GIS Analyst

Why do you need to choose between doing important work and having a fulfilling life?  At Ardent , we have both. Ardent employees are committed to solving our customers’ most difficult problems—and we are committed to the well-being, personal goals, and professional development of our employee. We are “All In.” We put forth our strongest effort possible to get the mission accomplished and we do it together. We respect the skills and experience you bring to the Ardent team. And we provide a rewarding environment to help you succeed. 

We offer highly competitive benefits, professional development opportunities, and an exceptional culture that embraces flexibility, innovation, collaboration, and career growth. A collective service mindset underpins our work, and a shared camaraderie to serve clients, colleagues and our communities set us apart. Our full commitment to being "All In" for our employees and our clients is not just our approach, it is our standard. If this sounds like the perfect fit for you, choose Ardent and make a difference with us. 

Ardent is seeking a  GIS Analyst to join our team.  

This is a  full-time, onsite position.

Position Overview

The Onsite GIS Analyst will provide full-time, on-location geospatial support at SSA Headquarters in Baltimore, MD. This role supports the Office of Security and Emergency Preparedness (OSEP) and other SSA components by creating, maintaining, and enhancing GIS products, tools, and dashboards. The GIS Analyst plays a vital role in SSA’s incident management, continuity of operations (COOP), and facility monitoring efforts, delivering timely geospatial products that inform agency decision-making during both day-to-day operations and emergencies.

Key Responsibilities:

Geospatial Support & Analysis

Develop, maintain, and update GIS applications and dashboards within SSA’s enterprise GIS environment (ArcGIS Enterprise, SOCCS).

Create geospatial products supporting natural and man-made threats, including buffer analysis (point and polygon), hazard overlays, and incident maps.

Provide analytical support for biosurveillance, disease management, and public health emergencies (e.g., pandemic dashboards, chemical spill analysis, vaccine distribution modeling).

Support OSEP in tracking, visualizing, and reporting on critical incidents such as hurricanes, wildfires, power outages, and security threats

Incident & Emergency Response

Deliver year-round support for the SSA Incident Command Center (ICC), providing geospatial products and analysis 12 hours/day, 7 days/week.

Support COOP exercises at SSA HQ and alternate sites (e.g., Mt. Weather, VA), producing geospatial reports, facility maps, and evacuation planning tools.

Provide surge support during emergency events, delivering geospatial data and tools within two hours of notification.

Data Management & Integration

Work with SSA’s Enterprise Database Architect (EDA) to ensure GIS datasets align with SSA standards and FGDC guidelines.

Assist in the ingestion and integration of external datasets (e.g., FEMA floodplains, DHS OneView, NOAA weather feeds, local crime and emergency data).

Maintain spatial databases (SDE/SQL Server) for SSA facility information and incident reporting data.

Support predictive analytics efforts by curating and normalizing external/internal data sources for AIRS+ and SOCCS.

Collaboration & Communication

Serve as an on-site liaison between SSA stakeholders, developers, and system architects.

Participate in Agile ceremonies, sprint reviews, and backlog grooming to refine user stories and functional requirements.

Train end-users on GIS tools, dashboards, and applications.

Prepare user guides, data dictionaries, and technical documentation to support SSA’s enterprise GIS community.

Qualifications:

Education: Bachelor’s degree in GIS, Geography, or a related field

Experience: 3–5 years of experience in geospatial analysis and GIS application support.

Technical Expertise:

Proficiency with Esri ArcGIS Enterprise (ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Server, ArcGIS Portal).

Experience with spatial data analysis, buffer analysis, and geoprocessing tasks.

Working knowledge of SQL Server and SDE for geospatial data management.

Familiarity with GIS standards (FGDC, OGC) and federal geospatial data sources.

Preferred Skills:

Experience supporting federal emergency management, homeland security, or law enforcement operations.

Strong analytical and cartographic skills for producing decision-ready geospatial products.

Excellent communication skills and ability to brief stakeholders with clear visualizations.

Location & Availability

Full-time, onsite at SSA Headquarters (Baltimore, MD).

Must be available for extended hours to support ICC operations (12/7 coverage).

Ardent is an equal opportunity employer. We will not discriminate in employment, recruitment, advertisements for employment, compensation, termination, upgrading, promotions, and other conditions of employment against any employee or job applicant on the bases of race, color, gender, national origin, age, religion, creed, disability, veteran's status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or any other basis protected by state, local, or federal law.