GIS Architect

Job Description and Duties

HCAI's Office of Technology Services (OTS) is hiring an Information Technology Specialist II — GIS Architect to serve as the department's lead expert and technical authority for HCAI's enterprise geospatial (GIS) systems. Reporting to the Data Operations Section Manager (IT Manager I) within the Infrastructure and Data Operations Branch, this role owns the administration, modernization, and governance of HCAI's ArcGIS Enterprise and ArcGIS Online platforms, spatial ETL/ELT pipelines, the enterprise Global Address Resolver and geocoding services, and authoritative geographic datasets — including Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA), Medical Service Study Areas (MSSA), workforce regions, facility datasets, and census-derived geographies. As the lead position, the incumbent designs and stands up new spatial capabilities, trains and mentors team members, and partners with programs across the Department to deliver trusted, governed geospatial data and services in support of HCAI's mission.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the administration, day-to-day operations, and modernization of HCAI's enterprise GIS platforms, including ArcGIS Enterprise and ArcGIS Online — configuration integrity, performance tuning, service publishing, catalog structure, and content lifecycle.
• Design, build, and govern spatial ETL/ELT pipelines and authoritative geographic datasets (HPSA, MSSA, workforce regions, Rural Health regions, facility datasets, and census geographies), ensuring they remain accurate, versioned, documented, and modeling-ready.
• Own and optimize the enterprise Global Address Resolver and geocoding services — including address normalization, probabilistic matching, accuracy scoring, high-volume processing, and throughput/latency SLAs.
• Administer the GIS environment — installation, configuration, patching, upgrades, security (RBAC, Zero Trust alignment), monitoring/alerting, and backup/disaster recovery — in partnership with the Infrastructure & Operations and Security Operations teams.
• Lead the design and implementation of new spatial capabilities and analytics, translating business and program requirements into spatial models, schemas, workflows, and integration specifications for workforce forecasting, facility oversight, accessibility modeling, and public dashboards.
• Lead root-cause analysis and resolution of GIS production issues, and oversee onboarding/retirement of spatial data sources and services.
• Serve as the department's recognized GIS subject-matter expert; train, mentor, and cross-train team members and data stewards, and deliver knowledge-transfer sessions supporting succession planning.
• Advise management and help formulate GIS strategy, standards, and policy, including cost-benefit/ROI analysis for new spatial capabilities and enhancements.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive documentation, including architecture diagrams, data models, process flows, runbooks, and operational procedures.

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Working Conditions

HCAI is committed to fostering a flexible, inclusive, and high-performing work environment that supports both operational excellence and employee well-being.

HCAI is housed in a state-of-the-art building outside of downtown off Interstate-5. Enjoy a great work environment with many amenities, including FREE PARKING and fully equipped pay-per-charge electric vehicle charging stations. HCAI is close to many dining and shopping choices.

HCAI supports a hybrid telework schedule for many positions, consistent with operational requirements. Telework schedules are only available for CA residents. The telework policy is subject to change, and additional in-office days may be required and/or minimal notification may be given to report to the worksite if an urgent need arises.

Visa Sponsorship: HCAI is not an E-Verify employer and does not provide visa sponsorship. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of appointment.

Desirable Qualifications

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

• 5+ years of progressive IT experience in data, geospatial, or data platform roles.
• 3+ years of hands-on experience administering and operating an enterprise GIS platform (e.g., Esri ArcGIS Enterprise and ArcGIS Online).
• 3+ years designing, building, and tuning spatial ETL/ELT pipelines and authoritative geographic datasets across multiple programs or domains.
• 3+ years of hands-on experience with geocoding and address-resolution services, including normalization, matching, and high-volume processing.
• 2+ years leading requirements gathering and technical design for new spatial capabilities or major GIS enhancements.
• Experience with GIS data governance, metadata, stewardship models, and spatial data-quality monitoring with measurable improvements.
• Experience with AI-ready or analytics-ready spatial data preparation (data quality, metadata, lineage, and feature readiness).
• 2+ years collaborating with infrastructure, cloud, and cybersecurity peers on enterprise platform deployments (security, RBAC, Zero Trust).
• Experience mentoring, cross-training, or leading technical staff on a specialized platform.
• Public-sector, healthcare, or regulated-industry experience preferred.

Benefits

In addition to competitive public employee wages and a comprehensive benefits package, our employees enjoy meaningful and interesting work that supports access to healthcare.

To learn more about benefits for State employees, visit the Salary and Benefits page on the CalHR Benefits Website .

University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) employees may qualify to transfer their current and previous employment credit to State of California employment through CalPERS. Human Resources can help with this process upon employment or you can reach out to CalPERS for inquiries at View phone number on us.fitly.work.

Additional Application Requirements

To be considered for this vacancy, please complete all applicable fields on the application form, including a list or description of previous/current work experience in the duties performed section. The application should also clearly demonstrate the candidate’s ability to meet the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification.

Any documents you submit for a job vacancy such as your state application, resume, cover letter, educational transcripts, etc. SHOULD NOT include ANY confidential information e.g. Social Security Number (SSN).

Possession of Minimum Qualifications will be verified prior to interview and/or appointment. If you are using education to meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must submit a copy of your high school or college/university transcript(s). Unofficial transcripts may be accepted during the application process; however, submission of official transcripts may be required prior to appointment.

Foreign Degrees or Transcripts – Applicants with foreign degrees or transcripts who wish to apply that coursework toward meeting the minimum qualifications of the classification must provide a transcript evaluation that indicates the number of units to which his/her foreign coursework is equivalent. HCAI accepts foreign transcript evaluations completed by agencies approved by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing or by current members of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES).

Required Application Package Documents

The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:

• Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
• Resume is required and must be included.
• School Transcripts
• Statement of Qualifications - A Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) must be submitted to apply for this position.