Marine Analyst – GIS (Engineer Grade III) 

The Maritime Area Regulatory Authority (MARA) is a new independent body responsible for the sustainable management of Ireland’s diverse and unique maritime area, brought about by the enactment of the Maritime Area Planning Act 2021 (MAP Act). Established in July 2023, as part of the biggest reform of marine governance in Ireland in almost a century, MARA will be key to the transformation of our maritime governance regime.  

The system and structures set out in the MAP Act are key legal enablers of development and the protection of the environment and cultural heritage in the maritime area for the future generations, including the envisaged expansion of the offshore renewable energy sector required to meet Ireland’s 2030 climate goals in an integrated and sustainable manner. 

The Role: 

The Marine Analyst GIS (Engineer Grade III) will support the GIS Data Manager (Engineer Grade II) in the provision of Geographical Information Systems and geospatial projects, and related data and information within MARA. The role will involve assisting and liaising with other internal and external stakeholders in delivering geospatial applications, products and services; collating and managing data; and extending the use of GIS and supporting evidence-based decision making. 

The Marine Analyst GIS (Engineer Grade III) will report to the GIS Data Manager (Engineer Grade II) and will be charged with supporting the implementation of GIS development, support of ongoing GIS initiatives, and the provision of GIS supports to MARA’s business units. They will be part of a small team of staff and will work alongside other business units of MARA. The Marine Analyst GIS will co-ordinate aspects of data collation from other Government Departments to ensure levels of data quality and consistency in the provision of geospatial data and web service delivery to MARA’s stakeholders.  

Working as part of a dynamic team, they will always have new challenges and new problems to solve – working together is key. The successful candidate will have the autonomy to choose how best to tackle tasks and solve problems with the support of colleagues. 

 Key Duties and Responsibilities: 

While the responsibilities and key deliverables for the role of Marine Analyst GIS will vary from time to time, depending on the business needs of the organisation, in carrying out the duties of the position, Marine Analyst GIS will be required to provide and assist in the provision of: 

Marine, Spatial Data Management and Mapping: 

• Preparation of maps to support MARA’s functions including in determining Maritime Area Consents, Maritime Usage Licences and compliance/enforcement. 

• The collection, creation, and dissemination of digital data, particularly spatial data, and large datasets. 

• Management of data through the development and maintenance of spatially enabled databases. 

• Administration of MARA’s GIS software and hardware. 

• Analysis of data and visualisation of results using a variety of tools and techniques, including Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and statistical analysis suites, particularly the ArcGIS suite of enterprise and desktop applications. 

• Manual and automated quality assurance of data and systems, implementation of internal and external data standards, including ISO, OGC and Open Standards and producing quality assurance reports.  

• Interact with marineplan.ie – Ireland’s marine spatial planning portal. 

Regulatory and Operational Support: 

• Assist in the assessment of Maritime Usage Licenses (MUL) and Maritime Area Consents (MAC) applications. 

• Support the compliance and enforcement activities through the provision of spatial information.

Stakeholder Engagement: 

• Liaise with project teams to understand business requirements and translate them into functional GIS solutions. 

• Liaise with other bodies in respect of data collection, sharing etc. 

Systems Development and Innovation: 

• Research and implementation of new tools, systems, and technologies to solve Engineering and Data Analysis problems.  

• Develop and support of GIS capability within the MARA and provide training (staff/contractors). 

• Participate in cross team working groups within MARA. 

• Web GIS development and online interactive mapping. 

• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives and the development of procedures.

Employee Responsibilities: 

• Support and promote MARA’s mission, vision and strategic priorities. 

• Conduct all duties in accordance with MARA’s values of Integrity, Collaboration, Innovation, Confidence and Inclusion together with the Public Service values. 

• Adhere to the Civil Service Code of Standards and Behavioural and all other relevant policies and procedures. 

• Participate in the Performance Management and Development System (PMDS) including goal setting, achievement of goals and objectives, regular performance reviews and continuous professional development activities. 

• Adhere and comply with all health and safety policies, procedures and regulations to maintain a safe and secure working environment. 

• Create and maintain a good working environment within MARA. 

• Comply with the MARA’s obligations under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018 and associated policies and procedures. 

• Any other duties as directed from time to time. 

Application and further information 

For further information and to apply for this role visit https://osborne.ie/public-sector/mara-employment-opportunities/ or see attachments below: 

Applications should be submitted via email and must include:  

A completed Application Form outlining why you wish to be considered for the post and how your skills and experience meet the requirements for the position  

Only applications fully submitted will be accepted into the campaign. 

To apply for this role candidates must submit the relevant, signed and completed application form to mara@osborne.ie  

Closing Date: 

Deadline for application: Please note latest receipt for applications is 10:00am on Monday 12th October 2026. Incomplete applications, postal applications or CV’s will not be accepted. Any applications received after the closing date and time will not be considered.   

An acknowledgement email will be issued for all applications received. If you do not receive acknowledgement of your application within two working days of submission, please contact Osborne Recruitment at mara@osborne.ie to ensure your application has been received. 

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