Senior Hydrographic Specialist

Summary

The Bathymetric Team sits within the wider Scientific Analysis Group. The team is made up of specialists with different levels of experience, including team members who have “grown” as specialists whilst at the UKHO.

The team has four key areas of responsibility:

• Verification of all bathymetric data (including multibeam and Lidar) received by the UKHO for use in a wide range of UKHO products and services.
• Planning and delivery or oversight of bathymetric surveys as part of overseas marine capability building programmes.
• Providing Subject Matter Expertise (SME) support, training and consultancy to external organisations.
• Development of new initiatives within bathymetry data collection and processing.

The remit of the team is evolving, and we are building our capability to support current and emerging requirements for hydrographic and bathymetric expertise at the UK Hydrographic Office. To this end, whilst Senior Hydrographic Specialists will primarily focus on the first area listed above, they will also have the opportunity to undertake the other activities described, and emerging activities, dependent on business need.

As part of the team’s role in building the UKHO’s hydrographic capability, we are keen to support the continuing professional development of our specialists in this discipline. This will vary depending on individual and team need but could include training and opportunities to support advancement through the Hydrographic Professional Accreditation Scheme (HPAS) as well as through the UKHO Career Level Framework, which can lead to towards affiliation with IMarEST.

Job description

 

Verification:

The UKHO receives large but fluctuating quantities of bathymetric data throughout the year. It is important that the quality of this data is verified before it is incorporated into Caris BathyDataBASE and passed to the charting areas. Being mindful of timescales and the different pressures of both internal and external demands, the post holder is required to be capable of skilled verification and peer review of data prior to entry into the bathymetric database and to provide advice on all aspects of survey processing matters.

Provide SME Support and Training:

The post holder is required to support the Royal Navy (RN) and the UKHOs Data Acquisition Team by undertaking, leading, or assisting in the Client Representation of UKHO commissioned and contracted surveys, provision of consultancy and training to external organisations and UKHO visitors.

Data Governance:

To act as Bathymetry Data Steward in accordance with the Scientific Analysis Group Data governance responsibilities.

Future Initiatives:

The bathymetric team are key Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) for the development of new initiatives within bathymetry data collection and processing. Depending on experience, the post holder will be expected to play a key role in one or more of the following work strands:

• Development of new survey data collection methods and emerging Defence customer requirements
• RN survey instruction specification development and client representation
• Client representation for Civil Hydrographic Programme
• Support the UKHOs ambitions to reduce its carbon footprint and investigate alternative technologies for data collection
• Support the development of the Primary Charting Areas (PCA) plan
• Support the development and roll-out of survey data cleansing technology