Geospatial Services Lead

Job Title: Geospatial Services Lead
Location: Washington D.C. 20250
Employment Type: Full-Time
Experience Level: Senior

About the Role
We are seeking a dynamic and experienced Geospatial Services Lead to lead the design implementation and management of advanced geospatial data solutions. This senior-level position will play a critical role in coordinating with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Geospatial (GEO) Branch to ensure all geospatial initiatives align with agency-wide standards practices and strategic priorities. The ideal candidate will combine technical expertise in geospatial technologies with strong leadership and collaboration skills to drive innovation and operational efficiency.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership: Oversee the development deployment and maintenance of enterprise-level geospatial systems tools and data solutions to support agency missions.
• Compliance and Alignment: Serve as a subject matter expert to ensure geospatial workflows data formats and tools adhere to NRCS GEO Branch standards and federal geospatial protocols (e.g. FGDC OGC ISO).
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with internal teams external stakeholders and NRCS GEO Branch personnel to identify needs resolve technical challenges and optimize geospatial capabilities.
• Project Management: Lead geospatial initiatives from concept to delivery including budgeting scheduling and risk management while maintaining compliance with federal IT and data governance policies.
• Team Mentorship: Guide and mentor junior geospatial professionals fostering a culture of innovation and continuous learning.
• Technical Innovation: Stay abreast of emerging geospatial technologies (e.g. AI/ML in spatial analytics cloud GIS remote sensing) to recommend and implement cutting-edge solutions.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelors degree in Geography Geospatial Science Environmental Science Computer Science or related field; Masters degree preferred.
• Experience: Minimum of 8 years of progressively responsible experience in geospatial data management GIS development and geospatial service delivery with 3 years in a lead/supervisory role.
• Technical Expertise:
  • Proficiency in GIS software (ArcGIS Pro QGIS etc.) and geospatial programming (Python SQL R).
  • Experience with geospatial data formats (raster/vector Shapefiles GeoJSON etc.) and metadata standards.
  • Familiarity with federally mandated geospatial frameworks and standards (e.g. FGDC Metadata OGC web services).
• Certifications: Relevant certifications (e.g. Esri Technical Certification GISP PMP) are a plus.
• Leadership: Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams manage complex projects and communicate effectively with stakeholders at all levels.
• Regulatory Knowledge: Working understanding of NRCS geospatial protocols and agricultural conservation data needs is highly desirable.

Additional Qualifications (Preferred)

• Experience with cloud-based GIS platforms (e.g. Amazon Web Services Microsoft Azure).
• Background in agricultural or environmental data systems.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a focus on scalable data-driven solutions.