Senior GIS Analyst

About the position

Do you have a nose for spotting patterns, an eye for detail, and a knack for juggling several projects at once? If you have a vision for how geospatial science can advance conservation, apply to be the Grand Canyon Trust’s GIS manager.

As our senior GIS analyst, you'll be part of a team finding creative ways to communicate conservation stories to the public, policymakers, and colleagues through maps and data. You will manage projects that directly impact conservation across the Colorado Plateau, help translate science and policy into visuals, and lead our geospatial analysis. You will design, develop, and implement systems and databases to access and store geospatial data for the Trust’s conservation programs. You will also be the primary lead in providing geospatial field support and creating and managing the field data workflow prior to and after data collection.

As glamorous as all that sounds, let's be realistic: To accomplish any of these tasks, you simultaneously need to upload and organize file structures, enter metadata, create new data, process data from many sources, perform repetitive data cleanup and entry, ensure geospatial services are functioning, communicate with Trust program staff, and keep up with technological changes.

If you can spot a data error or misspelling in a sea of labels, transform non-spatial data into spatial data, communicate with non-GIS personnel, and work well in a team setting and independently, then this is the job for you. 

What does this position entail?

• Brainstorm new ways geospatial sciences can support our conservation work.
• Engage in a mix of data organization and database design, project management, analytical processing, and scripting.
• Build and customize interactive web content to guide our field and volunteer crews. 
• Develop scripts and automation to process big data from various states and federal agencies quickly.
• Plan workflows and systems for data efficiency, keeping ever-changing datasets current.
• Update existing data and maps, such as pronghorn fence modifications, as volunteer crews complete projects on the ground. 
• Add hikes to our Colorado Plateau Explorer hiking tool.
• Map land management and protection proposals across public lands in the Four corner states, including Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears national monuments, the greater Grand Canyon region, and national forests.

Do you have what it takes?

• You have four years of demonstrated professional GIS experience and/or a degree in geography, GIS, or a comparable field with extensive coursework in GIS. 
• You are comfortable working in ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online, Excel, relational databases, and any spatial file types.
• You are familiar with Esri Survey 123, Field Maps, mobile map packages, and offline mapping.
• You have some experience working with remote sensing and coding languages such as Python, R, and XML and experience with cloud-based data storage, ArcGIS Server, AWS EC2, or similar server architecture.
• You understand data hierarchies, the security complexities of cloud-based data storage, and permissions.
• You enjoy translating complex scientific and technical information into spatial data. 
• You can research effectively, process information efficiently, and see a project through from start to finish.
• You can communicate clearly and translate industry terminology into nontechnical language for non-GIS professionals.
• You're able to juggle many competing tasks and meet deadlines under pressure.
• You have a keen eye for detail, experience working with large datasets, and can create order out of what seems like chaos.
• You're creative and proactive – you notice inefficiencies and seek ways to solve them.
• You have experience or are comfortable working with federal agency data, state data, private data, or data that spans multiple states and jurisdictions.
• You have a background in field data collection and methods.
• You have experience with ecological, hydrologic, natural resource, and/or cultural data.
• You're organized, hardworking, collegial, and good at building colleague relationships.
• You have an interest in environmental conservation.

Note that experience includes lived experience, traditional knowledge, volunteer experience, school or coursework, work experience, and other related qualifications, skills, and experience.

No candidate will meet every requirement. If you're excited about the position and think you may be a good candidate, we encourage you to apply, even if you don't check every box.

The nitty gritty

Flexibility and paid time off

• Flexible scheduling and option to work from home
• 12 paid holidays
• Two weeks paid vacation in year one (three weeks in year two, and four weeks in year four) 
• Two weeks paid sick leave
• 12-14 weeks of paid parental leave

Benefits

• 100 percent employer-paid employee medical and dental insurance (50 percent employer-paid for qualified dependent premiums)
• 4 percent automatic employer contribution to 401K retirement plan, plus up to 2 percent match
• Employer-paid long-term disability insurance and life insurance
• Professional development opportunities
• Paid community service time, sabbatical leave, and more

Location

The GIS office is in Denver, Colorado but location is negotiable within Colorado, Arizona, Utah, or New Mexico.

Compensation

$65,000–$95,000 annual salary, commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Who would my supervisor be?

Stephanie Smith, GIS Director

COVID-19 precautions

COVID vaccination is required for this position. If you need a reasonable accommodation, contact careers@grandcanyontrust.org

How do I apply?

Please send your resume and cover letter to careers@grandcanyontrust.org. The application deadline is Friday, August 25 at 5 p.m. MST. If you need a reasonable accommodation, contact careers@grandcanyontrust.org

https://www.grandcanyontrust.org/senior-gis-analyst