Gis Program Specialist

PLEASE ATTACH THE ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS LISTED AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE

Job ID: 26047
Agency: Game, Fish and Parks - Wildlife Division
Location: Rapid City
Salary: $28.06 to $33.39 per hour, depending on experience
Pay Grade: GJ
Closing Date: 02/13/2024

This is a full-time, benefited position with the Department of Game, Fish and Parks. For more information about the Department of Game, Fish and Parks, please visit http://gfp.sd.gov/.

Location may be flexible for the right candidate based on available Department office space. Upon successful completion of training and demonstration of experience and skill, full-time remote work may be available.

Why the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks?
Working for the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks is not just a job. It is a life passion. It is about working together as a team with colleagues, customers, landowners, and partner organizations to ensure that our state’s outdoor heritage lives on for the next generation. Providing exceptional outdoor recreational opportunities for people to enjoy is one of the best jobs in state government. Our atmosphere empowers professional success and team building, while fostering relationships to build a culture focused on our four strategic plan goals.

• Provide outdoor recreational opportunities
• Serve as stewards of our state’s natural resources
• Inspire confidence
• Foster professional excellence

All we need is you to join our team! Sound like a good fit so far? As a South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks employee, here is what you will experience:

• Innovation – The GIS and Data Intelligence team is consistently revolutionizing the way South Dakota handles data and is regularly consulted on how other programs and organizations should develop their data intelligence infrastructure.
• Collaboration and Communication – The GIS and Data Intelligence team works with every program within the agency, federal organizations, and public stakeholders to enhance data quality and consumption for all users.
• Professional Development – We provide training and support for you to become an expert in the field using the latest technology through a continuous learning mindset and a vast network of professionals to identify leadership opportunities.
• Task Diversity – Projects and ideas come from programs such as wildlife, fisheries, law enforcement, and human dimensions; this provides an opportunity to learn more about other teams and contribute technical skills to create a long-lasting legacy in state government.
• Facilitation and Project Management – Seeing a project through from start to finish is always something to be proud of. We are accountable for our work and take pride in standing behind our products.
• Part of the Big Picture – Our work is user-friendly and extends past the GIS and Data Intelligence team. Our branded product is relied upon daily to promote the outdoors and engage both consumptive and recreational users of our landscape.
• Work/Life Balance - We focus on maintaining a good work/life balance, recognizing the importance of schedule flexibility to meet personal needs.

Who We’re Looking For:

• Are you looking forward to being a part of team that communicates, collaborates, and celebrates accomplishments?
• Are you excellent at taking existing data infrastructure and putting it to work through interactive platforms that create an immediate impact?
• Does the thought of a work environment involving impactful statewide projects, research, and management goals intrigue you?
• Are you excited about the future of using data to offer deeper insights into patterns, situations, relationships, links, etc. driving better informed decision making?

What You Will Do:
This position is part of a robust GIS and Data Intelligence team within the Department of Game, Fish and Parks (SDGFP). This role will primarily support wildlife, habitat, and aquatic data collection efforts. Duties will include building and maintaining mobile survey applications (generally Esri Survey123 or Esri Field Maps), developing end user products such as web applications or dashboards for review, editing, and analysis of collected data, and preparation of reports or other map derivatives. This role will also be responsible for basic server and enterprise administration such as managing users and configurations, and overseeing data publishing. Other duties may include introducing automations and efficiencies through the use of scripting, webhooks, database views and triggers, or related methods. A primary focus of this team is staying current with cutting edge technologies, thus a strong desire to learn and implement new methods is highly desirable. As a SDGFP GIS Program Specialist, you will have the opportunity to collaborate with all programs within the department to help design, maintain, or develop products and solutions. These will be used not only by department staff, but the public and other officials to empower decision makers, discover trends, and inform users. Through all of this, you will directly see the impact of your work; be it when customers use our mobile maps to find hunting spots or staff uses a dashboard to view the status of an aerial survey.

This is in a professional office during normal working hours. Duties will occasionally require travel away from the office. Periodic overnight travel for training, meetings, and conferences may be required. If desired, there may be opportunities to assist with field projects.

The Ideal Candidate Will Have:
A Bachelor's or Master of Science degree in geographic information systems, computer science, database management, natural resources, or closely related discipline, and/or equivalent professional experience is preferred. One to three years of direct work experience in geographic information systems and geospatial analytics is highly preferred.

Professional experience leveraging products that include, but aren’t limited to:

• Esri suite of desktop software (ArcMap 10x and ArcGIS Pro 2x or 3x);
• Esri suite of online and mobile tools (ArcGIS Online platform and applications, Survey123, Field Maps, Dashboards, etc.);
• data visualization platforms such as Microsoft PowerBI or Tableau;
• programming language IDEs to implement Python, R or similar;
• relational database management platforms such as SQL Server Management Studio.

As well as:

• a thorough understanding of GIS data storage and management principles, especially using SQL databases;
• experience publishing to ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise;
• experience managing and administering ArcGIS Online and/or ArcGIS Enterprise;
• a creative mindset to design and build aesthetically pleasing solutions that effectively communicate the message or data;
• a collaborative approach to success and a willingness to function within an innovative and diverse team;
• demonstratable aptitude for learning new software and problem solving.

Knowledge of:

• wildlife and habitat conservation and management;
• geospatial editing, transformations, and QA/QC;
• server, sharing, and SQL best practices when cataloging data;
• fundamentals of Python and SQL especially related to data management and ArcGIS environments;
• creating or updating SQL views;
• common geospatial analytic tools and techniques;
• relational database management (RDBMS) concepts.

Skill to:

• design and create intuitive user interfaces and data visualizations;
• use ArcGIS Online applications to create maps, tools, mapping applications, and other visual media;
• collaborate with team members, product owners, and users;
• troubleshoot and resolve technical issues, including on-site support and coordinating with Esri;
• independently prioritize work schedule to accommodate customer and/or staff requirements and requests;
• create and modify GIS datasets; manage and maintain legacy GIS datasets; develop and implement GIS-based analyses;
• promote GIS usage across all programs within the Department;
• manage multiple concurrent projects.

Ability to:

• stay current on the latest technologies and industry best practices and trends;
• train users on relevant use of GIS tools and data;
• accomplish work tasks both independently and as a member of a team;
• develop and manage maps / applications for mobile devices using Esri products;
• respond to and satisfy requests from internal staff, external customers (the public), and partner organizations, demonstrating genuine concern for the resolution;
• consult with project managers to develop solutions and workflows, or maintain existing projects;
• challenge current processes to develop new and more efficient workflows.

Additional Requirements:To be considered, please attach your resume and cover letter.

This position is eligible for Veterans’ Preference per ARSD 55:10:02:08.

The State of South Dakota does not sponsor work visas for new or existing employees. All persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and complete an Employment Eligibility Verification, Form I-9. The State of South Dakota as an employer will be using E-Verify to complete employment eligibility verification upon hire.

The State of South Dakota offers employer paid health insurance plus eleven paid holidays, generous vacation and sick leave accrual, dental, vision, and other insurance options, and retirement benefits. You can view our benefits information at https://bhr.sd.gov/job-seekers/work-for-state-government/. This position is a member of Class A retirement under SDRS.

Must apply online: https://sodakprod-lm01.cloud.infor.com:1443/lmghr/xmlhttp/shorturl.do?key=OQK
You must apply online, emailed resumes or submissions will not be accepted.
South Dakota Bureau of Human Resources

Telephone: 605.773.3148 Email: careers@state.sd.us
http://bhr.sd.gov/workforus
"An Equal Opportunity Employer"