GIS Research Specialist II

Salary : $69,451.70 - $107,556.19 Annually
Location : Riverside
Job Type: Regular
Job Number: 26-77111-01
Department: Housing and Workforce Solutions
Division: Continuum of Care
Opening Date: 06/18/2026
Closing Date: 6/25/2026 11:59 PM Pacific


For questions regarding this position, please contact the Recruiter listed in the Supplemental Information section.

ABOUT THE POSITION
The County of Riverside Housing and Workforce Solutions (HWS) Department's Continuum of Care (CoC) Division has an opportunity for a GIS Research Analyst II in Riverside, CA.

The candidate will be responsible for reviewing and analyzing data sets, policies, and research related to the homeless community. The GIS Research Analyst II will utilize the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), map GIS data, and analyze results from the Homeless Point-in-Time Count to extract, interpret, and assess data for homeless trends that will help guide the delivery of Continuum of Care services and the development of homeless programs aimed at reducing homelessness. The incumbent will also build dashboards displaying homeless data for public review; prepare reports and presentations to be shared with the County Board of Supervisors, City Councils, and other stakeholders; and assist with grant proposals and budget preparation. This position will require the incumbent to travel throughout the county for offsite events as needed.

The department is seeking candidates with a passion for and experience supporting CoC, housing, homeless, and other human services, as well as demonstrated experience with geospatial data analysis. Competitive candidates will have experience with Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS), ArcGIS, Tableau, Power BI, Python, and the Microsoft Office Suite; the ability to gather and interpret large data sets, including cleaning data and assessing data quality; and strong community engagement and public speaking skills. A master's degree and Spanish bilingual skills are preferred but not required.
Meet the Team!
The Housing and Workforce Solutions (HWS) Department's CoC Division's primary purpose is to develop and maintain an effective county-wide Continuum of Care. The Continuum of Care oversees our community's plan to organize and deliver supportive social services, including housing options, which meet the specific needs of homeless individuals and families. Ultimately, the goal of the Continuum is to move homeless people toward stable housing and maximum self-sufficiency. Can you see yourself here?
EXAMPLES OF ESSENTIAL DUTIES
• Initiates research and statistical investigations and plans, designs, and conducts the activities of such investigations; recognizes the need for research and statistical investigations related to the development of demographic estimates and forecasts.
• Coordinates with staff and outside agencies to obtain data; designs, organizes and develops research evaluation plans, develops regulatory waiver requests, prepares budgets, and submits grant proposals.
• Defines sample populations and selection criteria; designs, develops and maintains databases; writes queries to extract data for ongoing and unexpected management reports; creates, tests and administers surveys and questionnaires; conducts focus and personal interviews; develops forms, procedures, schedules and sampling criteria for field data collection; and, performs random assignments.
• Advises research specialists and administrators of research findings and/or procedures; prepares narrative reports of findings with valid conclusions and statistical significance, projects impacts, and provides trend analysis.
• Identifies problems in inter-organizational operations and procedures with implications for plan development and implementation and recommends alternative solutions for use in management decision-making.
• Conducts research to develop population, housing, and employment estimates and forecasts.
• Analyzes and interprets small area socio-economic and land use data using geographic information systems.
• Assists the supervisor in developing and coordinating planning activities and in directing assigned project staff; and preparing annual budgets for research projects.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Education:
OPTION I
Graduation from an accredited college with a Master's degree with a major in social science, statistics, mathematics, economics, business/public administration, data processing, or any of the natural sciences, which included graduate level courses in research design, data collection methods, and advanced statistical analysis. While a Master's degree is preferred, additional qualifying experience may be substituted for up to two years of the required education, on the basis of 10 semester or 15-quarter units of graduate level course work in the areas previously cited equaling 6 months.
OPTION II
Additional qualifying education may be substituted for up to two years of the required work experience such that a Ph.D. degree, with qualifying course work, meets the minimum education and experience requirement.
Experience:
OPTION I
Two years of progressively responsible experience in administrative, professional, investigative, technical or other responsible work, which included statistical analysis, research or program design and data collection, and electronic data storage and report generation or grant writing.
OPTION II
Two years equivalent to GIS Research Specialist I in Riverside County in the Transportation and Land Management Agency.
Knowledge of: Policies, procedures, practices and legislation governing land use; advanced research methods including data collection, sampling and analysis; Geographic Information Systems and SAS programming; census data and geography; demographic and economic forecasting methods, techniques and models.
Ability to: Develop and prepare concise and coherent oral and written reports and recommendations; analyze, perform data queries and write executable computer programs; interpret and evaluate statistical data and research findings; use statistical software packages on personal computers; maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work; design and carry out research topics related to demographic estimates and forecasts.
Other Requirements
License/Certificate: Possession of a valid California Driver's License.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
For questions regarding this recruitment

Contact Danilo Lozano at or View phone number on click.appcast.io. Please allow 1-2 business days for a response to general inquiries.
APPLICATION INFORMATION

