Data & Digital Advisory: Principal GIS Consultant
About The Role
Operational Excellence is one of the key strategic cornerstones which underpins our business, ensuring we are sustainable, profitable, and strategic. The Principal GIS Consultant will be part of the Data & Digital Advisory (DDA) technical delivery team and will have various roles to ensure the delivery of projects and the functioning and effectiveness of our GIS infrastructure. They will work flexibly within a well-established team, providing expertise in spatial data management and analysis and managing GIS platforms, including but not limited to, ArcGIS Server, ArcGIS Enterprise, ArcGIS Online and SQL Servers. As well as having experience and an understanding of open-source GIS solutions.
The post-holder will report to the GIS Lead and will help in providing leadership and management to the team and will lead the GIS aspect of our work on major projects as well as overseeing projects managed by consultants and working with WSP Project Managers and other WSP business unit teams to ensure technical delivery on projects. Moreover, they will advise on system configurations and optimization as well as monitor the GIS infrastructure and handle issues affecting the operation of the system. They will also create new enterprise geodatabases and provide guidance on database design and security and will work with IT and GIS system users to resolve complex, advanced issues.
Typical Activities Would Include
GIS
- Coordinate with the project team and external stakeholders to identify and meet their GIS needs and requirements.
- Providing management and leadership while working with the Data & Digital Advisory team members including Data, Software Development, and Business Analysts to support the delivery of the client's digital strategy.
- Develop and promote efficient practices to provide industry-leading, best-value services to our clients.
- Manage web GIS (ArcGIS Online/ArcGIS Enterprise/Apps) for major projects.
- Ensure the quality, accuracy, and security of the GIS data and applications and deliverables.
- Developing methodologies, standards, and training material.
- Lead on the technical contribution to bids and resource requirements.
- Promote Data & Digital Advisory services to internal and external clients.
Project Delivery
- Lead the GIS element of major projects in a multi-disciplinary environment.
- As a Lead on projects be the main point of contact for clients establishing client relationships
- Proactively identify and address issues which would impact quality and delivery.
- Guide best practices and solutions to achieve deliverables.
- Work in conjunction with the Business Analysts on task scheduling in Jira to feed into integrated schedules.
- Attend internal & external client meetings.
- Assist the GIS Lead in managing resources across all projects by identifying peaks and troughs of workload and ensuring resource utilization.
GIS System
- Operationally support and maintain the Esri ArcGIS Enterprise environments including ESRI Portal, Datastore, and
ArcGIS Server.
- Support the currently deployed ESRI product suite and all future releases of the ESRI product lines.
- Upgrade the ArcGIS Enterprise systems to applicable or latest versions.
- Complete ArcGIS software patching for systems on a manual and automated cycle.
- Assist in developing system processes, standards, and documentation for the GIS department.
- Design, develop, and maintain geodatabases and web applications for the project.
- Work collaboratively with our users, WSP IT and ESRI to resolve any issues.
- Arrange licencing, user accounts and access to ArcGIS Enterprise and ArcGIS Online (AGOL) for new starters as part of the onboarding process.
- Proactively identify areas to add cost-effective efficiencies and solutions.
Self & Team
- Carry out line management duties.
- Ensure reportees Safety, Health and Well-being training is up to date.
- Support reportees in their career development.
- Manage own time and reportees time in conjunction with the Business Analysts and other stakeholders to ensure system changes are carried out to time and budget and therefore limiting impact on projects.
- Undertake own continuous professional development.
- Collaborate with the other teams within DDA to understand and promote our full offering.
- Keep up to date with advances in GIS and how the industry is evolving.
- Identify areas for innovation across the whole of DDA.
About You
WSP is looking for a self-motivated individual with strong technical skills and excellent verbal and written communication skills.
We'd love to hear from you if you have:
- Bachelor's degree or higher in GIS, computer science, or related field.
- At least 5 years of professional experience in GIS delivery, development, and administration.
- Proficient in ArcGIS Desktop, ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Enterprise, ArcGIS Online and other ESRI apps, as well as Python, SQL, and web development languages and frameworks.
- Customer-focused approach to quality and service.
- Self-motivated and ability to innovate.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Strong problem-solving and analytical skills and attention to detail.
- Strong knowledge and experience in enterprise geodatabases and administration.
- Proven experience in using FME software for data transformation and integration tasks.
- Familiarity with cloud platforms (e.g., Azure) and similar technologies.