The Geospatial Analyst is a key team member in geospatial analysis projects focused on conservation, restoration, and environmental policy in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Types of projects include producing land cover and stream channels in high resolution, prioritizing restoration efforts of stakeholder groups, assessing future impacts of climate change, and supporting equitable access to Bay recreation. The work requires creativity, strong analytical skills, collaborative approaches, and excellent organizational skills.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

  1. Engaging with partners to deliver solutions. While project managers will oversee the large details of contracts, the analyst will be accountable for specific deliverables. As such, the individual must interact with clients to understand issues and customize solutions.
  2. Working independently to learn new skills and to solve problems and errors. Much of the Conservancy’s work involves finding unique, customized solutions to partners’ challenges. Errors and unknowns will be encountered, and the successful analyst will take initiative to innovate new techniques as well as more effective solutions to repetitive problems.
  3. Adhering to deadlines. Candidates must be able to self-monitor workflow, prioritize assigned tasks, and identify as well as address risks to his/her projected timeline.
  4. Collaborating with team members and project managers. Candidates must be able to gracefully and tactfully navigate team dynamics. This includes engaging peers and supervisors in problem-solving and constructive feedback. Additionally, the Conservancy’s GIS team is a highly collaborative and innovative group. Ideal candidates will be expected to participate in brainstorming and discussions.
  5. Obtaining, organizing, and processing component datasets. The analyst will work with a variety of spatial data, including satellite and aerial imagery; LiDAR; and national, state, and local vector data. Organization and attention to detail are crucial to success in working with high volumes of data across projects. Analyst will also perform QA/QC for input and output datasets.
  6. Automating large, complex, as well as repetitive processes. Efficiency is extremely important to the Conservancy. We maintain a high volume of ongoing projects with limited staff, and to do so, we emphasize automation. Typical strategies include python scripting and ModelBuilder.
  7. Providing training and technical assistance to other analysts and non-GIS Conservancy staff. On a continuing basis, other analysts and Conservancy staff require technical and mapping assistance. The analyst will be expected to maintain flexibility for addressing urgent, unplanned needs and demonstrate an openness to teaching others.

 

REQUIRED SKILLS/ABILITIES:

  • Bachelor’s or Master’s degree with a concentration in Environmental Studies, Geography, GIS, Remote Sensing, or other relevant field, and one or more years of work experience utilizing GIS for geospatial analysis.
  • Strong geospatial analysis and remote sensing skills, with proficiency in ESRI ArcGIS geospatial analysis software.
  • Ability to challenge conventions, to thrive independently as well as on a team in a relaxed, dynamic office culture, and to think creatively
  • Adaptability, independence in problem solving, strong oral and written communication, and an ability to relate complicated technical material to others
  • Organized, dependable, and goal-driven, with a passion for the mission of the Chesapeake Conservancy – public access, conservation, education, and stewardship of the Bay and its resources

 

PREFERRED SKILLS/ABILITIES:

  • Local knowledge of the environmental history, ecology, and culture in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
  • Experience with python scripting in ArcGIS.
  • Skills using R, open-source geospatial tools, Microsoft Azure or Amazon Web Services for cloud computing, GitHub, or Google Earth Engine are a plus. Any necessary training on project workflows will be provided.

 

SALARY AND BENEFITS:

Salary and benefits are commensurate with the candidate’s relevant professional experience and/or education, with an expected salary range of $55,000-$65,000. The Conservancy offers a competitive employee benefits package that includes health, dental, and vision insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, paid vacation and sick leave, participation in a retirement savings plan with an employer match, and an alternate work week. Opportunities for advancement and professional development are available. This position will not support relocation assistance.

 

LOCATION:

This position will be based at Chesapeake Conservancy’s office in Annapolis, Maryland. The office operates with a hybrid remote/in-person environment with the number of days in the office per week negotiable.

 

TO APPLY:

Interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter to explain how your skills and background fit this position. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis beginning November 14, 2022, with an anticipated start date in January 2023.

 

ABOUT THE CONSERVANCY

Chesapeake Conservancy is a nonprofit organization based in Annapolis, Maryland, dedicated to ensuring a healthier Chesapeake Bay watershed where fish and wildlife thrive, with healthy waters and abundant forests, wetlands, shorelines, and open spaces. With the human population in the Chesapeake Bay watershed approaching 18 million and growing, and with tens of thousands of acres of open space vanishing each year, the Conservancy works to connect people with the Chesapeake’s wildlife and history; conserve landscapes and rivers; and restore the region’s natural resources. The Conservancy works in close partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency Chesapeake Bay Program, National Park Service Chesapeake Bay Office, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, as well as other federal, state, and local agencies, private foundations, and corporations to advance conservation.

 

Within the Conservancy, the Conservation Innovation Center (CIC) has become a globally recognized leader in producing data, analyses, and web applications to advance precision conservation and restoration. Through collaborative partnerships, CIC develops innovative custom approaches to leverage high-resolution geospatial data to support informed decision making.  CIC works with leading technical organizations like ESRI and Microsoft to deliver more precise data and bring cutting edge technology and techniques to our work. More information is available on our website at https://www.chesapeakeconservancy.org/conservation-innovation-center/.

 

WE ARE COMMITTED TO BEING A DIVERSE & WELCOMING WORKPLACE:

Chesapeake Conservancy is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, color, age, sex, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity, refusal to submit to a genetic test or to make available genetic test results, or any other legally protected characteristic.  Chesapeake Conservancy understands that protecting and restoring the natural and cultural resources of the Chesapeake Bay watershed requires intentional commitment to inclusive practices and narratives within the conservation movement. Through our work we celebrate and elevate the people, places, and cultures of the region, especially by engaging underrepresented communities. Committing to the values of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice is critical to achieve our vision of a Chesapeake that is healthy, accessible to everyone, and a place where people and wildlife thrive. To that end, we commit ourselves to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice both in our programmatic priorities and our internal organizational development through inclusive recruitment of staff and board members and fostering a diverse and inclusive culture.

 

REPORTS TO:

This position reports to one of 2 Program Managers in the Conservation Innovation Center.

 

 

For more questions regarding this position please contact Helen Sieracki, HR Coordinator, at hsieracki@chesapeakeconservancy.org.