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GIS Project Leader - Portland, OR

Community GIS Project LeaderInstitute of Portland Metro Studies, Portland State University
Portland, OR

Professional Area: Participation and Empowerment
Experience: 1-3 years
Website: https://jobs.hrc.pdx.edu/postings/18054

Principal duties of the position:
  • Community geography – engage with communities throughout the Portland region to identify innovating mapping and other data visualizations to serve community needs. 
  • Provide GIS analysis support for projects in IMS and PRC. 
  • Possibly teach within the undergraduate or graduate programs within the College of Urban and Public Affairs or in PSU’s University Studies program. 
  • Contribute to strategic planning for IMS and PRC. Key Responsibilities 
  • Lead the development and implementation of IMS’s neighborhood indicators program. Plan and expand the Neighborhood Pulse web site, engage in community asset mapping, neighborhood indicator development, Geographical Information Systems mapping, and spatial and statistical analysis of demographic and other neighborhood data. 
  • Engage a diverse set of community groups in partnerships to gather and visualize information that empowers them to make positive change in their communities. 
  • Participate in the development of resources to support the neighborhood indicators program by identifying funding sources, writing grant proposals, and partnering with other departments at PSU, other educational institutions, and community organizations to attract funding. Contribute to externally funded studies that require GIS analysis, data analysis, and outreach. 
  • Supervise students and research assistants in the implementation of the neighborhood data program. 
  • Collaborate with other team members to develop and disseminate information about neighborhoods throughout the Portland Metropolitan area. 
  • Develop new research, data collection, visualization, and analytical methods that add to the Institute’s ability to provide neighborhood information. 
  • Collaborate with other research programs at PSU and other research and policy institutions. 
  • Lead and participate in community and national presentations and workshops. 
  • Support IMS and PRC research projects and publications with GIS analysis and cartography, including Metroscape magazine. 
Required Qualifications and Skills 
  • Master’s degree in Urban Studies, Geography, planning, or similar social science background 
  • At least two years progressively responsible experience developing and managing GIS projects 
  • At least two years of experience working with community partners 
  • Experience and demonstrated proficiency with Geographical Information Systems 
  • Solid experience and familiarity with GIS and database software including ARCGIS suite 
  • Cartographic and data visualization training and skills, as demonstrated by work samples 
  • Familiarity with Census data and other geographically specific data sets 
  • Excellent written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills Preferred Qualifications 
  • Familiarity or experience with programming languages such as Javascript, html5, and open source GIS software 
  • GIS teaching experience 
  • A demonstrated track record of attracting grant and contract funding.