MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD SECURITY AND NUTRITION
CIRCULAR NO. 1 OF 2026
REF: AG/CIR/1
Applications are invited from suitably qualified local candidates for the following vacant position tenable in the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition.
Position: Geographical Information Systems (GIS) Manager
Position Details
Department: Crop Services
Division: Agronomy
Job Title: Geographical Information Systems Manager
Grade: H
Responsible To: Chief Crop Production Officer
Job Summary
The Geographical Information Systems Manager will be responsible for overall administration and coordination of GIS activities in accordance with ministerial geographical information requirements through provision of GIS technical support; ensuring data integrity and security; budget preparation; and supervision of staff.
Main Duties
1. GIS Administration and Coordination
1.1 Develops and implements long‑ and short‑term strategic plans, goals and objectives for the GIS operation.
1.2 Plans, organizes and coordinates development and maintenance of the Geographic Information System.
1.3 Plans and organizes systems to support programme monitoring, including field data collection, mapping, ground‑truthing, and socio‑economic surveys to keep GIS datasets up to date.
1.4 Evaluates current and future GIS requirements.
1.5 Develops work approaches and projects work output.
1.6 Researches and designs innovative data creation methods according to ministerial requirements.
1.7 Coordinates collection, editing, storage, analysis and retrieval of geographical information for ministerial needs.
1.8 Coordinates spatial dataset management activities to support information provision to programmes and other users.
1.9 Receives geographic information requests, prioritizes them and allocates tasks to GIS officers to ensure timely completion.
2. Budgeting and Procurement
2.1 Prepares procurement plans, technical specifications and initiates requests for GIS supplies, equipment, software, consumables and data.
2.2 Prepares the overall sectional budget to ensure effective implementation of GIS activities.
2.3 Monitors expenditure to ensure compliance with the approved budget.
2.4 Monitors inventory of GIS equipment and supplies.
2.5 Ensures adequate availability of materials to conduct GIS activities.
3. GIS Technical Support
3.1 Provides in‑house training to ministerial district technical staff on GIS data‑capturing techniques.
3.2 Supports MAFS district offices with installation and maintenance of cost‑effective and user‑friendly GIS applications.
3.3 Facilitates dissemination of appropriate datasets to relevant districts.
3.4 Provides GIS support and cartographic services to stakeholders, including donors and implementing partners, covering map‑making, data analysis and communication products.
3.5 Provides advocacy on the use of land cover databases as decision support tools for climate change analysis and adaptation.
4. System Maintenance
4.1 Plans and administers installation, upgrades and enhancements of GIS hardware, software and procedures.
4.2 Researches and recommends new equipment and software.
4.3 Participates in designing and implementing monitoring databases, especially relating to location of interventions, activities and resource allocation.
4.4 Evaluates new hardware and software.
5. Data Integrity and Security
5.1 Facilitates and enforces maintenance of accurate and up‑to‑date databases.
5.2 Sets standards for ministerial geographical data storage.
5.3 Develops and upgrades data backups and storage facilities.
5.4 Develops, maintains or enhances database structures, data collection methodology and data dictionary.
5.5 Identifies data errors and makes necessary modifications.
6. Supervision of Staff and Performance Review
6.1 Coordinates daily work activities.
6.2 Organizes, prioritizes and assigns work.
6.3 Monitors work in progress and inspects completed work.
6.4 Consults with staff, assists with complex situations and provides technical guidance.
6.5 Conducts annual appraisals of GIS officers to assess performance and determine training and development needs.
Job Specification
Qualifications
- MSc Degree in Geographic Information Systems (Major in GIS / Computer Science / Information Systems / Remote Sensing / Environmental Science (Major in GIS))
OR - BSc Degree in Geographic Information System / Geography (Major in GIS) / Computer Science / Information Systems / Remote Sensing / Environmental Science (Major in GIS)
Experience
- Three (3) years of experience in GIS‑related work for Bachelor’s Degree holders.
Necessary Knowledge and Skills
- Extensive knowledge of GIS concepts, including advanced geoprocessing and spatial analysis techniques; geographical concepts of location, scale, resolution and generalization.
- Thorough knowledge of GIS data‑collection methods (GIS, field surveys, scanned maps, topographic maps, databases, remote sensing imagery, etc.).
- Proficiency in map production and geographic data analysis.
- Proficiency in GIS‑related hardware (workstations, scanners, digitizers, large‑format plotters).
- Adequate knowledge of interlinkages among geospatial disciplines (GIS, Remote Sensing, Photogrammetry, GPS, Geodesy).
How to Apply
All applications must be hand delivered or addressed to:
The Human Resources Department
Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition
P.O. Box 24
Maseru 100
Closing Date
Not later than 27 February 2026