Prior to coming to UCL, Jonathan Iliffe studied for his PhD at Nottingham University and then worked at CERN in Geneva for two years on the survey software used in the construction of the Large Electron-Positron Collider.

He has a continuing involvement with the rail industry on developing coordinate systems for major infrastructure projects, and is often called on to act as a consultant for industry and governments around the world. The type of work that he has been involved in include:

• Advising national government survey organisations on the provision of geodetic control for modern mapping. In recent years this has involved visiting countries in the Caribbean and the Middle East.
  
• Consultancies on international boundaries. This generally involves the determination of maritime boundaries through geodetic computations, but has also encompassed land boundaries in Africa visiting the countries to provide geodetic advice and attending international tribunal hearings.
  
• Organising workshops and training sessions for exploration companies.
  
• Scoping studies on future developments for national organisations such as the Ordnance Survey and the UK Hydrographic Office.
  
• Miscellaneous consultancies on geodetic and coordinate issues for industry, from air traffic control to the railways.