FR GIS Program Manager

The Division of Forestry (FR) GIS Program Manager leads the work of a variety of GIS staff and the development of specialized geospatial IT applications to ensure the Forestry Division and its partners are able to streamline their business functions.  This position is part of a section of IT professionals each with a focused discipline.  

The position requires a strong knowledge base and experience in managing IT/GIS application development efforts, and serving as the business analyst or project manager with the aptitude and desire for creating solutions, consulting with BTS staff and customers, negotiating solutions and mentoring other GIS staff and working on development teams to integrate complex IT/GIS solutions in a desktop, mobile and web environments.  

In addition as project manager, the position independently completes advanced analyses, feasibility, cost-benefit, systems requirements and interprets business requirements for technical staff and contractors focusing on geo-spatial applications.  This position will provide consultation on geo-spatial related forestry information systems, particularly GIS, and analyze system and application links to the web. The position plans and manages the application development and assists with the budget through the entire project lifecycle for a portfolio of IT projects. The position is a coordinating member of the Division’s IT/GIS Management Team and assures that forestry IT applications meet department and enterprise standards, and setting the pace for the Division through leadership, innovation, adaptation, best practices, and transfer of knowledge.  This position maintains contemporary knowledge and expertise by staying abreast of current research and maintaining an effective professional network.

The customer base for this position is 450-500 Division staff, including three central office bureaus and four districts, as well as colleagues throughout the Department and hundreds of staff in key partner groups statewide as well as corresponding programs in the US Forest Service.

Job Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• College-level training or professional development in the use of GIS in a natural resource management or related field.
• Knowledge of the analysis, development and management of natural resource information systems including, field data collection (e.g. field computers and GPS), data modeling, GIS, and the creation of natural resource applications.
• Design, troubleshoot, and document IT/GIS and software systems.
• Serve as the analyst or managing multiple complex projects.
• Analyze changes to IT architecture, assess the impacts on business systems, develop options to resolve resulting issues and prepare information to present to management and management teams.
• Work with business experts or business analyst in the development of technical specifications for use by programmers for coding. 
• Work with a team of IT professionals developing complex applications.
• In-depth knowledge and experience in information system analysis, investigating parameters, and developing prototypes for employing complex technology into system development projects.
• Knowledge of ESRI’s ArcGIS technologies including experience with ESRI geo-databases, spatial analyst tools, spatial statistic operations, and other data management tools.  ArcGIS for Desktop (Advanced / ArcINFO), Arc GIS Server, and Spatial Database Engine (ArcSDE).
• Knowledge of geospatial and relational database concepts.
• Knowledge of cartographic concepts, and the ability to create maps for forestry staff and the general public.  
• Knowledge and experience developing and managing multiple complex projects while achieving deadlines.
• Work with IT professionals implementing quality assurance/quality control practices.
• Experience of short and long-range planning methods, team building and negotiating.
• Experience of aerial photography and remote sensing technologies including digital imaging, ground control and aerial photography use in natural resources.
• Experience contributing from a technical perspective on a project team through the entire IT project life cycle.
• Analyze new or updated software applications, the impact on business systems, developing alternative actions and presenting information to management and management teams.
• Develop test data and testing protocols.

For more information and to apply, visit the WiscJobs Web site.