GIS Specialist @ Public Health Seattle & King County

DEPARTMENT:
DPH - Public Health
DIVISION:
Environmental Health Svcs
SALARY:
$41.63 - $52.77 Hourly
$86,590.40 - $109,761.60 Annually
LOCATION:
Chinook Building - 401 5th Ave, Seattle
JOB TYPE:
Career Service, Full Time, 40 hrs/week
CLOSING DATE:
04/24/22 11:59 PM

SUMMARY:
Are you interested in using spatial data to tell stories and assist in equity-focused decision making around important public health problems? Are you passionate about identifying critical insights through collecting, managing, analyzing, modeling, and presenting spatial data? This position is a unique opportunity to creatively use data to help support Public Health's mission to promote healthy communities and address health disparities. This position will entail working with your audience to understand, capture, and analyze data collected from a variety of environmental health programs (food safety, rodent control, on-site sewage systems, etc.) to inform our services and mission in innovative and interactive ways. There will be a strong emphasis on using environmental health data in relation to systemic inequities and impacts across geographic areas.

This position will report to the Continuous Improvement Manager on the Continuous Improvement Team, where you will also be working closely with a Business Analyst and a Functional Analyst to help modernize the way Environmental Health serves the residents of King County.

ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SERVICES DIVISION:
Through the work of over 150 dedicated employees, the Environmental Health Services Division promotes healthy and equitable environmental conditions and prevents disease through sanitation, safe food, air, and water (drinking, surface, and recreational), and reduction of exposure to hazardous materials. In addition to permitting and inspecting public pools, spas, pet businesses, plumbing installations, on-site septic systems, and solid waste facilities, the division also works in partnership with community to address unhealthy environmental conditions and leads the department's climate change efforts.

Our vision is healthy, safe, and vibrant communities that are free of health disparities based on race, gender, or economic status. The Division's core values include equity and social justice, integrity, community service, collaboration, a supportive work culture, and learning from each other and the communities we serve.

To learn more about EHS, please visit https://www.kingcounty.gov/ehs.

COMMITMENT TO EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE:
As the only jurisdiction in the world named after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the most influential civil rights leaders in our nation's history, King County is a vibrant international community with residents that represent countries from around the world. It is a region with increasing diversity that cherishes the traditions of many cultures.

We have a deep commitment to equity and social justice and advancing practices, strategies, and policies that promote fairness, justice, and opportunity for all - in our workplaces and our communities. With this commitment, King County has adopted a pro-equity agenda to advance regional change and ensure that residents from vulnerable communities are incorporated into our emergency planning and public outreach efforts.
 
To learn more, please visit http://www.kingcounty.gov/elected/executive/equity-social-justice.aspx.   


JOB DUTIES:
This position will perform GIS technical analyses and data management for the Environmental Health Services Division. They will be a key player in transitioning the Division onto new software system and ensuring that data visualization through mapping is optimized. They will provide GIS subject matter expertise, and strategic thinking around mapping to assist in developing and preparing technical documentation to describe GIS programs, databases, and related software.
 
Applying equity and social justice principles is a daily responsibility and a foundational expectation for all King County employees. In this role, you will apply equity and social justice principles that exemplify shared values, behaviors, and practices to all aspects of the work.
 
As the GIS Specialist for Environmental Health will:
. Lead the Division in creating a vision for utilizing GIS data to promote healthy communities in King County.
. Create interactive tools for field and office staff to interact with spatial data to identify patterns and improve efficiencies.
. Answer internal and external data requests and handle the data transfer between agencies and jurisdictions.
. Document standards for data management protocols to ensure consistency and quality.
. Work with the field staff in support of datasets, hardware, and software.
. Work with staff to help generate GIS maps in response to Environmental Public Health emergencies such as contaminations of water systems, and power outages.  
. Coordinate and maintain a working relationship with the central County GIS team, KCGIS, Public Health's Assessment, Policy Development, and Evaluation Unit, and develop and maintain data security across enterprise and DPH platforms.
. Provide training and assistance to King County field and office staff on proper collection and data management practices using field GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and GPS (Global Positioning Systems) software and equipment (e.g., ArcGIS Mobile, ArcGIS/ESRI Collector, iOS/Windows/Android devices, GPS, etc.).
. Provide general data connectivity analysis, corrections, and resubmitting areas of deficiency for field re-collection.
. Promote equitable services by utilizing programmatic, permitting, environmental, sociodemographic, and other data to conduct spatial analysis to inform EHS services and measure the success of interventions. 

EXPERIENCE, QUALIFICATIONS, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS:
The ideal candidate will have some combination of the following knowledge, skills, and experience:
. Experience using contemporary GIS software to build and support desktop and web map applications, e.g., GIS desktop, server, web, and mobile environments.
. Experience specific to spatial data management, GIS geoprocessing, analysis, and modeling, including Python.
. Experience creating and communicating stories to support policy and program initiatives using geospatial data.
. Advanced planning, organization, and customer service skills to support end users and multiple partner relationships. This includes demonstrated skill in conflict resolution and ability to handle the unexpected and maintain composure in stressful situations.
. Demonstrated oral and written skills. Skill in conveying technical information to a non-technical audience.
. Demonstrated ability to measure work product, orchestrate multiple activities at once, and marshal resources available to accomplish results.
. Experience in creating interactive data visualizations to inform strategic planning. 
. Experience in project management, change management, and quality control and assurance.
. Intermediate level of skill in mapping, data analysis, and databases.
Additional desired background: 
. Experience working in a highly collaborative program or coalition.
. Knowledge and experience in scripting languages to help automate workflow and improve productivity. 
. High level of skill in mapping, data analysis, and databases.
. Experience with software implementation projects and data migration. 
. A working knowledge of data conversion analysis, transaction processing, and troubleshooting applications. ​