Geospatial and Data Management (IC)

Organizational Context

The International Seabed Authority (ISA), an autonomous international organization, operates under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. It regulates activities in the international seabed area, focusing on oversight, environmental protection, and sustainable resource management for the benefit of humankind. This role supports ISA's regulatory functions through robust data governance and geospatial analysis.

Job Purpose

This consultancy aims to strengthen the ISA's data governance and geodatabase analysis systems. The consultant will provide essential support for reviewing data submitted by ISA contractors, focusing on geospatial information. This role is crucial for enhancing evidence-based decision-making, transparency, and operational effectiveness in regulatory, environmental, and resource-related functions. The work supports the Legal and Technical Commission (LTC) and the Council by ensuring accurate data for exploration applications, monitoring contractor activities, assessing relinquishment proposals, and considering area-based management tools, thereby contributing to the sustainable management of the Area's resources.

Responsibilities

The consultant will perform technical verification of sampling stations, data quality, and relinquishment information for exploration area adjustments based on contractor submissions. This includes assessing the consistency of GIS data against ISA regulations using external public datasets. Key duties involve technical geospatial assessment of exploration applications and contractor proposals, reviewing area-based management tools, and updating geospatial information, including reserved areas and website content. The role also entails ISA database management, supporting data reviews, and processing contractor-provided bathymetric and georeferenced datasets. Additionally, the consultant will provide requested geospatial information to the ISA Secretariat and the Legal and Technical Commission (LTC) to support discussions and final recommendations.

Work Experience

Requires 7-10 years of experience in geospatial-related software (e.g., ArcGIS/QGIS) and database operational experience with ArcGIS Enterprise and ArcGIS Online. Experience with intergovernmental organizations and data interoperability frameworks (e.g., ODIS standards) is desirable. Experience in developing data/geospatial guidance documents and data transformation processes is also beneficial.

Skills

Geospatial analysis, GIS data verification, database management, ArcGIS/QGIS, Python/R programming (ArcPy), SQL, JSON, ArcGIS Enterprise, ArcGIS Online, data governance, technical verification, data quality assessment, mapping, intergovernmental organization experience.

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