Project Overview
A management consulting firm is seeking an experienced GIS/spatial analysis consultant to support the design of custom facility catchments for a client engagement. The requirement centres on translating raw postcode-level data into robust, geographically accurate service catchments that can inform facility planning and coverage decisions. This role addresses a specific analytical challenge: converting granular postcode data into standardised Australian SA2 boundary catchments, filling coverage gaps algorithmically, and refining the results to reflect real-world geographic and infrastructure constraints.
You will lead the end-to-end geospatial workflow — from raw data mapping through to a fully calibrated, reproducible catchment model. Success is measured by the delivery of clear, defensible catchment maps and underlying SA2-level datasets that account for natural and infrastructure barriers rather than relying on simple radius-based assumptions. This is a short, focused engagement offering hands-on exposure to applied geospatial analysis within a commercial consulting context.
Key Activities
- Postcode-to-SA2 Mapping: Map client postcode data to Australian SA2 boundaries and visualise the resulting catchments using Tableau, QGIS, or equivalent software.
- Algorithmic Gap-Filling: Develop an algorithmic approach to fill coverage gaps using a 3–5km radius around each facility, ensuring consistent methodology across the dataset.
- Manual Calibration: Manually refine catchments to account for local factors such as highways, waterways, and other natural or infrastructure barriers that a purely algorithmic approach would miss.
- Output Production: Produce clear, reproducible catchment maps and underlying SA2-level datasets suitable for direct use in client deliverables.
Your Background
Essential:
- Strong experience in GIS/spatial analysis, ideally using ArcGIS, QGIS, or similar software
- Demonstrated experience working with geographic boundary data (e.g. SA2, postcode, or equivalent administrative geographies)
- Comfort building and refining catchment or coverage models that combine algorithmic and manual calibration approaches
- Ability to produce clean, reproducible, client-ready mapping outputs and datasets
Desirable:
- Prior experience in facility network planning, retail catchment analysis, or similar location-based strategy work
- Familiarity with Tableau for catchment visualisation, in addition to core GIS tools