GIS Specialist

Job Description:

The Rush University Alzheimer’s Disease Center (RADC) is leading experimental and epidemiological center for the study of Alzheimer’s disease, which has no preventative drugs, and is expected to soon triple in incidence. Over the past two decades, the RADC has carried out numerous community-based cohort studies to better understand Alzheimer’s disease and aging.

Position Highlights:

This position will conduct geocoding of participant addresses and geospatial analyses in cohorts of NIH-funded longitudinal studies of aging within the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center. This position also involves data processing, interpretation, maintenance, and documentation in support of these studies.

The GIS Specialist would be joining a large team of investigators of the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, studying the role of neighborhood health on brain health in some of the largest and most diverse cohort studies to include neuroimaging and neuropathology data. These studies include the Rush Memory and Aging Project, the Minority Aging Research Study, and the Latino Core study. Key motives for this work include increasing health equity and promoting social justice in normal and pathological aging research. This person will also be encouraged to work with the larger statistical team and may have the potential to lead GIS projects.

Position Responsibilities:

• Conducts spatial analyses, balanced with a variety of cartography, staff support, and research and development (e.g., in the EMA or GPS space).
• Provides independent data interpretation while effectively maintaining data documentation.
• Creates and modifies GIS (Geographic information system) datasets; manages and maintains legacy GIS datasets; develops and implements GIS-based analyses supporting projects across neuroscience, neuroimaging, neuropathology, and -omics domains.
• Produces technically skilled and detailed solutions to include preparing clear, complete, and accurate representations of spatial data using hardcopy and/or electronic media.
• Processes data and graphics requests from project team members and anticipating information needs and presentation format as part of workflows.
• Works on Census-level as well as point-level based projects involving the built (e.g., neighborhood health of residential and commercial development) and ambient (e.g., air pollution) environment to compile available information for use.
• Develops and maintains geospatial data on desktop and mobile applications. Ensure data meets appropriate data accuracy and content standards for quality assurance and quality control.

Position Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in GIS, Geography, Environmental Studies, or related field required.
• Demonstrated capabilities in GIS required.
• Hands-on knowledge of Esri ArcGIS desktop software, including ArcMap and ArcPro.
• Strong understanding of geodatabases and geodatabase applications.
• Ability to work with vector and raster datasets.
• Experience using ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Portal, or another web mapping system.
• Familiar with GPS data collection and data management, including Collector for ArcGIS.
• Ability to use and edit shapefiles and geodatabases (personal, file, and enterprise).
• Experience working with different coordinate systems, map projections, and datum’s.
• Familiarity with standard cartographic methods, theories, and principles.
• Ability to independently manage multiple assignments, determine and set job task priorities and work with limited direct supervision.

Preferred Job Qualifications:

• Previous work in/familiarity with medical research.
• Experience using Google Earth and KMZ files.
• Familiar with LiDAR datasets and usage
• Experience using Python, ModelBuilder or another common GIS scripting language is desirable, as job duties will include creating scripts to streamline frequently performed tasks.

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