Job Title

Research Specialist I - GIS Developer

Agency

Texas A&M University

Department

Oceanography

Proposed Minimum Salary

Commensurate

Job Location

College Station, Texas

Job Type

Staff

Job Description

Our Commitment

Texas A&M University is committed to enriching the learning and working environment by promoting a culture that respects all perspectives, talents & lived experience s . Embracing varying opinions and perspectives strengthens our corevalues which are: Respect, Excellence, Leadership, Loyalty, Integrity, and Selfless Service .

Who We Are

The Department of Oce a n o graphy in the College of Arts and Sciences at Texas A&M University (TAMU) is part of an alliance of Oce a n Sciences at Texas A&M that spans the Marine Biology and Marine Sciences Departments at TAMU Galveston, Geochemical and Environmental Research Group . This alliance of Oce a n Sciences represents a truly unique concentration of educational and research resources . Our educational and research capacity is greatly enhanced by close ties to the College Departments of Atmospheric Scienc es, Geography, and Geology & Geophysics, as well as the Berg Hughes Center, and Texas Center for Climate Studies.

What We Want The Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System (GCOOS) is the Gulf of Mexico regional component of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) of NOAA and is part of the Department of Oceanography with Texas A&M University. At GCOOS we are looking for a highly motivated and skilled professional interested in contributing to understanding of the Gulf of Mexico with the development of geospatial data science tools. The Research Specialist I will support GCOOS in a ‘GIS Innovation Development’ role (title) and will work closely with the GCOOS Data Management and Cyberinfrastructure Team to conceive the enhancement of existing geo apps and development of new tools in support of solutions needed by the communities that we serve around the Gulf of Mexico. Our team manages data streams from a fleet of live ocean sensors in the Gulf of Mexico, in vessels, moorings, radars, animal tags, autonomous vessels and satellites. What You Need to Know Salary: Commensurate based on the selected candidate's education and experience.

Location: This position may be eligible to work at an alternative work location.

Required Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, GIS, Geography, Oceanography, Earth Sciences, Physics, Environmental Science, Engineering or other related field

• Four years of related experience in Information Technology, GIS, Geography, Oceanography, Earth Sciences, Physics, Environmental Science, Engineering or other related field

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to multi-task and work cooperatively with others.

• A good understanding of GIS system administration, ESRI product stack development, and data visualization

• A delight in being given a problem to solve it and develop new skills along the way, and ability to work semi-independently.

• Ability to communicate ideas effectively and to work cooperatively with others, inside and outside the organization.

• Good technical programming experience (i.e., scripting in Python)

• GIS system administration

• ESRI product stack development

Preferred Education and Experience:

• Master’s degree in Computer Science, GIS, Geography, Oceanography, Earth Sciences, Physics, Environmental Science, Engineering or another related field

• Strong understanding of GIS system administration, ESRI full product stack development, story maps, data visualization, and spatial analyses

• Proven technical programming experience (i.e., scripting in Python), and experience with cloud environments is desirable

• Texas driver’s license

Responsibilities:

• Geospatial application development: The GIS developer will work: 1) in maintaining, troubleshooting and upgrading existing GCOOS geospatial data and applications, and 2) use needs from the GCOOS board, staff, members and other stakeholders to conceptually design and create new geo apps to access, visualize and analyze large and complex oceanographic datasets and real-time data streams.

• GIS system administration: This GIS developer position is part of the GCOOS Data Management and Cyberinfrastructure team. The developer will be responsible to manage our ESRI-based GIS environment at Texas A&M University, geodatabases, ArcGIS Online platform, and internal and external users. This will require of system administration experience, including but not limited to ESRI platform, server administration using Linux and Python. Experience with cloud systems is highly desirable.

• Spatial data analysis: The GIS developer will have access to large and complex databases including those in ERDDAP used by NOAA and modeling communities. The developer will support our communities with spatial analysis of such datasets needed to identify gaps, risks, and other valuable contributions to synthesis, reports and planning processes.

• Other GCOOS Duties as assigned: Performs other duties as assigned – e.g., support proposal and report writing, attend regular and other meetings, represent GCOOS at relevant events (virtual and in-person), support other staff with GIS and mapping needs.

  Why Texas A&M University?

  Texas A&M University is committed to enriching the learning and working environment by promoting a culture that respects all perspectives, talents & lived experiences. Embracing varying opinions and perspectives strengthens our core values (https://www.tamu.edu/about/coreValues.html) which are: Respect, Excellence, Leadership, Loyalty, Integrity, and Selfless Service.

We are a prestigious university with strong traditions, Core Values, and a community of caring and collaboration.  Amenities associated with a major university, such as sporting and cultural events, state-of-the-art recreation facilities, the Bush Library and Museum, and much more await you.  Experience all that a big city has to offer but with a reasonable cost-of-living and no long commutes. 

• Health (https://www.tamus.edu/business/benefits-administration/medical/) , dental (https://www.tamus.edu/business/benefits-administration/dental/) , vision (https://www.tamus.edu/business/benefits-administration/vision-insurance/) , life and long-term disability insurance (https://www.tamus.edu/business/benefits-administration/life-add/) with Texas A&M contributing to employee health and basic life premiums

• 12-15 days (https://employees.tamu.edu/employee-relations/leave/index.html) of annual paid holidays

• Up to eight hours of paid sick leave (https://employees.tamu.edu/employee-relations/leave/paid/sick.html)  and at least  eight hours of paid vacation each (https://employees.tamu.edu/employee-relations/leave/paid/vacation.html) month

• Automatically enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas

• Health and Wellness: Free exercise programs and release time (https://flourish.tamu.edu/wellness-release-time/)

• Professional Development: All employees have access to free  LinkedIn Learning (https://linkedinlearning.tamu.edu/)  training, webinars, and limited financial support to attend conferences, workshops, and more

• Employee Tuition Assistance (https://livingwell.tamu.edu/employee-tuition-assistance/) and Educational Release time (https://employees.tamu.edu/employee-relations/leave/paid/educational.html) for completing a degree while a Texas A&M employee

  Instructions to Applicants: Applications received by Texas A&M University must either have all job application data entered or a resume attached. Failure to provide all job application data or a complete resume could result in an invalid submission and a rejected application. We encourage all applicants to upload a resume or use a LinkedIn profile to pre-populate the online application.

All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.

Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Veterans/Disability Employer.

Howdy and thank you for your interest in a career with Texas A&M University. As the flagship campus of The Texas A&M University System, we are located in College Station, Texas with a student population of more than 74,000 and nearly 14,000 faculty and staff.The Spirit of Aggieland is unmistakable. We are a unique American institution, fostering a culture of friendliness, compassion and respect for one another. Our unique history and rich traditions make Texas A&M special.From our benefits package and professional development opportunities to our retirement programs, Texas A&M is a great place to work. Your path to a great career starts here!Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Veterans/Disability Employer.

If you need assistance in applying for this job, please contact (979) 845-5154.

Useful Links:

• Benefit Programs (https://www.tamus.edu/business/benefits-administration)

• Retirement

• Employee Discount Program (https://employees.tamu.edu/benefits/healthy-behaviors/perks.html)

• Flexible Spending Accounts

• University Holidays (http://www.tamus.edu/business/human-resources/am-system-holidays/)

• Legal Statements

• New Employee Orientation (https://employees.tamu.edu/orgdev/courses.html#EmployeeOrientations)

• Prospective Employees

• Safety and Security Notices (https://orec.tamu.edu/clery/annual-security-report/)

• Training and Development

• USERRA (https://www.dol.gov/agencies/vets/programs/userra)

• Nondiscrimination Notice