Veteran's Preference
The County has a Veterans Preference Policy applicable to new hires. To qualify, attach the required documents to your job application. Documents include a copy of your (or your spouse's) Member-4 Form DD-214 indicating dates of service. For spousal preference, and as applicable, the following documents: a copy of your marriage certificate, spouse's death certificate, a letter of spouse's disability and/or letter of service-related death (if available) from the U.S. Veteran's Administration. For privacy reasons, it is recommended that you remove your social security information from the document(s). A Human Resources Representative will review the materials and determine if you qualify for veterans' preference. For complete details and documentation requirements, please review the Veterans Preference Policy, C-3 here:
Reasonable Accommodations
The County of Riverside is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to applicants as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). Qualified individuals with disabilities who need a reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process should contact the recruiter for the position noted above. For additional information and/or to obtain the appropriate form for requesting a reasonable accommodation, please visit the Disability Access Office web page located at:
Proof of Education
If using education to qualify or when requested by the recruiter, upload a copy of any license(s), official/unofficial transcript(s), degrees, and/or related employment documents to your NeoGov account at the time of application and before the closing date. Official or unofficial transcripts will be accepted.

If your education was completed outside of the United States, you will need to provide a copy of your Foreign Education Equivalency evaluation from a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services () or Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. ().
Work Authorization Requirement
Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of application. The County of Riverside does not participate in visa sponsorship programs, including H1-B visas, and will not provide sponsorship for any employment-based visas.
Equal Opportunity Employer
The County of Riverside is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is the policy of the County of Riverside to provide equal employment opportunities for all qualified persons. All applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, ancestry, medical condition (cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, or denial of medical and family care leave, or any other non-job-related factors.
Pre-Employment
All employment offers are contingent upon successful completion of pre-employment requirements including a criminal background investigation, which involves fingerprinting. (A felony or misdemeanor conviction may disqualify the applicant from County employment). A pre-employment physical examination and background check may be required.
Probationary Period
As an Approved Local Merit System, all County of Riverside employees, except those serving "At Will," are subject to the probationary period provisions as specified in the applicable Memorandum of Understanding, County Resolution, or Salary Ordinance. Temporary and Per Diem employees serve at the pleasure of the agency/department head.
General Information
Current County of Riverside and/or current employees of the hiring department may receive priority consideration. Qualified candidates may be considered for future County vacancies.
Job postings may close without notice based on application volume. Submit your complete application by the recruitment close date; no late applications are accepted. Ensure all relevant experience/education is reflected on your application/resume, as a failure to demonstrate position requirements may disqualify applicants. A description of job duties directly copied from the job classification or job posting will not be considered.
Please read and follow any special application instructions on this posting. Click the ' Apply ' link located on this page to submit your application. For additional instructions on the application process, examinations, Veteran's preference, pre-employment accommodation or other employment questions, please refer to our web site,
If you are experiencing technical problems, you may contact the governmentjobs.com applicant support desk Monday through Friday, 6 am to 5 pm Pacific Time at View email address on click.appcast.io or toll-free View phone number on click.appcast.io.
MEDICAL/DENTAL/VISION INSURANCE: A choice of different medical, dental and visions plan are available to elect. The County provides a Flexible Benefit Credit contribution as governed by the applicable SEIU Memorandum of Understanding to contribute towards the cost of these plans.

Note: Employees on assignment through the Temporary Assignment Program (TAP) receive different benefits. See the list
MISCELLANEOUS RETIREMENT : County of Riverside has three retirement Tiers through the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS).

• Tier I (Classic Member - Formula 3% @ 60): Applicable to current and former County of Riverside local miscellaneous employees hired prior to 08/24/2012 and did not withdraw CalPERS contributions. The employee contribution is eight (8%) percent.
• Tier II (Classic Member - Formula 2% @ 60): Applicable to local miscellaneous employees 1) hired after 08/23/2012 through 12/31/2012; 2) Previously employed with another CalPERS contracting public agency or a reciprocal retirement system, with a break in service of less than six months between the separation date with the previous employer and the appointment date with the County of Riverside. The employee contribution is seven (7%) percent.
• Tier III (PEPRA New Member - Formula 2% @ 62): Applicable to CalPERS local miscellaneous new members hired on or after the implementation of the Public Employees' Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA) which took effect January 1, 2013. Effective July 1, 2023 employee contributions are 7.25% and will increase to 7.75% effective July 1, 2024.

A new member is defined as any of the following:

1. A new hire who enters CalPERS membership for the first time on or after January 1, 2013, and who has no prior membership in any California Public Retirement System.
2. A new hire who enters CalPERS membership for the first time on or after January 1, 2013, and who was a member with another California Public Retirement System prior to that date, but who is not subject to reciprocity upon joining CalPERS.
3. A member who first established CalPERS membership prior to January 1, 2013, and who is rehired by a different CalPERS agency after a break in service of greater than six (6) months.

