Centre Manager - Geographic Data Service (GeoDS)

The UCL Department of Geography at University College London (UCL) is a leading UK and global department, with a heritage of excellence in research across a broad range of research themes. The Department has a long and distinguished tradition of top-quality cross and interdisciplinary research with geographic information scientists, social scientists, climate modellers, urbanists, environmental scientists and geoscientists all working on a huge variety of projects across the domains of Environment, Resources, Heritage and Social Science. Further details of the department are at https://www.geog.ucl.ac.uk/.

This position is funded as part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)-funded Geographic Data Service (GeoDS: https://geods.ac.uk/) which is part of the ESRC Smart Data Research UK initiative (www.sdruk.ukri.org/), delivered through the UCL Department of Geography.
< br />Smart Data Research UK (SDR UK) is an investment of £22 million in new data services, enabling researchers across the UK to access new forms of smart data. These services include the first national smart data donation service, a pioneering satellite imagery service, and services that provide new insights into our economy, environment, health, and wellbeing.

Smart data is data generated through everyday interactions with the digital world, including via mobile apps, navigation systems, social media, and shopping. It offers a powerful opportunity to understand society and improve lives.

The Geographic Data Service (GeoDS) seeks to integrate a wide range of data sources to generate new insights into equitable and sustainable growth – bringing focus to geographic disparities, barriers to opportunity and the circumstances of vulnerable populations. Building on the strong foundation of the Consumer Data Research Centre (data.cdrc.ac.uk), the GeoDS team de velop partnerships with data providers and coordinate a national master’s dissertation programme to engage a new generation of smart data researchers.

About the role
The post holder will be part of an interdisciplinary team spanning both UCL, the University of Liverpool, the University of Oxford and the University of Edinburgh charged with developing and maintaining a national data service that provides ‘smart data’ to researchers. They will be a member of the GeoDS Senior Management Team and will lead the Service Administration Group. The post holder will work closely with the Technical Manager and team of data scientists, data engineers, software engineer and data journalist. In addition to the day-to-day running of the data service the Centre Manager will oversee the Smart Data Research UK grant. The work will also entail fostering and cultivating relationships with commercial and other external partners who supply data to the GeoDS.

The successful candidate will be educated to degree level in relevant discipline or equivalent professional experience, and have experience of resea rch, contract and budget management and managing complex projects, as well as experience of leading stakeholder and strategic partnership management, with the ability to interpret and document project aims and outputs to a wider audience.

You should also have experience of service evaluation and delivery, including reporting to Senior Management Team (SMT), with excellent time management skills and attention to detail, together with the ability to deliver work on time and to tight deadlines.

Please see the full job description and person specification for more information.

This is a full time, fixed term post with funding available from early/mid-August 2025 - 31st March 2029.

Customer advert reference: B03-02474

Advert information