Principal Geospatial Developer

Prior + Partners; Greater London; On-site; GBP 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Prior + Partners is a specialist placemaking practice delivering masterplanning, planning and economics for places and communities. We seek a Principal Geospatial Developer to lead spatial data work in London, guiding technical direction and delivering both client projects and Place+ product development.

You will oversee end-to-end geospatial solutions, build scalable data pipelines, and mentor the team while collaborating with urban designers, planners and economists across diverse projects.

Qualifications

• Strong geospatial skills including PostGIS, spatial analysis at scale, vector tiles and GIS platforms such as ArcGIS or QGIS.
• Strong data science skills including Python, SQL, statistics and machine learning applied to spatial problems.
• Experience in the built environment and ability to talk credibly to the people in it.
• Track record delivering technical consultancy projects end to end and shipping polished products.

Responsibilities

• Deliver the technical side of client consultancy projects across spatial analytics, planning and the built environment, end to end.
• Translate built-environment problems into analytical approaches and technical solutions.
• Carry out spatial and data analysis, including statistical and machine learning methods.

Skills

Geospatial analysis at scale

Python

SQL

Machine learning

Stakeholder communication

Tools

PostGIS

ArcGIS

QGIS

Job description

Prior + Partners is a specialist placemaking practice integrating masterplanning, planning and economics to unlock the potential of places and communities.

Our work spans district, city and regional scales, moving between strategic visioning, concept and detailed masterplans, planning and implementation. We work on major regeneration projects, new communities, mixed-use districts and strategic development frameworks in the UK and internationally.

We are now seeking an experienced and technically strong Principal Geospatial Developer to join our Digital Innovation team in London and help deliver our growing portfolio of digital and data-led work.

About the role

The successful candidate will be an experienced geospatial professional who combines spatial analysis and data science with building the tools and methods that deliver it, and who has experience working in the built environment.

You will be responsible for the technical oversight across all digital innovation work, responsible for delivering our work across client projects and products. This spans hands-on consultancy and delivery for clients in the built environment, through to building our own products, including Place+, our digital placemaking platform.

You will work closely with our Head of Digital Innovation and Associate Director Applied Innovation on technical direction, and you will own the delivery of it. This is a senior, hands‑on role. The final job title and level will be agreed based on the candidate's experience and capability.

Key Responsibilities

The role will include:

• Delivering the technical side of client consultancy projects across spatial analytics, planning and the built environment, end to end;
• Translating built‑environment problems into analytical approaches and technical solutions;
• Carrying out spatial and data analysis, including statistical and machine learning methods, to answer client and planning questions;
• Developing and refining analytical methods and models that can be reused across projects;
• Owning the architecture and build of spatial data pipelines at scale, including PostGIS, vector tiles and tile servers;
• Building and shipping client‑facing tools, dashboards and web maps, including the development of Place+ and its product lines;
• Communicating findings clearly to both technical and non‑technical stakeholders;
• Setting the technical standard for the team, mentoring others and line managing where needed;
• Supporting business development by scoping work, shaping bids and representing our technical capability to clients and stakeholders.

The candidate we are looking for will have

• Strong geospatial skills, including PostGIS, spatial analysis at scale, vector tiles and GIS platforms such as ArcGIS or QGIS;
• Strong data science skills, including Python, SQL, statistics and machine learning applied to spatial problems;
• Experience in the built environment, including planning, spatial analytics, infrastructure or a closely related sector, and the ability to talk credibly to the people in it;
• A track record of delivering technical consultancy projects end to end and shipping polished products;
• Commercial awareness and confidence working with clients, shaping scopes and supporting bids;
• A self‑directed and pragmatic approach, with the judgement to know which technical calls matter;
• Design sensibility for product and data visualisation would be beneficial, but is not essential;
• Experience building AI into analytical products would be beneficial, but is not essential;

Job title and salary will be commensurate with experience. We offer the opportunity to further your career within a busy, growing and multidisciplinary practice, working alongside urban designers, planners, economists, spatial data specialists and public realm professionals.

Prior + Partners is an Employee‑Owned Trust and an equal opportunities employer committed to creating an open, respectful environment where people can build lasting careers and do their best work. We welcome applications from candidates returning to the profession following a career break.