CalPERS refers to all members that do not fit within the definition of a new member as "classic members".

Contribution rates are subject to change based on the County of Riverside annual actuarial valuation.
Note:

This summary is for general information purposes only. Additional questions regarding retirement formulas can be sent to or by calling the Benefits Information Line at View phone number on click.appcast.io,
Option 2.

If you have prior service credit with another CalPERS agency or within agencies, please contact CalPERS at View phone number on click.appcast.io to determine which retirement tier would be applicable to you. CalPERS is governed by the Public Employees' Retirement Law. The Retirement Law is complex and subject to change. If there's any conflict between this summary and the law, the law will prevail over this summary.
DEFERRED COMPENSATION: Voluntary employee contribution with a choice between two 457 deferred compensation plan options.

VACATION ACCRUAL (Bi-Weekly Accrual):

0 < 3 year = 80 Hours (10 Days)

4 < 9 years = 120 Hours (15 Days)

10 or more years = 160 Hours (20 Days)

Maximum Vacation leave accumulation is 480 hours.

SICK LEAVE: Four (4) hours Sick Leave accrual per pay period with unlimited accrual.

HOLIDAYS: Normally 12 paid holidays per year.

BEREAVEMENT LEAVE: Allowed 5 days (3 days are County paid; 2 additional days can be taken from accrued Sick Leave balance).

BASIC LIFE INSURANCE: Equal to one times annual base salary not to exceed $50,000 of term life coverage. Premiums are paid by the County. Additional Supplemental Life plan is available for employee purchase.

DISABILITY:
Employees contribute to State Disability Insurance (SDI), which provides wage replacement benefits for individuals who are unable to work due to non-work-related illness, injury, or pregnancy. SDI also includes Paid Family Leave Benefits. The wage replacement rate is determined by current law, offering 60-70% of the wages earned during the SDI eligibility period.
Additionally, employees receive employer-paid Long-Term Disability Benefits, which cover 66.67% of pre-disability earnings, up to a maximum of $10,000 per month. There is a 365-day waiting period before these benefits become active. Employees may coordinate these benefits with other available leave balances to receive up to 100% of their regular pay.

POST RETIREMENT MEDICAL CONTRIBUTION: A monthly contribution is made by the County towards retiree health insurance offered through the County as governed by the applicable SEIU Memorandum of Understanding.

OTHER: There may be other benefit provisions as specified in the applicable Memorandum of Understanding. Please contact the recruiter listed on the job posting directly for more information.
01


Are you a current regular or temporary employee with the County of Riverside's Housing and Workforce Solutions (HWS) Department?

• Yes
• No

02


Select the answer that best describes your current drivers license status:

• I have a valid California Class A license.
• I have a valid California Class B license.
• I have a valid California Class C license.
• I am able to obtain a valid California driver license.
• I currently have a valid out-of-state driver license, and am able to obtain a valid California driver license.
• I do not have and/or I am not able to obtain a California driver license.

03


What is the highest level of education you have from an accredited college or university with a major in social science, statistics, mathematics, economics, business/public administration, data processing, or any of the natural sciences?

• None of these
• Less than 30 semester or 45 quarter units
• At least 30 semester or 45 quarter units
• At least 60 semester or 90 quarter units
• At least 90 semester or 135 quarter units
• At least 120 semester or 180 quarter units
• I have my Associates degree
• I have my Bachelors degree
• I have my Masters degree
• I have my Doctorate degree

04


As of today, have you successfully completed graduate level courses in research design, data collection methods, and advanced statistical analysis?

• Yes
• No

05


How many years of progressively responsible experience do you possess in administrative, professional, investigative, technical or other responsible work, which included statistical analysis, research or program design and data collection, and electronic data storage and report generation or grant writing? (Include details on your resume/application)

• No experience
• Less than twelve months
• One year or more, but less than two
• Two years or more, but less than three
• Three years or more, but less than four
• Four years or more, but less than five
• Five years or more, but less than six
• Six years or more

06


How many years of experience do you have as a GIS Research Specialist I with Riverside County or an equivalent position? (Include details on your resume/application)

• No experience
• Less than twelve months
• One year or more, but less than two
• Two years or more, but less than three
• Three years or more, but less than four
• Four years or more, but less than five
• Five years or more, but less than six
• Six years or more

07


Do you have previous experience with the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS)? (Include details your resume/application)

• Yes
• No

08


Do you possess intermediate to advanced level work experience with any of the following? (Please select all that apply)

• ArcGIS
• Tableau
• Power BI
• Python

09


How many years of experience do you have managing and analyzing large data sets? This should include reviewing, cleaning, and assessing data quality. (Include details on your resume/application)

• No experience
• Less than twelve months
• One year or more, but less than two
• Two years or more, but less than three
• Three years or more, but less than four
• Four years or more, but less than five
• Five years or more

Required Question