Applications are invited for an innovative, temporary full-time position working with Bangor University's Business School in collaboration with Community Energy Wales. Are you passionate about applying cutting-edge GIS and data analytics to tackle climate change and empower communities? This role offers a unique opportunity to make a real-world impact by developing a groundbreaking online decision support system to help communities across Wales design their own Smart Local Energy Systems (SLES).

In this exciting position, you'll collaborate with leading academics and practitioners to integrate complex geographic datasets, design and implement a user-friendly web application, and transform how communities identify and plan local renewable energy solutions. This SMART Partnership project combines academic rigour with societal benefit in a fast-growing sustainability and clean energy space.

The ideal candidate will bring creativity and technical expertise, applying their skills in GIS, spatial data analysis, and web application development while building valuable connections across academia, industry, and community organisations. This is a rare opportunity to see your technical work directly empower grassroots action, influence renewable energy adoption, and contribute to Wales’ net-zero goals.

Candidates should be educated at least to PhD standard or be close to the completion of or possess equivalent experience relevant to the role in a related field, with expertise in spatial data processing and web application development. Strong Python programming skills and familiarity with GIS tools (ArcGIS, QGIS, PostGIS) are essential. Experience with JavaScript frameworks (e.g. React) is highly desirable. The successful candidate will be self-motivated, able to work independently, and possess excellent communication skills to engage with technical and non-technical audiences.

If you’re ready to apply your GIS and data analytics skills to create transformative climate solutions while enhancing your professional portfolio, this position offers exceptional development potential in a supportive and flexible working environment.

The successful candidate will be expected to commence on 1^st July 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter, and the post is available until 30th June 2027.

The ability to communicate in Welsh is desirable for this post.

The role will be hybrid, with flexibility to work from home, Bangor University, and Community Energy Wales offices (preferred North Wales base). Through our Dynamic Working framework, there is flexibility to support work-life balance, which will be discussed further with candidates at interview.

Applications will only be accepted via our on-line recruitment website, jobs.bangor.ac.uk. However, in cases of access issues due to disability, paper application forms are available by telephoning 01248 383865.

Closing date for applications: 14 June, 2026.

Informal enquiries can be made by contacting: Professor Adrian Gepp, Professor of Data Analytics, Bangor Business School, a.gepp@bangor.ac.uk

Committed To Equal Opportunities.

Overview

This SMART Partnership aims to develop an innovative web-based GIS decision support system to help communities across Wales design and plan their own Smart Local Energy Systems (SLES). SLES generate and distribute renewable energy locally, reducing costs, enhancing energy security, and empowering communities to take a leading role in the transition to net zero.

The project addresses a key challenge: while environmental and infrastructure datasets exist in various open-access GIS platforms, they are scattered across multiple portals, complex to analyse, and inaccessible to most community groups without specialist skills. As a result, the crucial early scoping stage of renewable energy projects is often delayed or reliant on external consultants.

The Project

By combining Community Energy Wales’ deep understanding of community energy needs with Bangor University’s expertise in data analytics, GIS, and interactive web applications, the project will deliver a user-friendly online platform that integrates multiple datasets, analyses location-specific conditions, and presents feasible renewable energy options in an accessible visual format. This will allow grassroots practitioners, local authorities, and energy agencies to identify the most suitable technologies for specific areas quickly and confidently.

The initiative represents a significant knowledge transfer opportunity, embedding advanced data processing and geospatial analysis capabilities within Community Energy Wales. Beyond the initial deployment, the platform will provide a scalable foundation for future decision-support tools in renewable energy planning, supporting wider adoption of community-led energy projects and accelerating Wales’ journey towards net zero.

Purpose of the Job

The post is part of a collaborative team working in the area of geospatial data analytics, renewable energy planning, and community empowerment. The project involves designing and developing an innovative GIS-based decision support system that will help communities across Wales identify and plan their own Smart Local Energy Systems (SLES). By integrating and analysing diverse environmental and infrastructure datasets, the platform will present clear, location-specific renewable energy options in an accessible, user-friendly format.

The post holder will be responsible for sourcing, processing, and harmonising spatial datasets; developing and testing the platform’s data integration and feasibility analysis components; creating interactive web-based visualisations; and ensuring the tool meets the needs of non-expert users through participatory design and usability testing. They will liaise closely with Community Energy Wales, Bangor University academic supervisors, and community stakeholders to ensure the system is technically robust, practically useful, and successfully embedded within the partner organisation.

