GIS Specialist 1

The Montana Historical Society's State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) GIS Specialist/ Cultural Records Assistant that assists the SHPO Cultural Records Manager by accepting, organizing, maintaining, and reconciling the official inventory of all recorded cultural resource properties in the state (N = 66,000 properties as of 2023). These records are kept both in permanently stored paper format and in electronic format as scanned images (OCR PDF), coded database entries (SQL), and digitized spatial data records (GIS). Cultural resource properties are understood to include historic, pre-contact (archaeological), paleontological sites, and to include information of a specialized nature that may also be restricted and confidential. Under the supervision of the SHPO Cultural Records Manager, who sets information management guidelines and oversees the organization and management of all SHPO permanent cultural resource files, data and information systems, the SHPO Cultural Records Assistant is the primary person responsible for managing and maintaining the accuracy of and access to the records and data pertaining to recorded cultural resource properties.

• Manages and maintains the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) cultural resource property records as the official state government files of all recorded cultural resource properties in the state.
• Reviews and validates accuracy of information on newly submitted cultural resource data and updates, codes selected attribute information for data entry, and enters the data into the Montana Cultural Resource Database.
• Uses GIS software to edit and refine spatial data by integrating multiple sources of information (topographic maps, aerial photos, paper maps) to derive accurate site and inventory locations. Georeferencing locations based on maps provided within forms or using supplied shapefiles.
• Support and maintain a multivariate analytical model for the prediction of cultural resources within the state of Montana.
• Helps establish site records management policy and procedure and provides technical assistance and outreach for the submission, use, and distribution of SHPO cultural resource site records.
• Maintains the safety and security of the SHPO cultural resource property records.

Minimum Qualifications

1. Education: College degree (Bachelors or Associates degree).
2. Experience: 1-2 years of job-related work experience (may include academic experience, e.g. internships, practicums, field-schools)
3. Demonstrated computer literacy, including knowledge and/or experience with relational database management and GIS mapping software.

Competencies

• Preferred candidates will typically have a bachelor's or graduate degree in anthropology, history, geography, or historic preservation with a specialization in archaeology, GIS, or other closely related field.