GIS Specialist (NPS, Death Valley National Park)

The Great Basin Institute, in cooperation with National Park Service, Death Valley National Park (DEVA), is recruiting one GIS Specialist to join the Cultural Resources (CRS) Program and the DEVA Cultural Flood Team. The Specialist will work under the direction of the Cultural Resource Program Manager, NPS GIS Specialist and the Senior Flood Archaeologist to provide geographic information system (GIS) modelling, mapping, and data management support related to conservation, flood recovery and restoration, facility assets management, and the protection and recording of cultural resources. The GIS Specialist will create a model based on flooding characteristics to determine appropriate cultural resources for the team to revisit.  This model will help inform the DEVA flood team where to revisit, stabilize, and manage cultural resources that may have been damaged by recent year floods.

Essential Job Functions may include the following:

• Using several datasets, model for flood severity and help the team determine which cultural resources to revisit.
• Assist with quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) of the cultural resources database for accuracy and consistency;
• Communicating and collaborating with cultural resource team assist in QA/QC of data, using ESRI’s ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online platform;
• Collecting, ground-truthing, and updating GIS data in the field as part of an interdisciplinary team;
• Operating hand-held GPS or tablet for navigation and electronic field data collection;
• Provide training to staff in the use of hand-held GPS or tablet for navigation and electronic field data collection;
• Producing maps and compiling data in support of park programs such as cultural and natural resources, and facility asset management;
• Provide training to staff in the production of maps for cultural resource location and site sketch maps;
• Utilize ESRI’s Field Maps application with government issued mobile device;
• Processing detailed data accurately into a variety of databases;
• Creating documentation of procedures and project progress;
• Creating and updating metadata.

LOCATION: Furnace Creek, CA

Death Valley National Park encompasses nearly 3.4 million acres in southeastern California and western Nevada, a 70-minute drive from Pahrump, Nevada (the nearest grocery store), 2- to 3-hour drive to Las Vegas. Death Valley National Park is in the transition zone and contains both the Mojave Desert and the Great Basin. Aside from the outdoor recreation opportunities and natural wonders within the park, the Mojave Preserve, the Eastern Sierras, as well as Lake Mead and Spring Mountains National Recreation Areas are nearby (2-3 hours) and afford a diversity of outdoor activities ranging from hiking, mountain biking and rock hounding to fishing, boating and skiing/snowboarding. Nearly everything, including a major airport, can be found in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Field conditions at Death Valley National Park include hot, arid days with high exposure to the sun, as well as cold, winter weather and elevation ranges from -282 feet to over 11,000 feet. Resources of the region include threatened and/or endangered species habitat, big game habitats, abandoned mine lands, and historic and precontact cultural sites. The Death Valley National Park comanages with the local Timbisha Shoshone Tribe on many projects.

TIMELINE: 

• October or November 2026 start date; 52 weeks;
• Possibility for extension;
• Full time (40 hours/week) 

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Wage: $27 to $32 DOE an hour

Benefits:

• Premiums 100% GBI-paid: comprehensive medical, dental (with an optional coverage upgrade), visual insurance
  • Enrollment eligibility begins the first day of the month following the first day of service. 
• 401(k) retirement savings with up to 4% GBI match;
• $25,000 Basic Life & AD&D insurance at no cost;
• Paid Leave Benefit: Paid Time Off accrued at 4.61 hours per 80-hour pay period starting on the first day of employment;
• Paid holidays (12 per year);
• Pro gear/equipment deals through various companies and websites.

Housing: In-Park housing may be available for this position

To perform this job successfully, employees must be able to satisfactorily carry out each essential duty. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Required:

• A US Citizen (required for access to US government systems);
• Bachelor’s degree in GIS, geography, computer science, natural sciences or closely related field with coursework and/or experience that demonstrates competencies of the principles of geographic information systems (GIS);
• Experience using ArcGIS Pro to append GPS data into geodatabases;
• Proficient using GIS software, specifically ESRI suite including ArcGIS Pro with working knowledge of components, tools and techniques to create models, create maps, manipulate data, populate metadata, and organize layers;
• Knowledge of basic cartographic principles and sources of mapping materials; principles of Geographic Information System including entry/updates, map projections, coordinate systems and datums, and map production.
• Capacity to collect and maintain field data in an organized manner that is easily understood and accessible to other staff;
• Ability to set up and use GNSS receivers with field data collection;
• Possess a clean, valid, state-issued driver’s license with ability to safely operate and maintain a government issued vehicle;
• Communicate and work alongside staff and other team members with varying short/long-term deliverable schedules;
• Ability to work productively, professionally, consistently, and independently or cooperatively as part of a team to accomplish mutual goals.
• Self-motivated and detail-oriented, possessing strong organizational skills to effectively plan and complete assigned workload within defined timelines;
• Background Check: Successful completion of a criminal background check is required as a condition of employment for this position.

Preferred:

• Experience using Field Maps application and a tablet to collect field data;
• Prior field experience working in the desert Southwest, or similar desert climates;
• Personal transportation to get to and from town. 

TO APPLY
Please submit an up-to-date resume, a one-page cover letter that details your interest in the position, and any qualifications not fully outlined in your resume, and contact information for nine professional references to the unique application link.  Qualified applicants will be contacted to schedule an interview. For questions regarding this position, please contact [email protected]

PHYSICAL DEMANDS  
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

This position is primarily sedentary with occasional field work. Office work may consist of prolonged sitting in an air-conditioned building. Occasional fieldwork (including possible overnight/field camping work) in the Southwest requires physical endurance to walk over flat, uneven, sloped, rocky, or sandy terrain, work outside in a variety of weather conditions, including extreme heat or cool temperatures. Death Valley follows a robust heat safety policy.

NOTE:  This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employees may perform other related duties as negotiated to meet the organization's ongoing needs.
All offers of employment are contingent upon the successful completion of a pre-employment background check.

Disclaimer: Although the organization has attempted to accurately and thoroughly describe this position, GBI reserves the right to change the same, including to change, add to or subtract from the duties outlined, within the sole discretion of the organization, at any time, with or without advance notice.