I’m part of the Europe flood mapping team and each day is usually different! My work ranges from investigating the inputs and outputs of our flood modelling and creating the national-scale flood maps, to attending internal and external training sessions to broaden my understanding of the business and the industry. I have also recently started a three-month secondment with the Research and Development team to work on new avenues of development for the business.
We recently released the first national-scale flood maps for Continental Europe at 5m resolution and it was really rewarding to work towards an industry first. The project was spread over a year and had lots of different data and teams involved, so it was interesting to see it all come together using the different technical specialisms throughout JBA.
I work in the UK and Republic of Ireland flood mapping team. A standard day begins with a team meeting to update each other on everyone’s progress from the previous day and outline the upcoming tasks that need completing. For me, this usually involves the creation and quality control of spatial data, such as river, surface water and coastal flood layers, which will be delivered to clients.
I like the fact that the graduate scheme provides a structured introduction to both JBA working practices and flood mapping and modelling in general. The graduate scheme competencies provide a helpful framework around which I can structure my on-the-job and internal training, learning skills across different areas of the business from project management to client relations. I also like the fact that there are multiple graduates on the scheme at any one time who are all at different stages, meaning there’s always someone you can ask for advice.
I work in the Global Mapping team and our current focus is on producing flood maps for the US at 5m resolution. My day starts with a short catch up where I inform the project manager and the rest of the team of my progress and what work I have on that day. I spend most of my time using GIS software and JBA’s 2D hydraulic modelling software JFlow to produce these flood maps.
I also work with clients to respond to queries that come in regarding Flood Assessments at different locations around the world. After a request, we investigate our global flood maps and produce a report for the client, which is great for developing my writing skills alongside my technical work.
The different modules of the graduate scheme have allowed me to learn about the different areas of the company. They can also be done at your own pace, in the order that you feel is best, so that your graduate scheme learning complements your day-to-day work. Additionally, I have taken up the option of having a mentor – an experienced colleague that gives guidance in an area of my choosing. Through working with my mentor and learning from their expertise, I have achieved my goals and competencies more effectively.
It has also been good to go through the process with other graduates. Four of us started around the same time and it has been good to share advice and experiences with each other.
I started my time at JBA on a secondment to the Europe mapping team, where I worked on mapping flood in Belgium, Switzerland, Czech Republic and Austria. A standard day could see me preparing inputs to go into JFlow, our in-house flood modelling software, checking the outputs, and working out solutions to problems that may arise. Recently, I have started my full-time role in the software development team, working on the operational side of things to begin with. Throughout my different roles, I often attend training and development sessions which expand my knowledge of the company, the industry and our clients as a whole.
Working in software development at JBA has allowed me to combined my interests in geography and hydrology with my interests in software and technology, working towards flood risk projects.
I have always had an interest in weather and climate and studied Meteorology and Oceanography at university. Having already gained an appreciation of meteorology, I became interested in how weather interacts with the physical environment, particularly relating to flooding as it is such a frequent occurrence around the world, including the UK. Weather (rainfall specifically) feeds directly into the flood modelling done at JBA, so it’s interesting to see it all working together.
The creation of the US 5m Flood Maps – it’s been such a large project over many years, using lots of different data, teams and specialisms, and I’ve really enjoyed seeing how it all comes together and playing my part in developing the maps. My biggest role has been as co-Project Manager for the US Defended Areas, where I have created the defended layers from the flood output, edited the data, quality checked it and made it a client deliverable. It's really great to be given responsibility like this as a graduate.
Sound like something you're interested in? Apply today for our Graduate Scheme by filling in the application form and sending it to careers@jbagroup.co.uk.