Job Summary:
The Senior GIS Specialist serves as a key technical resource within the GIS team, supporting production work while helping scale team capabilities through mentorship, process development, and project guidance. This role is designed for a seasoned GIS professional who enjoys hands-on technical work while also supporting the growth and efficiency of the broader team.

The Senior GIS Specialist will contribute directly to billable project work while functioning as a technical anchor for onboarding, workflow development, and quality execution across a growing, multi-disciplinary environment supporting internal departments and external clients.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Technical Production and Project Delivery
  • Perform advanced GIS analysis, mapping, and data management in support of internal departments (Electric T&D, Planning, Grants, Civil, Survey, Land Services) and external clients.
  • Develop and deliver high-quality GIS products, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and adherence to standards.
  • Utilize GIS software (e.g., ESRI suite) to execute complex workflows and solve technical challenges.
  • Contribute actively to billable work; this is not a supervisory-only role.
• Team Development and Technical Mentorship
  • Provide onboarding support and technical training for GIS team members.
  • Serve as a go-to resource for staff for troubleshooting, best practices, and workflow guidance.
  • Coach team members on GIS tools, data standards, and project execution.
  • Foster a culture of continuous learning and knowledge sharing.
• Project and Technical Guidance
  • Assist staff at the initiation of projects to ensure clear understanding of scope, deliverables, and expectations.
  • Help define appropriate workflows, methodologies, and quality control checkpoints.
  • Identify potential risks or inefficiencies early and guide teams toward effective solutions.
  • Ensure alignment with internal standards and client expectations from the outset.
• Process Development and Implementation
  • Lead efforts to develop, document, and standardize GIS workflows and procedures.
  • Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, consistency, and scalability of GIS operations.
  • Support implementation and adoption of best practices across the GIS team.
  • Maintain documentation for tools, processes, and standards.
• Resource Coordination
  • Assist in coordinating workload distribution across the GIS team based on capacity, skill sets, and project needs.
  • Collaborate with team members and leadership to ensure balanced workloads and effective project execution.

Required Minimum Qualifications and Skills:

• Bachelor's degree in GIS or Geography or a related field
• Approximately 5+ years of experience in GIS
• Strong proficiency with GIS software (e.g., ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online, and related ESRI tools)
• Strong skills in the principles of cartography, including coordinate systems and projections, map composition and symbology
• Ability to work effectively in a collaborative team environment on projects with project engineers and other employees both in person and virtually
• Ability to think analytically and solve problems
• Exceptional organizational skills
• Strong attention to detail while completing tasks to meet aggressive project schedules

Additional Desired Skills and Experience (not required):

• GISP Certification
• Proficient with ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Server, and/or ArcGIS Field Maps 
• Private sector GIS experience
• Strong interpersonal skills; excellent written and oral communication skills
• Basic relational database knowledge
• Familiarity with using SQL geodatabases
• Familiarity with AutoCAD .dwgs within ArcGIS software and converting data
• Experience using Google Earth
• Familiarity with electrical distribution and/or transmission systems
• Working knowledge of electric or water/wastewater/storm water utility GIS models
• Knowledge of Python/ArcPy
• Experience with Trimble Business Center
• Familiarity with legal descriptions including easement descriptions
• Experience with field data collection
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office products (Excel, Word, Outlook)

Physical Requirements

1. Ability to sit for extended periods of time while working at a computer workstation, including viewing monitors, typing, and using a mouse or other input devices
2. Ability to stand, walk, bend, and reach intermittently during the workday for meetings, collaboration, filing, and general office movement
3. Ability to occasionally lift, carry, or move items such as plan sets, binders, laptops, or office equipment weighing up to approximately 20 pounds
4. Ability to visually inspect and review technical documents, drawings, calculations, and data with or without reasonable accommodation
5. Ability to communicate effectively in person, over the phone, and via virtual platforms, including speaking, listening, and comprehension
6. Ability to work in standard office conditions, including exposure to computer screens, artificial lighting, and typical office noise levels

Mental & Cognitive Requirements

1. Ability to apply judgement and critical thinking to analyze complex technical problems, evaluate alternatives, and develop practical solutions
2. Ability to maintain sustained concentration and attention to detail while performing tasks such as calculations, design development, technical review, and quality control
3. Ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities simultaneously, often under changing conditions, deadlines, and client requirements
4. Ability to interpret, understand, and apply technical standards, codes, regulations, and project specifications
5. Ability to communicate complex technical information clearly and professionally, both verbally and in writing, to colleagues, clients, and stakeholders with varying technical backgrounds
6. Ability to collaborate effectively within multidisciplinary teams, including participating in meetings, providing constructive feedback, and integrating input from others
7. Ability to exercise sound judgment under time constraints, including responding to urgent project needs or resolving issues with incomplete information
8. Ability to adapt to evolving technologies, software tools, and work processes common in a professional engineering environment

This role plays a critical part in enabling the continued growth of the GIS team by strengthening technical execution, supporting staff development, and ensuring consistent, scalable processes—without adding a formal management layer.