This role will play a key part in delivering the project’s knowledge transfer objectives, embedding advanced GIS and analytics capabilities within Community Energy Wales, and supporting the long-term goal of accelerating community-led renewable energy adoption in Wales.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Geospatial Data Analysis and Integration:Source, process, and harmonise diverse spatial datasets from public and partner sources (e.g. Ordnance Survey, Natural Resources Wales, grid connection data) using cloud-hosted data pipelines and storage solutions. Apply GIS and spatial analysis techniques to prepare data layers for modelling, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and compliance with licensing requirements. Leverage cloud infrastructure to enable scalable, real-time data processing and integration.
Cloud-Hosted Decision Support System Development:Design and implement the technical framework for the GIS-based platform, including cloud-hosted backend services (e.g. AWS, Azure, or equivalent) for data ingestion, transformation, and storage (e.g. PostGIS/PostgreSQL). Develop rule-based and heuristic algorithms for SLES feasibility assessment, ensuring the solution is highly scalable, fault-tolerant, and optimised for performance in a cloud environment.
Web-Based Visualisation and User Interface Design:Build an intuitive, browser-accessible front end (e.g. React, Leaflet/Mapbox) integrated with cloud-hosted APIs and geospatial servers. Present integrated datasets and feasibility results in an accessible format via interactive map overlays, heatmaps, and scenario comparison tools. Optimise front-end performance for cloud delivery to multiple user types across Wales.
Collaborative Co-Design:Work closely with Bangor University supervisors, Community Energy Wales, Ynni Teg, and community stakeholders to capture user requirements; run participatory workshops and usability sessions to ensure the platform meets real-world needs; refine features in response to feedback from diverse audiences.
Project Communication and Reporting:Provide regular progress updates to the project team and funding body; prepare and deliver presentations to academic, industry, and community audiences; maintain thorough documentation of methodologies, datasets, and code; contribute to publications and dissemination activities.
Project Management:Monitor project progress against milestones and deliverables; identify and address technical or operational risks; coordinate tasks between university and community partners; ensure timely delivery of project objectives.
Knowledge Transfer and Capacity Building:Embed GIS and data analytics capabilities within Community Energy Wales; provide training sessions, user guides, and technical documentation to support continued platform use and maintenance after project completion; support partner staff in applying geospatial insights to future projects.
Stakeholder Engagement:Maintain effective communication with all stakeholders; translate complex technical concepts into clear, non-technical language; foster strong relationships to encourage adoption of the platform and maximise its long-term impact.

Other Duties and Responsibilities

The post holder will be expected to participate in performance review and developmental activities.
The post holder will be expected to comply with the University equal opportunities policies, Dignity at Work and Study Policy and the University’s Welsh Language Policy and the Welsh Language Standards.
The post holder has a general and legal duty of care in relation to health, safety and wellbeing and must take all reasonable steps to ensure a safe and healthy working environment for themselves and for other members of staff, students and visitors affected by their actions or inactions. The post holder is also required to comply with all applicable health and safety policies, procedures and risk assessments.
The post holder must comply with relevant legal and financial policies and procedures and be aware of their responsibilities in terms of the legal requirements of their post.

Person Specification

Qualifications / Training

Essential

PhD standard or be close to the completion of or possess equivalent experience in GIS, data analytics, data science, computer science, environmental informatics, engineering or a closely related field.

Desirable

Additional training or certification in cloud platforms (e.g. AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) relevant to hosting geospatial applications.

Experience / Knowledge

Essential

Proven experience working with GIS and spatial data analysis in a professional or academic setting.
Demonstrated proficiency in Python for geospatial data processing (e.g. GeoPandas, Shapely, GDAL) and API integration.
Experience with web mapping tools and libraries (e.g. Leaflet, Mapbox, OpenLayers) for interactive visualisation.
Familiarity with spatial database systems (e.g. PostGIS/PostgreSQL) and geospatial data formats (shapefiles, GeoJSON, raster datasets).
Experience designing and deploying cloud-based solutions for data storage, processing, or visualisation.
Knowledge of environmental and renewable energy datasets, particularly in the context of infrastructure and planning constraints.
Experience managing or contributing significantly to complex, multi-disciplinary projects.
Strong understanding of data integration challenges, including harmonising heterogeneous datasets from multiple sources.

Desirable

Experience working with community-based or non-technical stakeholders to gather requirements and co-design solutions.
Familiarity with energy systems, renewable energy planning, or Smart Local Energy Systems (SLES).
Background in developing accessible decision support tools or public-facing platforms.
Knowledge of data licensing, copyright, and open data principles.
Experience in knowledge transfer between academic, industry, and non-profit/community environments.
Understanding of user-centred design principles and usability testing methods.

Skills / Abilities

Essential

Ability to design and implement interactive, browser-based visualisations using JavaScript frameworks (e.g. React) and web mapping libraries.
Competence in setting up and managing cloud-hosted environments for web applications and databases.
Excellent data management skills, including cleaning, transforming, and storing large, complex datasets.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate complex data into actionable insights.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to present technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
Strong organisational skills with the ability to prioritise workload, manage deadlines, and work independently as well as part of a distributed team.
Ability to adapt to evolving project requirements and work flexibly across academic, industry, and community contexts.

Desirable

Proven project management skills, including the use of online collaboration tools and agile methodologies.
Experience in building or maintaining open-source software projects.
Strong interpersonal skills, particularly in stakeholder engagement and collaborative problem-solving.

Other
Essential

Willingness to travel within Wales for stakeholder meetings, workshops, and field visits.

Desirable

The ability to communicate through the medium of Welsh is desirable for this role.

Driving licence.

General

We have a legal responsibility to ensure that you have the right to work in the UK before you can start working for us. When you apply for this post you will be required to explain the basis upon which you believe you will able to live and work in the UK legally on the commencement date of the role should your application be successful. If you do not have the right to work freely in any position in the UK already, any offer of employment we will make to you will be subject to you obtaining a right to work visa. The following link provides information on the various visa routes into employment and the eligibility requirements (including switching visa status where permissible) https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas. If you are successful in your application we will discuss visa options with you at the time of making the offer of employment.

Candidates should also note that they may be required to apply for an ATAS certificate (Academic Approval Technology Scheme) from the Counter-Proliferation and Arms Control Centre of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office before being able to apply for a visa - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/academic-technology-approval-scheme

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