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GIS Specialist

Academic Professional

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Position Available:  The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library seeks applications for a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Specialist.  The ongoing “spatial turn” in a wide array of disciplines, with its increasing attention on the impacts and meanings of geographical space, means that scholars in fields which have not historically used geospatial analysis tools are discovering how geographic visualization can assist in examining relationship and causality, uncovering patterns, and making predictions.  GIS users on the UIUC campus are also creating data that falls under the campus’s commitment to research data management.  The GIS Specialist will play a critical role in the development, growth and stability of the Library’s GIS program.  The position is based in the Scholarly Commons (www.library.illinois.edu/sc) and reports to the Numeric and Spatial Data Librarian.  The Scholarly Commons is a technology enriched space for faculty, researchers, and graduate students to pursue research and receive expert copyright, data, digital humanities, digitization, scholarly communications, and usability consultation services.  Scholarly Commons services are supported by experts in the Scholarly Commons, subject specialists at the University Library, and partners throughout campus.  The Scholarly Commons staff currently consists of four librarians and three graduate assistants, as well as the library and campus partners who consult with users of Scholarly Commons services.   The GIS Specialist will also collaborate with personnel throughout the library to meet the campus’s need for GIS services, collections, and infrastructure.  Key collaborators will be the Map Librarian, Library Information Technology staff, the IDEALS Coordinator, and the Medusa Repository Development Team.  This position is available immediately.

Responsibilities:  The Library’s GIS Specialist, in coordination with the Numeric and Spatial Data Librarian and the Map Librarian, will promote the use of geospatial data and methodologies in instruction and research, consulting with and assisting a campus-wide spectrum of users with a broad variety of needs, interests, and abilities.  The GIS Specialist will have interests in all facets of a geospatial data access program--hardware, software, data and user services--and the ability to support and move forward the Library’s GIS endeavors in all areas.  The individual selected will have a strong technical foundation and will be adept at and enthusiastic about communicating technical information to non-technical users.  GIS consultation and assistance will be provided primarily in the Scholarly Commons but may also occur in the Map Library, other University Library spaces, and in academic department settings.  Specifically, the GIS Specialist will:

               Provide general and specialized assistance with digital geospatial data and use of GIS software; serve as an expert geospatial technology consultant for users with varying needs and abilities and with tasks including manipulating, customizing, querying or modeling of geospatial data

               Consult with researchers to develop data management plans

               Work collaboratively with Library Information Technology staff to (i) define, obtain, and configure server space devoted to GIS software and geospatial data storage and access; and (ii) install and maintain the library’s GIS server and server software

               Assist with planning for the long-term preservation of digital geospatial assets, identify requirements for a repository of geospatial data, and work toward populating the repository through data migration and upload

               Assist with the evaluation of geospatial data available for acquisition

               Improve the accessibility of digital geospatial resources held by the Library (either created on campus or purchased) in part by creating metadata and following standards and best practices

               Provide library instruction for geospatial data and proprietary and open-source GIS and remote sensing applications; refresh and develop new instructional content

               Further develop library webpages describing services and providing links to web-based GIS resources, including data and web mapping applications; create online guides to GIS software and data

               Document processes and procedures

               Serve as library’s liaison to UIUC campus GIS organizations and research groups; where appropriate, participate in grant-funded projects across campus

               Maintain current awareness of developments and trends in GIS and related technologies

Environment: The University of Illinois Library at Urbana-Champaign is one of the preeminent research libraries in the world. With more than 13 million volumes and significant digital resources, it ranks second in size among academic research libraries in the United States and first among public university libraries in the world. As the intellectual heart of the campus, the Library is committed to maintaining the strongest possible collections and services and engaging in research and development activities in pursuit of the University’s mission of teaching, scholarship, and public service. The Library currently employs approximately 90 faculty and 300 academic professionals, staff, and graduate assistants. For more detailed information, please visit <http://www.library.illinois.edu/>.  The Library consists of multiple departmental libraries located across campus, as well as an array of central public, technical, and administrative service units. The Library also encompasses a variety of virtual service points and “embedded librarian” programs.

 

Qualifications:  Required:  Masters with a concentration in GIS; or a graduate-level or post-baccalaureate GIS certificate; or a Bachelors with a concentration in GIS plus three years of experience; or 7 years of GIS-related work experience with increasing responsibilities and task diversification.  Experience working with a diverse clientele.  Able to work independently while balancing needs of diverse stakeholders.  Strong written and oral communication skills.  Preferred:  ALA accredited MLS ; or academic library experience.  Customer service or teaching experience.  Ability to explain technical topics to a non-technical audience.  Evidence of increasing GIS-related responsibilities.  Knowledge of GIS server needs and ability to work collaboratively to maintain and update server.  Experience with ESRI products such as ArcGIS and ArcServer.  Programming languages such as Python or PHP.  Experience with open-source GIS.  Ability to evaluate and implement access tools for geospatial data.  Interest in preservation of geospatial data.  Experience with software licensing.

Salary and Rank:  This is a 100% time, 12 month appointment Academic Professional position.

Terms of Appointment: Twelve-month appointment; 24 annual vacation days; 11 annual paid holidays; 12 annual sick-leave days (cumulative), plus an additional 13 sick-leave days (non-cumulative) available, if needed, each year; health insurance requiring a small co-payment is provided to employee (with the option to purchase coverage for spouse and dependents); required participation in State Universities Retirement System (SURS) (8% of annual salary is withheld and is refundable upon termination), with several options for participation in additional retirement plans; newly-hired employees are covered by the Medicare portion of Social Security and are subject to its deduction.

Campus and Community:  The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a comprehensive and major public land-grant university (Doctoral/Research University-Extensive) that is ranked among the best in the world. Chartered in 1867, it provides undergraduate and graduate education in more than 150 fields of study, conducts theoretical and applied research, and provides public service to the state and the nation. It employs 3,000 faculty members who serve 31,000 undergraduates and 12,000 graduate and professional students; approximately 25% of faculty receives campus-wide recognition each year for excellence in teaching. More information about the campus is available at www.illinois.edu.

 

The University is located in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana, which have a combined population of 100,000 and are situated about 140 miles south of Chicago, 120 miles west of Indianapolis, and 170 northeast of St. Louis. The University and its surrounding communities offer a cultural and recreational environment ideally suited to the work of a major research institution. For more information about the community, visit: <http://illinois.edu/about/community/community.html> or <http://www.ccchamber.org/>.

To Apply:  To ensure full consideration, please complete your candidate profile at https://jobs.illinois.edu and upload a letter of interest, resume, and contact information including email addresses for three professional references. Only applications submitted through this website will be considered. For questions, please call: 217-333-8169.

Deadline:  In order to ensure full consideration we urge candidates to submit application materials on or before January 5, 2014. 

 

Illinois is an Affirmative Action /Equal Opportunity Employer and welcomes individuals with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and ideas who embrace and value diversity and inclusivity.

www.inclusiveillinois.illinois.edu

 

Sarah L. Shreeves

IDEALS Coordinator – http://ideals.illinois.edu/

Scholarly Commons Co-Coordinator – http://library.illinois.edu/sc/

Associate Professor, University Library

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

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217-244-3877

 



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