GIS Specialist w/ Farmers Conservation Alliance (Hood River, OR)

Organization: Farmers Conservation Alliance
Title: GIS Specialist 
Location: Hood River, OR 
Application Deadline: 
Posted: 2018-06-14
Position Description:

GIS SPECIALIST
HOOD RIVER, OREGON – FULL-TIME (EXEMPT)

Farmers Conservation Alliance is a 501(c)3 organization that operates at the intersection of water, energy, and agriculture. The work of the GIS Specialist will encompass data management, map production, spatial analysis, and field data collection.

WHEN YOU WORK FOR US, HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL FIND
Our staff of 20 engineers, scientists, public policy experts, and strategy consultants believe that everyone can win –farmers, rivers, and communities. We formed 13 years ago to successfully bring an  innovative fish screen technology to market. This farmer-developed technology, now known as the Farmers Screen, helps to keep fish and debris in rivers and out of water supplies.

Since that time, our work has expanded to help farmers modernize all aspects of their water delivery systems and to apply the Farmers Screen technology across all sectors. Staff work with water users, agencies, and organizations to design, finance, and implement large-scale solutions and technologies that improve water supplies, reduce operation and maintenance costs, and generate fish-friendly hydropower.

Our headquarters in Hood River, Oregon, inspires staff in both their professional and personal lives. Hood River’s abundant apple, pear, and cherry orchards and salmon-bearing streams provide daily context for our work. The Columbia River Gorge and nearby Mt. Hood provide endless opportunities for hiking, paddling, cycling, skiing, and kiteboarding. Hood River’s 1-hour commute to Portland lets staff live in a small, family-friendly town while also having easy access to all of the amenities that the city has to offer.

SO THAT’S US. NOW ABOUT THE WORK
FCA seeks a unique individual for its GIS Specialist, ideally with a background in spatial data management and analysis. In a typical week, GIS Specialist could expect to work with a broad spectrum of personnel from within FCA, ranging from engineers and hydrologists to technical document writers to institutional funders and irrigation district board members. GIS work will vary on a day to day basis; flexibility and time management will be a key skill in executing tasks associated with multiple projects across all sectors of FCA. Example tasks could include analyzing
geospatial data and creating visually intuitive map products, developing geodatabases for engineers to use in hydraulic modeling, or field collection of geospatial data across Oregon.

AN IDEAL CANDIDATE WOULD HAVE, AMONG OTHER ASSETS

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
• A bachelor’s degree in GIS, geography, environmental science, natural resources, or applicable engineering discipline (civil or environmental)
• 1-4 years of experience in the private or public sector with GIS applications in natural resources,
environmental science, and/or engineering
• Experience working with agricultural and/or environmental communities, organizations, and/or individuals
• A keen eye for visually appealing and easily understandable spatial data displays and excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Extensive experience working with ESRI Products (ArcGIS Suite)
• A valid driver’s license and reliable transportation
• The ability to traverse uneven ground such as stream beds and agricultural fields.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
• Experience working with QGIS
• Experience with Python scripting in automating spatial data workflows
• Familiarity with serving and managing spatial data across an organization with multiple locations and teams

Above all, an ideal candidate would be passionate about developing solutions that will benefit the environment and agriculture and be able to develop professional relationships with people of all industries, backgrounds, and beliefs.

INTERESTED? SOME FINE PRINT ABOUT JOINING OUR TEAM
Staff join us for our mission and our location, and they stay because we work together to meet our shared goals. We provide a competitive salary, vacation, health, dental, and retirement package, and believe that happy staff deliver the best outcomes. As such, we provide flexibility for staff to spend time doing what they love. We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity. All employment is based on qualifications, merit, and business need; qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin.

TO APPLY
To apply for the position, please submit a cover letter and resume to info@fcasolutions.org with “GIS Specialist” as the subject of the email. Please do not contact FCA directly about this opportunity.

Applications should be addressed to:

Julie Davies O’Shea, Executive Director
Farmers Conservation Alliance
11 3rd St, Suite 101
Hood River, OR 97031
Position is open until filled.