Gis Specialist Jobs

How to Apply

Applications are welcomed and encouraged from all qualified individuals regardless of background and identity. A one-page cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in this position and outline experience that directly relates to it.

Summary

The GIS Specialist will manage diverse geospatial and tabular data across MBGNA's living collections of plants, animals, and natural communities (see Matthaei-Nichols GIS Hub for examples). While this position works across many MBGNA departments, its work is primarily with data needed and utilized by curatorial, horticultural, and natural areas colleagues within MBGNA. Collaboration with staff from multiple UM schools, colleges, and units is critical to this role's success, and it will represent MBGNA for relevant university-driven data management initiatives. This position reports to the Natural Areas Curator. The primary work location will be Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum, with the option for hybrid work locations available.

Who We Are

University of Michigan's Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum (MBGNA) stewards over 840 acres of land and water across four properties in and around Ann Arbor, with Nichols Arboretum and Matthaei Botanical Gardens serving as its two anchor locations. Click here to view our Strategic Plan . With more than 500,000 annual visitors, MBGNA is committed to becoming a transformative force for social and ecological resilience through the lands and waters we steward. We put that commitment into action by:

• Emerging as University of Michigan's premier partner for research, teaching, and public impact in sustainability, climate-forward practices, and biocultural diversity
• Positioning humans as active participants within the natural world and compelling the university community and our publics to negotiate the full complexity that entails
• Advancing partnerships, programs, user experience, and all that we steward to catalyze equity and justice in a radically changing world

Why Work at Michigan?

In addition to a career filled with purpose and opportunity, The University of Michigan offers a comprehensive benefits package to help you stay well, protect yourself and your family and plan for a secure future. Benefits include:

• Many choices for comprehensive health insurance
• Life insurance
• Generous time off
• Flexible spending accounts for healthcare and dependent care expenses
• Long-term disability coverage
• A retirement plan that provides two-for-one matching contributions with immediate vesting

Responsibilities*

Operations and Coordination (60%):

• Effectively communicate technological concepts to diverse audiences.
• Work with staff, faculty, and students to create and manage plant records data infrastructure and collection policies and integrate GIS technologies with ongoing collections management practices/policies for horticulture, natural areas, research, and teaching
• Design, build, and maintain a Geographic Information System for documenting, managing, and disseminating information about our collections

Leadership and Management (30%):

• Develop tools and protocols for data collection and GIS utilization as necessary
• Identify historical and recent collections data from MBGNA properties published in scientific literature and incorporate it into the collections database
• Train staff, faculty, and students to use the collections database and GIS tools

Organizational Collaboration (10%) :

• Collaborate with the Development Team to ensure data and GIS mapping integration for philanthropic purposes
• Ensure data visualization and mapping tools are intuitive, responsive, and accessible across different devices and platforms
• Collaborate with the Communications and Web Development team to create interactive maps and integrate GIS functionalities into the organization's website

Required Qualifications*

• Familiarity with programming languages such as Python or JavaScript
• At least two-years of experience in classroom or professional settings with ESRI's ArcGIS platform, geospatial databases, spatial data collection, mapping, and applications.
• Bachelor's Degree in Geographic Information Systems, Geography, Environmental Science, Computer Science, Biology, Ecology, Zoology, Botany, or closely related field

Additional Information

• The salary range for this position is $55,000 - $59,000
• For more information about Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum, please visit mbgna.umich.edu

Application Deadline

Job openings are posted for at least seven calendar days. This job may be removed from the posting boards and filled at any time after the minimum posting period has ended. Applications will be reviewed as received throughout the posting period and continue until the position is filled.

U-M EEO/AA Statement

The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.