission was established in 1908 and is sponsored by the Welsh Government. As the investigation body and national archive for the historic environment of Wales, it has a lead role in ensuring that Wales’s archaeological, built, and maritime heritage is authoritatively recorded, and seeks to promote the understanding and appreciation of this heritage nationally and internationally. The Commission holds the National Monuments Record of Wales (NMRW) which is the national information resource on the archaeology, architecture, and industrial and maritime history of Wales.

Georeferencing Assistants

Working in close collaboration with the Royal Commissions’ Mapping Officer and Research Manager, these two posts will be critical in georeferencing a substantial collection of previously digitised historic maps. The successful candidates will make a significant contribution to an ongoing project that aims to expand public access to Wales’s historical mapping. The roles will also support future vectorisation work.

Salary £27,303 to £29,292 per annum (plus benefits)

37 hours per week

For an informal discussion about this role please contact Jon Dollery, Mapping Officer on 01970 621212 or email jon.dollery@rcahmw.gov.uk

Job description

Job purpose and significance of role:

Over recent years, the Royal Commission has played a leading role in making historical maps visible and accessible online. A key element of this work involves a detailed georeferencing process, which supports future initiatives such as the vectorisation of historical maps. For an example of this work, please refer to the Deep Mapping Estate Archives project and associated web resources.

This post will be critical in georeferencing a substantial collection of previously digitised historic maps. The georeferencing technique developed by the Royal Commission ensures a high degree of positional accuracy and alignment with modern vector datasets. These maps, having not been widely available in digital form, will be newly accessible to the general public and the people of Wales.

The successful candidate will make a significant contribution to an ongoing project that aims to expand public access to Wales’s historical mapping. The role will also support future vectorisation work, with the maps made available online through ArcGIS Online (AGOL). This opportunity would particularly suit a recent graduate seeking to gain practical experience in geospatial technologies and historical mapping before progressing to the next stage of their career.

The role will involve close collaboration with the Mapping Officer and Research Manager at the Royal Commission.

Key work areas and tasks

The post holder will be responsible for georeferencing nineteenth century Ordnance Survey maps to make them available for public use. This will involve working closely with other members of the project team and Royal Commission core staff. Key tasks will include:

1. Georeferencing historical maps to a high standard. Training will be given in this process.
2. Working with the Project team to promote the project resources via social media and blogs.
3. Attending project meetings internally and externally
4. Preparing material for project presentations.

Person specification

The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate how they meet the following criteria:

Nationality

Essential criteria

Be permitted to work in the UK by being a UK National, a British Protected Person, an Irish or Commonwealth citizen, or a citizen of the EEA (European Economic Area).

Qualifications/Level of Education

Essential criteria

Have a degree in a relevant subject such as geography, remote sensing, heritage, history, archaeology, or an equivalent professional qualification in a relevant area or equivalent relevant experience.

Experience

Essential criteria

Experience of working with GIS software (ArcPro, QGIS, MapInfo) and geospatial data.

Experience of georeferencing

Desirable criteria

Experience of working with historical maps

Experience of working with web map platforms (AGOL)

Knowledge and Skills

Essential criteria

Have a good understanding of geospatial data, the importance of spatial accuracy and be comfortable with a repetitive task.

Be comfortable maintaining a work log of progress using Excel to provide updated figures to the project team and experience of using SharePoint and other commonly used software applications.

Desirable criteria

Show an interest in the history, heritage and landscape of Wales

Working Language

Essential criteria

Have Welsh language skills to level 1 on the Commission’s Welsh Skills Assessment Framework*.

Desirable criteria

Willingness to improve Welsh competency to at least level 2

Understanding and Personal Qualities

Essential criteria

Be comfortable working in a small project team

Other

Essential criteria

Agree to, and have a satisfactory, Disclosure and Barring Service check appropriate to the post.

*More information on Welsh language levels can be found at:

https://rcahmw.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Welsh-Skills-Assessment-Framework.doc

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £27,303, Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales contributes £7,909 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

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

Selection will be made by application form, and interview for shortlisted candidates.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

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.

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

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).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 : Jon Dollery
• Email : jon.dollery@rcahmw.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : helen.pugsley@rcahmw.gov.uk

Further information

https://rcahmw.gov.uk/

Attachments

FINAL GEOREFERENCING ASSISTANT JD Opens in new window (pdf, 404kB)Cynorthwyydd Geocyfeirnodi TERFYNOL Opens in new window (pdf, 406kB)Application form Opens in new window (docx, 112kB)Ffurflen Gais Opens in new window (docx, 133kB)