Web Mapping Engineer for Geographic Information Systems

Description

Come join our fun and ever-growing team of amazing library developers at Stanford. This position will focus on front-end web mapping for GIS data. 

Web Mapping Engineer for Geographic Information Systems
4P3 / 4P4

Stanford University Libraries (SUL) is building an increasingly rich and complex set of geospatial information services and resources to support research, teaching and learning.

The Web Mapping Engineer for Geographic Information Systems will lead the technical effort to identify, develop, and support the user-facing GIS applications for SUL’s GIS programs, resources and patrons, as well as providing secondary support for SUL's spatial data infrastructure. This position will sit within and report to Digital Library Systems and Services (DLSS) unit within SUL, and work intimately with and directly support the programmatic activities of the Branner Earth Sciences Library, as well as closely related units within SUL and beyond.

This is a fixed-term position, with a four year term.


RESPONSIBILITIES
The Web Mapping Engineer for Geographic Information Systems will lead the technical effort to identify, develop, and support the user-facing GIS applications for SUL’s GIS programs, resources and patrons, as well as providing secondary support for SUL's spatial data infrastructure.

Web Application Support (60%)
• Adopt, adapt, develop and maintain software to provide a Web-based geospatial discovery and access portal, using open source technologies in an inter-institutional, community-based, development effort.
• Integrate digital mapping and GIS data discovery into a GIS discovery portal and/or SearchWorks, SUL’s overarching discovery layer.
• Integrate (either directly or by supporting integration efforts of others on campus) additional services into SUL’s GIS environment, supporting mapping and georeferencing applications, novel spatial visualization tools, mashups, and integration of gazetteers and third party GIS-based API’s.

Systems Analysis, Architecture Design, Implementation, and Administration (30%)
• Contribute to identify SUL's information systems needs concerning geospatial data. Design and implement systems to manage, preserve, search, and make SUL's geospatial data discoverable and usable.
• Contribute to implement and manage SUL’s GIS infrastructure; this includes administration of specialized GIS applications including GeoServer, GeoNetwork, ArcGIS Server, and Open GeoPortal Rails (http://github.com/sul-dlss/ogp-rails)
• Adopt and adapt software for the import, management and remediation of Stanford's GIS data collections
• Work with SUL’s server, database and network administrators to provision the necessary computing systems to support GIS services, including ESRI components in GIS labs.

Community Participation, Leadership and Consulting (10%)
• Play an active role in higher education and GIS researcher community; represent Stanford in this community and the development of open source and consortial service efforts. Consult with technologists on campus about the best method to realize their projects’ GIS technical goals, and adapt SUL’s GIS services and infrastructure accordingly.


Demonstrated Expertise Required In:

• GIS applications, tools and resources through at least three years of hands-on management and development in a GIS environment. Familiarity includes direct experience with both raster and vector resources, geodatabase configuration and management, and common API’s and tools (ArcSDE, ArcGIS Server, GeoServer, OpenLayers, OGC standards, Google Earth APIs etc.).
• Software engineering in Web-, solr-lucene and database-backed application environments, and experience in contributing to and/or defining the technical architecture of complex systems.
• Ruby, and Ruby on Rails, both for application development and in engineering an enhanced framework, including plug-ins, engines and gems, for developing and deploying applications. Experience with other MVC frameworks or dynamic languages will be considered.
• Scripting technologies such as Perl, PHP, Python, etc., or a demonstrated ability to learn them quickly. In-depth knowledge of HTML and related website development technologies and software (especially CSS and AJAX). Familiarity with Java and object-oriented programming and concepts is desired.
• Relational database design and management. Experience both in the administration of and implementing database applications for Oracle, Postgres, PostGIS, ArcSDE and/or MySQL.
• Networking and systems integration in a heterogeneous hardware and software (Linux, Windows) environment. Experience with imaging virtualized environments (e.g., VMWare) is preferred.
• XML and related tools and technologies (e.g., XML schema, schema management and databases, XSLT, X-forms)
• Writing solid, simple, elegant code both independently and in a team-programming environment and within schedule limitations.
• Working collaboratively on a project from specification to launch and production operation; and working with multiple levels of staff, and colleagues at peer institutions and open source communities.
• Agile software development practices and test driven development principles and methods, as well as best practices for software development overall.
• Creative, innovative, dynamic and thorough approach to software engineering; interest in participating in community-based, open source projects, and the technical, social and communication capabilities to do so effectively.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Masters degree or equivalent professional experience in Geomatics, Geographic Information Systems, Computer Science, Information Science or related field.
• 5-7 years of relevant experience for the 4P3 level. Seven or more years relevant experience for the 4P4 level.
• Prior success in working in an academic environment desired.