JOB DESCRIPTION FOR POST
Position Title: Senior Software Engineer, Geospatial Reports To: [Engineering Manager/CTO] Location: Remote Employment Type: 20-hours/week
ROLE OVERVIEW
We are seeking a Senior Software Engineer with deep geospatial expertise to strengthen our engineering team. You will architect and build data systems that integrate geospatial data from traditional GIS platforms into our modern web stack. In this role, you’ll leverage your knowledge of spatial data concepts and GIS workflows to design scalable solutions, communicate with client GIS teams, and mentor engineers on geospatial best practices. You should be a strong engineer first, with substantial GIS domain knowledge.
OUR TECH STACK
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Languages: Python, JavaScript
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Frontend: React with deck.gl for geospatial visualization
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Backend: Django
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Database: PostgreSQL with PostGIS extension
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Infrastructure: Docker for containerization, deployed on AWS
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You’ll work across this stack to design and build geospatial data solutions, with a focus on building data pipelines and ETL processes that integrate geospatial data from ArcGIS, QGIS, Google Earth, and other sources into our platform.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
Data Architecture & Engineering
- Primary focus is building data pipelines and ETL processes that integrate geospatial data from ArcGIS, QGIS, Google Earth, and other sources into our platform.
Data Collection & Asset Inventory
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Design and build systems to scrape and ingest publicly available geospatial data to create asset location inventories
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Develop automated workflows to collect, parse, and validate data from multiple public sources
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Maintain and update asset inventories through ongoing data collection and reconciliation processes
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Build monitoring systems to track data freshness and identify when updates are needed
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Establish processes for deduplication and reconciliation when integrating data from multiple sources
Client Communication & Requirements
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Serve as a technical liaison with client GIS teams to understand data requirements and technical specifications
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Assess incoming geospatial data for quality, completeness, and usability
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Translate client GIS workflows and output into technical specifications for our systems
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Document data schemas, formats, and metadata from client systems in relationship to our system
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Build relationships with GIS stakeholders to facilitate smooth technical collaboration
Data Quality & Validation
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Design and implement comprehensive data validation and QA/QC processes for geospatial data
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Identify and diagnose data quality issues including invalid geometries, coordinate system problems, and schema mismatches. Data quality is a significant issue with incoming client data and requires focused attention for cleanup
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Build automated data cleanup and remediation tools and workflows
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Create data quality monitoring and reporting systems
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Write tests and validation logic to ensure data integrity throughout the pipeline
Team Collaboration & Mentorship
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Work with frontend developers to understand visualization requirements and design appropriate data structures
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Collaborate with backend engineers to integrate geospatial capabilities into our broader systems
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Mentor team members on geospatial concepts, spatial thinking, and GIS best practices
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Contribute to technical discussions on system architecture and data design decisions
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Document geospatial domain knowledge to build team expertise
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Software Engineering
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Strong software engineering fundamentals: data structures, algorithms, system design, API design
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Proficiency with Python or JavaScript (or both) for building production systems
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Experience designing and building data pipelines and ETL workflows
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Solid understanding of databases, query optimization, and data modeling
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Comfortable working within a modern tech stack (React, Node/Python backend, cloud infrastructure)
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Containerization and CI/CD pipeline experience
Geospatial Domain Knowledge
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5+ years of professional experience working with geospatial data or GIS platforms
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Deep understanding of spatial concepts: coordinate systems, projections, spatial indexing, geometric operations
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Production-level experience with PostGIS: schema design, spatial queries, managing large datasets
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Strong familiarity with GIS platforms (ArcGIS, QGIS, or similar) and their data models
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Experience with geospatial data formats (GeoJSON, Shapefile, GeoPackage, WKT/WKB, etc.)
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Knowledge of raster data processing and analysis
Data Quality & Validation
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Proven experience building data validation and quality assurance systems
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Demonstrated ability and patience to identify, diagnose, and resolve data quality issues
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Experience designing automated data cleanup and remediation processes
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Comfort with detailed, systematic work involving data inspection and validation
Soft Skills
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Strong communication: ability to explain technical concepts to both engineers and non-technical stakeholders
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Experience gathering technical requirements from external clients or teams
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Collaborative approach to problem-solving and architecture decisions
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Self-directed learner who stays current with relevant tools and practices
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
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Experience with geospatial visualization libraries (deck.gl, Mapbox, Leaflet, etc.)
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Previous roles bridging traditional GIS and modern software development
WHAT WE OFFER
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100% remote position with flexibility to work from anywhere
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Opportunity to influence technical architecture and design decisions
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Collaborative engineering team with diverse technical expertise
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Work on impactful projects leveraging geospatial data
