PRINCIPAL GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS (GIS) ANALYST

Job Description

Job Description

PRINCIPAL GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS (GIS) ANALYST
Onsite to LA, CA
LA County

Duties include but are not limited to:
Meets with customers to define business and functional requirements to ensure applications and work products meet customer needs; works with departmental customers and central agency staff in the planning, design, development, configuration, testing, implementation and maintenance of large-scale GIS applications and web portals and associated backend processing modules.
Creates complex, customized tools and menus for new and existing applications; designs, develops, configures, tests, and implements logic and writes programs for complex applications and programs, using applicable development tools and programming languages.
Coordinates the exchange of large scale data sets with other agencies and the integration and migration of data from multiple internal and external sources; analyzes data security issues and establishes applicable security systems, protocols and privileges.
Performs highly complex analytical projects, including spatial and other analyses; writes reports and prepares complex maps and other GIS products.
Performs database and systems administration functions; establishes security protocols and privileges; monitors and tunes database performance; establishes and maintains database backup and recovery processes; monitors server performance and utilization; installs or oversees the installation of software patches and updates; performs software license management functions.
Participates in research and evaluation of new and emerging GIS and data management technologies to evaluate their potential and compatibility with County GIS needs and technology environment; analyzes and evaluates technology solutions to ensure their consistency and integration with County technology standards; participates in developing enterprise GIS policies, standards and procedures.
Creates customized tools and menus for new and existing applications; develops logic and writes programs, using applicable development tools and programming languages.
Designs and develops complex cartographic representations of GIS data to complete complex mapping tasks in support of customer needs.
Develops map services and performs site configurations for departmental users.
Designs and develops complex cartographic representations of GIS data to complete complex mapping tasks in support of customer needs; designs and develops cartographic standards for use by lower level staff.
Designs and develops cartographic standards for use by lower level staff.
Participates in the design, development and integration of GIS database architectures, naming conventions and standards; identifies data requirements and multi-agency data sources; develops data models and logical database designs for geospatial and other data.
Writes complex queries and scripts to automate repetitive but complex tasks; identifies database discrepancies and automates routines to make corrections to improve database quality.
Creates, edits, imports and manages spatial data to create and maintain enterprise GIS data repositories.
Converts complex addresses into GIS formats making advanced uses of geocoding routines; designs, develops and implements complex geocoding and fuzzy matching data scripts, algorithms and procedures to achieve a high degree of data accuracy.
Analyzes complex and highly detailed underlying data and systems processes to develop solutions for the integration and interoperability of GIS applications designed for a variety of purposes.
Participates in preparing and evaluating requests for proposals, bids, contracts and service agreements for GIS software, equipment and consulting services; may administer and oversee work performed by contractors to ensure County requirements are met within contract terms.
Develops training materials and conducts training for GIS professionals and users; serves as an expert resource for other professionals.
May serve as a project leader for complex GIS development and maintenance projects; monitors and reports on progress; meets with internal and external customers to review project status and resolve development/implementation issues.
Reviews cartographic products and geographic analyses by lower level staff to ensure accuracy and completeness.
May supervise a team of GIS Technicians and/or Analysts.

Desirable Qualifications: 
Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal skills
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
Advanced experience designing and supporting enterprise GIS architectures, including hybrid or distributed environments.
Experience establishing and enforcing data standards, QA/QC protocols, and metadata practices.
Experience designing high-availability and disaster recovery architectures.
Familiarity with containerization, automation, or infrastructure-as-code concepts.
Understanding of information security principles, data privacy, and compliance requirements in government or regulated environments.
Good understanding of Docker
Experience acting as a technical lead or deputy in the absence of a GIS Manager.
Exceptional ability to communicate technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
Ability to evaluate vendor solutions critically and push back with informed technical judgment.
Skilled at producing executive-level documentation, diagrams, and recommendations.
Comfortable representing GIS in interdepartmental meetings, steering committees, or advisory groups.
Ability to pilot new tools responsibly while maintaining production stability.
Experience in local government, public sector, or large enterprise GIS environments.
Relevant certifications (e.g., GISP, Esri Technical Certifications, cloud certifications).