Organizational Coordinator – MetroGIS

The Metropolitan Council operates the regional transit system; collects and treats the region’s wastewater; serves communities through affordable housing programs; establishes policies for the region’s growth; and addresses the region’s needs for transportation, aviation, water resources, and parks and open space.

Our GIS unit is part of our Information Services department which provides technology services to all operating units of the Metropolitan Council. GIS employees help Council staff use GIS software and web based GIS products in innovative ways to efficiently and accurately analyze and communicate about issues of concern to the Council. They produce products such as maps, graphs, applications using GIS data; develop access to GIS through software and web based GIS products; analyze spacial information; create and process GIS data (over 200 data sets); and promotes GIS data sharing among government organizations in the region.

The MetroGIS Coordinator  coordinates and manages a wide range of functions and activities for MetroGIS. MetroGIS is a Council sponsored initiative/organization whose goal is to institutionalize sharing of accurate and reliable geospatial data and information so that MetroGIS’s government and non-government stakeholder community can share in the efficiencies of users being able to effortlessly obtain spatial data and applications needed from others, in the form needed, and when it is needed. This positionwill be responsible forfacilitating and managing the process to define a shared vision, strategic objectives, guiding principles, core competencies, key strategies, and organizational performance measures.

Examples of Duties

1.  Strategic Planning:

• Facilitate and manage processes to define a shared vision, strategic objectives, guiding principles, core competencies, key strategies, and organizational performance measures. 

2.  MetroGIS Operations:  

• Provide lead support to develop annual MetroGIS work plans and budgets, ensuring consistency with strategic objectives and changing stakeholder needs, and acceptable to the organization(s) from which funding is received.
• Provide lead support to the MetroGIS Policy Board and Coordinating Committee in formulating policies and procedures needed to collaboratively address shared geospatial needs.
• Work with MetroGIS Policy Board and Coordinating Committee leadership to coordinate setting agendas, drafting minutes, drafting reports, and running meetings.
• Facilitate development and monitoring of performance measures to evaluate the effectiveness of collective actions to accomplish mission, vision, and strategic objectives of the MetroGIS organization.
• Facilitate documentation of stakeholder benefit realized/public value created from data sharing and existence of regional solutions to shared geospatial needs.
• Ensure MetroGIS activities and projects are effectively managed, including such things as securing necessary resources, organizing teams of appropriate individuals representing affected stakeholders, establishing realistic project goals and work plans, completing and leading projects and monitoring work progress.
• Keep Council management and representatives informed of MetroGIS activities especially those that have direct impact on the Council.
• Negotiate policies, contracts, and legal agreements in conjunction with legal staff as required to accomplish specified objectives.
• Manage procurement processes for projects funded with Metropolitan Council funds.
• Explore sources of grants and funding opportunities to further build on core stakeholder investments including public-private partnerships and grants.

3.  Outreach:

• Advocate for collaborative solutions to shared geospatial needs, including sharing of GIS data and applications.
• Manage the content of the MetroGIS website and other outreach media.
• Present MetroGIS information at conferences and other meetings.
• Maintain connections with GIS users groups in the area.
• Maintain connections with similar initiatives happening at local, regional, state, and national levels and participate in related initiatives at the state, federal and national levels to advocate for MetroGIS needs and philosophy.